A photo of the dumped rubble in Alma Street that was shown to Plymouth Magistrates Court
A man who left bags of rubble in a service lane on three occasions for over two months has been made to pay more than £800 by Plymouth Magistrates Court.
Nigel Nelson, 62, of Alma Street appeared before the court on Thursday to plead not guilty to the charge of fly-tipping.
The court heard how on 12 and 15 February 2021, a Council environmental enforcement officer found a number of bags filled with rubble in the service lane behind a house in Alma Street.
Having identified Nelson as the occupier of the property, enforcement officer tried in vain to contact him. Nelson was given the opportunity to explain the waste via a written Interview Under Caution but it was not returned and in March 2021, he was issued with a £400 fixed penalty notice.
Nelson responded to the FPN, but said he would not be paying it. In April 2021, the officer visited Alma Street again to find the waste still in situ. Nelson was then summonsed to court.
After a short hearing, Nelson was found guilty of fly-tipping and was made to pay a £180 fine, a contribution of £600 towards Plymouth City Council’s investigative and legal costs and a £34 victim surcharge. He will now carry a criminal record.
Councillor Maddi Bridgeman, Cabinet member for the Environment and Street Scene, said: "Fly-tipping in service lanes is something that residents complain to me about a lot, so I'm pleased that this man has been made an example of by the courts.
"Services lanes are the highway; they are shared by everyone in your street and are not an extension of your property.
"I would urge residents to responsibly store their waste on their own property. Failing to do so will mean you will quickly find yourself on the wrong end of a fixed penalty notice."