Fly-tipping firms in Glasgow are a “direct consequence” of council decisions, a union has said, after a councillor called for tougher fines.
Cllr Ruairi Kelly, SNP, the council’s convener for neighbourhood services, wants sanctions to be increased as he believes some firms absorb fixed penalty notices as a business cost.
The GMB agreed with his position but claimed the introduction of a bulk uplift charge had led to businesses “flooding” communities with illegally dumped waste.
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It also argued a recent council decision to cut the number of community enforcement officers made it more difficult to hand out fines.
However, a council spokesman said the enforcement staff issue fines on litter and dog-fouling, not fly-tipping, which is dealt with by environmental health officers.
He added: “We have previously offered to meet with the union to discuss incorporating fly-tipping enforcement into the role of community enforcement officers and that offer remains open.”
In a letter to the Scottish Government, Cllr Kelly said fines and sentencing for fly-tipping “need to be an adequate deterrent to what has become an endemic problem across much of the city of Glasgow”.
He believes current fines limit the impact of enforcement, particularly on criminal gangs involved in illegal dumping of waste.
Councils can hand out fixed penalties of £80 for littering and £200 for fly-tipping while, if a case goes to court, someone convicted of fly-tipping can face a fine of up to £40,000 and/or up to 12 months imprisonment.
The GMB sent a letter to Cllr Kelly which stated businesses "illegally dumping waste across the city" is "a direct consequence of a decision taken in previous years to introduce a bulk uplift charge".
The letter called for the charge to be scrapped and the reversal of a decision to reduce the number of community enforcement officers by around half to 11 full-time equivalent roles.
It also stated enforcement officers should be redirected to fly-tipping hotspots and domestic waste collections should be increased.
The GMB has asked for cuts to be paused and a meeting to be held between councillors, officials and unions. Cllr Kelly said he would respond to the union’s letter in due course.
Sean Baillie, a regional organiser for GMB Scotland, said: “You cannot cut the number of staff able to issue fixed penalty notices and expect the same level of service to be delivered.
“Not only have the council recently voted to cut the number of staff able to issue fixed penalty notices but they have also cut funding to the city’s CCTV operation to catch them in the act.
“These cuts are only going to give the green light and increase the window of opportunity for those who are flooding our communities with unlawfully dumped waste.”
He added: “We have been consistent in opposing cuts, exposing the consequences of them and offering alternative proposals that will maximise the resources available.
“We are asking the council to protect communities by not cutting these services and sitting down with the workforce and communities to design a service that works for all.”
The council spokesman said seven new environmental health officers have been employed. “Community enforcement officers do not currently have the power to issue fines for fly-tipping,” he added.
“Fly-tipping enforcement is currently dealt with by environmental health officers and we have recently expanded this team.
“The forthcoming pilot of on-street bin hubs will significantly improve the frequency of bin collections in the pilot areas and we will be looking closely at whether this efficiency can be adopted for other flatted properties in the city.”
He added: “Fly-tipping reports have been declining in Glasgow and the bulk uplift service allows householders to dispose of larger items for just £5 per item.”
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