Grimsby landlord forced to pay nearly £1000 for failure to remove fly-tipping

Mr Kenneth Goudie, 59, of Ings Lane, Waltham, failed to comply with a Section 215 Notice under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 which instructs property owners to remove waste from their land if it is deemed to be causing a nuisance.

Failure to comply led to a hearing at Grimsby Magistrates Court. Although Mr. Goudie did not attend, he was proven guilty in his absence. 

As a result, he has been ordered to pay a fine of £440, victim surcharge of £176 and legal costs of £340, totalling £956.

Councillor Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “This case is the perfect example of how we are a zero tolerance Council. Fly-tipping will not be tolerated in North East Lincolnshire.

“Whether you have dumped the waste or own the land it has been left on, you still have a responsibility. I hope this is a lesson to those who feel they can dump their waste anywhere.”

The empty property, on Buller Street, Grimsby, came to the attention of North East Lincolnshire Council in September 2024 after numerous fridges and other items had been fly-tipped in the front garden.

Officers tried several times to get in touch with the owner, Mr. Goudie, issuing him with warning letters, but unfortunately he did not respond. Therefore, he was issued the Section 215 Notice.

This requires the property owner to remove and clear any waste that may be causing issue or nuisance to neighbouring properties or the wider community, even if they have not put the waste there themselves. However, he failed to remove the items and was therefore prosecuted in court.

Wanting to ensure this waste did not continue to cause an issue for surrounding properties, the Council worked to have the waste removed. Empty properties like this one can be prone to vandalism, fly-tipping and attract anti-social behaviour.

If fly-tipped waste is on private land, it is the responsibility of the land owner to have it removed and there are a number of ways you can help prevent fly-tipping:

• Report it – Report fly-tipping online via the Council website by visiting Fly-tipping | NELC
• Registered Waste Carriers – If you are paying someone to take away your waste, you must make sure they are a registered waste carrier. To check if they are, visit Waste Carriers, Brokers and Dealers- external site 
• Use the Community Recycling Centre (CRC) – If you are disposing of large amounts of waste, don’t forget to use the tip where they can accept a range of materials. To find out more, visit Recycling centres (the tip) | NELC
• Bulky Waste collection – If you wish to get rid of large items, such as fridges and freezers, you can use the Council’s bulky waste service to have it removed sustainably at a small cost. For more information, visit https://www.nelincs.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling/bulky-waste-collections/