CCTV boost planned by council to trap fly-tipping culprits

A council is actively looking to bring in better CCTV systems to boost its ongoing fight against fly-tippers, says a senior councillor.

For a while Calderdale Council has been stepping up the fight against those illegally dumping rubbish in the borough, including prosecuting offenders and impounding and crushing their vehicles.

Cabinet reports referenced reviewing available resources and exploring opportunities to enhance CCTV provision, said Coun Ashley Evans (Lib Dem, Warley).

Coun Evans raised the issue in a questions-to-Cabinet members session at a meeting of the full council.

“We do have, I believe, a little bit of mobile CCTV.

“Surely we should have more of it and it seems very, very difficult to access this.

“If we’re going to seriously sort out the fly-tipping issue, we need to catch people doing it, know who they are and act accordingly,” he said, urging Cabinet to take more action.

“It’s a cost-saving exercise, although an initial investment, because it costs a lot of money to go out and collect fly-tipping as I’m sure you’re all aware,” said Coun Evans.

Responding, Cabinet member for Community safety and Enforcement, Coun Paul Hawkaluk (Reform UK, Salterhebble, Southowram and Skircoat Green) said: “You’re absolutely right, we do use CCTV, we do use technology to try and catch people in the act and that’s the right thing to do.

“And then, when we do, we do prosecute them, and even to the extent of vehicle seizures – they are very, very good, are the team, in doing that.”

Coun Hawkaluk said measures were expensive and older CCTV systems were “not the best” with the council having to rely on relatively cheap systems.

That might be changing, he said.

“We are actually looking at much better systems, but they cost a lot more money.

“But the reality is we are actively looking to do that – moveable, mobile, setting them in places where fly-tipping takes place,” he said.

Coun Hawkaluk said the whole ethos was about increasing the number of prosecutions, not just clearing away fly-tipping after it had been dumped.