Latest news with #LichfieldDistrictCouncil
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Funding for Lichfield canal improvements approved
Canal improvement works costing £40,000 have been approved for a result, a stretch of the Coventry Canal towpath between New Bridge on Gorse Lane to Fradley Junction will see repairs to the District Council said the works would be funded by a Section 106 agreement, secured with a housing developer in 2013 when 750 houses at Fradley Park received planning it is estimated the funding will only cover about 80% of the project, with a decision made at a later date on how a third installment from the developer will be spent. Lichfield District Council has secured £40,248 for the canal project via Section 106 money, with the project's total estimated cost thought to be about £64, authority said it was hoping to get started on the works as soon as possible.
The Sun
20-05-2025
- The Sun
Man and company charged after 27 TONNE mountain of rotting rubbish dumped in road bigger than two double-decker buses
A MAN and his company have been charged after a 27 tonne mountain of rotting rubbish was dumped in a road. The mound of industrial waste, which is longer than two double-decker buses combined, was dumped by fly-tippers back in January. 6 6 6 Furious locals complained about being trapped inside their homes by the humongous 80ft mountain of waste. Local businesses were also been left stranded due to the blockage on Watery Lane in Lichfield, Staffordshire. Now, Lichfield District Council said a man from Uttoxeter now faces multiple charges. These include depositing waste, endangering road users, dangerous driving, breaching HGV drivers' hours regulations, and obstructing the highway. A company, based near Stafford, has been charged with depositing the waste and obstructing the highway. Resident Elaine Hutchings, who owns a livery yard, previously said that the festering pile could be smelled from a distance. She explained that the rural road - which was already inaccessible on one end due to ongoing works - was now completely unusable. She said: "It's industrial rubbish, building waste, you can smell it. "Watery Lane is used as a cut-through. The one end was already shut due to scheduled works and this being dumped this morning means residents and businesses will be left isolated." She added that nine or ten households had been cut off - with a small number, including Elaine's, able to escape their properties via an alternative route set up by housing developer Redrow. The local told how staff from Lichfield District Council had been on-site to move the build-up, adding: "I had a message from a farmer and they sent me a photograph. "I drove up and called the council, councillors and the police were already there. "They are trying to sort the logistics of trying to get it moved." Both the man and company who have been charged are due to appear at Cannock Magistrates' Court on July 1. Councillor Doug Pullen, the leader of Lichfield District Council, said: 'This was an appalling act of environmental crime. "Local people woke up to find their only route to and from their homes completely blocked, and the cost to the taxpayer of removing and disposing of the waste was nearly £10,000. 'Thanks to the swift action of our environmental health officers, suspects were quickly identified, leading to these charges. "We take a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping, because that's what our communities rightly expect. 'This case is about more than prosecution. It's about protecting our environment, supporting law-abiding businesses, safeguarding local people—and sending a strong message that illegal dumping will not be tolerated.' CRIMINAL OFFENCE FLY-TIPPING means dumping waste illegally, instead of using the kerbside collection service or your local recycling centre. From a bin bag left in front of your bin store or on the street to a mountain of tyres abandoned in a field, it's all flytipping. Flytipping is a criminal offence. If you're caught you face a fixed penalty notice of £200. But if you get taken to court, you could be fined up to £40,000 or sent to prison for a maximum of five years. It's up to you to store and dispose of your household waste legally, safely and responsibly. This means using your bins correctly and taking them in again once emptied. Check your local Council website for the correct way to use your bins. If you have any information relating to a flytipping incident you can report it anonymously on your local council website. Credit: The Scottish Government / Glasgow City Council 6 6 6
The Independent
19-05-2025
- The Independent
Man and business charged over 27-tonne mound of waste that blocked road
A man and a business have been charged over a fly-tipping incident where a mound of waste weighing more than 27 tonnes cut off access to homes and businesses. The pile of waste, measuring over 20-metres-long and two metres high, was dumped in Watery Lane, on the outskirts of Lichfield in Staffordshire, in the early hours of January 20, Lichfield District Council said. The council said a man from Uttoxeter faces charges including depositing waste, endangering road users, dangerous driving, breaching HGV drivers' hours regulations, and obstructing the highway. It added that the company, which is based near Stafford, has been charged with depositing the waste and obstructing the highway. The council said its environmental health officers raided a site in Staffordshire on March 21 and seized a lorry believed to have been used in the incident. It said it has retained the vehicle and will apply to the court for its forfeiture if the defendants are convicted. The man and the company will appear at Cannock Magistrates' Court on July 1. Councillor Doug Pullen, leader of Lichfield District Council, said: 'This was an appalling act of environmental crime. 'Local people woke up to find their only route to and from their homes completely blocked, and the cost to the taxpayer of removing and disposing of the waste was nearly £10,000. 'Thanks to the swift action of our environmental health officers, suspects were quickly identified, leading to these charges. 'We take a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping, because that's what our communities rightly expect. 'This case is about more than prosecution. It's about protecting our environment, supporting law-abiding businesses, safeguarding local people and sending a strong message that illegal dumping will not be tolerated.'
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Yahoo
Fly-tipping pair caught on 'covert' CCTV dumping garden waste in layby
Council officers caught two women fly tipping thanks to covert CCTV placed near a layby. The cameras had been erected following concerns over people dumping rubbish in Burntwood. Lichfield District Council caught two women in the act as they unloaded garden waste out of a car into the layby. READ MORE: Mum outraged after 'staff member' wears Sikh ceremonial sword in school READ MORE: Killers jailed for 56 years for execution of DPD delivery driver in daylight slaughter The vehicle was traced to Walsall where a woman admitted the offence and gave up her accomplice. They were issued with fixed penalty fines which are set at £1,000 or £500 for early payment. READ MORE: 'My son did not deserve this' - Mum of DPD worker bludgeoned to death by mob speaks out Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp A spokesperson for Lichfield District Council said: 'Although we usually prosecute fly-tippers, in this instance fixed penalties were appropriate because it involved a relatively small quantity of garden waste. 'It means the offence can be dealt with quickly and a criminal record avoided. We have no doubt the two women will have learned from this and will dispose of their waste properly in the future. 'Our environmental health officers continue to deploy covert CCTV across Lichfield District to protect our communities from fly-tipping.' A statement added: "Two women have been caught fly-tipping in Burntwood on covert CCTV deployed by Lichfield District Council. "The CCTV, which was placed in a secluded layby by environmental health officers following concerns about fly-tipping, caught a car stopping and two women unloading garden waste from the boot. "The vehicle was then traced to an address in Walsall, and the keeper questioned. She admitted the offence and environmental health officers used their powers to require her to name her accomplice. "As an alternative to prosecuting them, the two women paid fixed penalty fines. The fixed penalty is set at £1,000 and reduced to £500 for early payment. "The fines are retained by Lichfield District Council and go towards funding more enforcement activity."
BBC News
08-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Birmingham bin strike threat to public health, says Streeting
As Birmingham's bin strikes enter their fifth week, the health secretary has said he is concerned about the impact of the walkout on public to Times Radio, Wes Streeting said: "I certainly am concerned about the public health situation and the poor conditions we're seeing for people in Birmingham."As the bin bags are piling up, we see rats and other vermin crawling around."Talks between bin workers and the city council ended on Monday without an agreement being reached, and are due to resume on Tuesday. The strike has made headlines around the world, and last week the city council declared a major incident. With the backlog of waste growing by 1,000 tonnes a week, neighbouring Lichfield District Council is due to start sending crews to help clear impact of fly-tipping on communities in the West Midlands, due to the strike, is being debated in the Commons on Tuesday."I understand industrial disputes happen," Streeting added. "I understand people have the right to withdraw their labour, that's part and parcel of industrial relations in our country."But what is not acceptable is allowing these sorts of... unsanitary conditions... to occur on people's streets." Bin workers began indefinite strike action on 11 March, although walkouts have been taking place since are fighting plans to remove some roles and downgrade City Council said only a small number of workers would be facing pay cuts, and it desperately needs to save money after effectively declaring itself bankrupt in the Union, which is representing the workers, said Monday's talks had been "productive" despite the lack of it would not go into the details of what had been discussed."All I can say is we both want an end to this dispute," said Unite regional officer Zoe Mayou. The health secretary's comments reflect the crisis point many in Birmingham feel the situation has to the BBC, one resident said he felt like he was "living in a Third World country", while others have complained of having to take their rubbish to temporary collection sites after coming home from long overnight council is advising people to continue putting out their household waste on collection days, saying workers who are not on strike will do their best to remove it.A previous bin strike in 2017 went on for seven weeks before an agreement was reached. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
