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PICTURES: Fly-tip fury prompts massive big-hearted clean-up operation near Alness in Easter Ross


By Louise Glen

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Michael Gliniecki and Liam Urquhart of G-Force removing the rubbish. Picture: Callum Mackay
Michael Gliniecki and Liam Urquhart of G-Force removing the rubbish. Picture: Callum Mackay

IT was all hands on deck this week after a household of furniture was fly-tipped at a working quarry in Easter Ross.

Leading the charge was businessman Michael Gliniecki who helped lift the furniture with two of his staff members – for free.

The items that had been dumped included beds, mattresses, general rubble, two three piece suites and bags of rubbish had been dumped on the road towards Strathrory Rock Quarry, near Alness.

Mr Gliniecki, who owns G Force Cleaning Solutions, is concerned that fly tipping is on the rise due to people being hoodwinked into using unlicensed van owners to move their old furniture.

He said: "Dumping rubbish is just neglect and lack of respect for our beautiful country side wildlife and fellow humans. Outright laziness and people trying to make a quick few quid.

"It has most likely been dumped by people working 'on the side' as no real business would do this, as businesses know the consequences.

"People who do this have no regard for rules or the law. They try to blame it on the council sites not excepting waste or been closed or to much hassle to fill in a form etc.

"All the rubbish with exception of the tyres that we collected on Monday are excepted at council sites ,and could be disposed of free of charge.

"Businesses are not permitted to use council sites and use privately owned waste transfer sites and have to charge accordingly. The average rate for mixed waste at the moment is £165.00+vat per ton."

He continued: "Any businesses carrying waste needs to have a SEPA licence, issue a Waste Transfer Note and must use a private waste transfer site. This includes all trades and businesses.

"We have held a SEPA licence for several years. The problem is a license is just one link in a chain.

"For example to obtain a traders license from the Highland Council you get a police background check etc and need to provide business details.

"No trade waste was allowed but who is really checking. There are supposedly hefty fines for fly tippers but I personally have not heard of anyone been fined."

Asked about the issue of fly-tipping, Highland Council said: "Not only is fly-tipping an offence, but there is no excuse for it anywhere in our region, as the Council provides 21 recycling centres across the Highlands and offers a bulky uplift service for large items.

"Reports of fly-tipping are investigated by officers from the council’s environmental health service, in conjunction with rhe Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) and Police Scotland.

"Where the responsible parties are identified, appropriate enforcement action will be taken. This could involve a fixed monetary penalty of £200 or, in more serious cases, a fine of up to £40,000. The Environmental Health team have been notified of these incidents.

"Anyone coming across incidents of fly tipping can report it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using our website at www.highland.gov.uk/report or by calling 01349 886603 during opening hours."

More on fly-tipping in Ross-shire


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