Vacant and
partially vacant buildings have now become a target for fly-tipping, which can
lead to property owners facing disruption and large clean-up costs. We look at
how you can manage these risks at your vacant properties.
There are
two slightly different operations that are trending at the moment, both leaving
property owners with an expensive clean-up.
Firstly,
there are cases where the fly tippers break in, and then operate the site as a
waste tip, disposing of waste from their own activities and also charging a fee
for others to use the site for waste disposal.
The second
operation is more complex, where waste has been processed and then transported
and stored illegally in an empty building.
The impacts of fly-tipping:
Due to the
unknown contents of waste, there may be an increased costs in disposal.
The fire
risk of the building is increased, adding additional risk of explosion due to
the unknown contents.
If the waste
is dumped outside, this can increase the cost of removal as water increases the
overall weight.
Damage to
buildings, including metal theft and general malicious damage is common.
The time it
can take to clear the rubbish means more money, and can delay the re
letting/marketing of the property.
If there are
unauthorised parties, such as squatters or travellers, the legal process to get
them removed can be costly and take time.
Ways that this damage can be mitigated are:
Prevention
of access; in particular vehicular access
Concrete
bollards
Perimeter
Fences
Heavy duty
chains and padlocks
Welded,
pinned, or buried gate hinges
Earth
banking/landscaping/ hedgerow
Monitored
intruder alarm
Guard dogs
A guard,
with fitted web cams for video evidence if there is any threatening behaviour
Frequent
inspections
Prompt
action if something suspicious happens
Thorough
CCTV coverage, for early detection of intrusion attempts
Focus should be on the physical protection of your
property as well as preventing vehicle access, this is to make the premises a
less attractive target to the fly tippers. Even where a criminal offence has
occurred, it may be difficult to prove, and police may not have the power to
evict the trespassers. This highlights the need is to prevent problems arising
in the first place.
We are aware
that every premises is different, and each site and circumstances should be
taken on its own merits, with bespoke solutions based on a combination of
security measures. If you would like more information on fly tipping, or would
like to know how we can help you, give us a call on 01789 761 660.
Or visit http://www.tacklingflytipping.com/Documents/NFTPG-Files/Main_doc_landowner.pdf
for a deeper insight.