London,
26
November
2015
|
15:40
Europe/London

Restaurants fined £5,000 for dumping rubbish in street

In the build up to the busy Christmas period, Hackney Council is reminding businesses of their responsibilities to help keep the borough’s busy high streets clean and tidy.

The warning comes after two business owners were fined almost £5,000 for dumping bags of rubbish outside their shops.

The owner of Griller 66 on Stamford Hill was fined £1810 and the owner of Cheri on Stoke Newington High Street was fined £2870 after being prosecuted at Thames Magistrates Court last week.

Businesses must have arrangements in place to deal with their waste, and be able to show proof when asked by council officers. If businesses do not take reasonable steps to dispose of their waste safely they can face unlimited fines.

The owners refused to sign simple cautions or pay fixed penalty notices of £180 – if they had done so the cases would not have gone to court.

Cllr Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Sustainability
Dumping rubbish on the street damages Hackney’s environment and is unfair on the thousands of residents and visitors who shop or work on our high streets.

Our staff do a great job keeping Hackney’s streets clean, but we need businesses to take responsibility for their waste. That means making arrangements for the disposal of their waste by an authorised waste carrier instead of dumping it on the street and expecting taxpayers to foot the bill to clean it up.

There is very clear guidance on commercial waste disposal and we will always offer advice to businesses, but should a venue repeatedly flaunt the law they will be prosecuted.
Cllr Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Sustainability

The Council's environmental enforcement team check whether businesses are carrying out their duties and investigate those who do not have arrangements in place. If you suspect a business of illegally dumping rubbish on the street, contact enforcementsupport@hackney.gov.uk or call 020 8356 4504.


Rubbish dumped on the street. Businesses have to use identifiable bags provided by their waste carrier - not black sacks.