TACKLING fly-tipping will be top of the agenda at a meeting this week of public sector and rural organisations in Hampshire.

Hampshire County Council has instigated a workshop with representatives from the police, district councils, Hampshire’s national park authorities and other regulatory bodies and rural interest groups to sign up to a strategy designed to reduce fly-tipping in Hampshire.

Rob Humby, executive member for environment and transport at Hampshire County Council, said: “Fly-tipping is illegal, damaging to the environment and totally unacceptable.

“I’ve lived in Hampshire all my life, it’s a beautiful and unique part of the world and I would like to help keep it that way.

“It is the anti-social actions of a small minority which impact on everyone, but by working closely with all our partner organisations with a responsibility or interest in reducing fly-tipping, we can put in some robust measures to tackle illegally dumped waste, head-on.”

Measures to increase prosecutions, improve recording and reporting, and ways to ensure people understand their own responsibilities when disposing of waste will be discussed between the partner organisations.

Mr Humby added: “With different organisations having different responsibilities, and inconsistent resources for enforcement, the only way to thoroughly deal with fly- tipping is by getting everyone to work together.

“Fly-tipping brings with it a cost to all of us through our council tax, whether collecting it, disposing of it, or enforcing the law.

“Most of the cost, around two-thirds, falls to Hampshire County Council for the disposal of fly-tipped waste, but the district councils have a responsibility to collect the waste, and they have recently been given increased enforcement powers from the Government.

“Dealing with fly-tipping is a huge drain on public sector resources, and it’s important that a message goes out collectively, that fly-tipping in Hampshire will not be tolerated.”

A county council spokesman said everyone had “a legal duty of care” to ensure that any waste from their household or business is disposed of correctly, reducing the risk of rubbish being dumped illegally.

Failure to do this could result in a fine of up to £5,000, if waste ends up fly- tipped.