Record £11,000 bill for fly-tipping takeaway in Islington Council prosecution

A Holloway takeaway that was caught repeatedly dumping its commercial waste in a residential recycling centre has been fined £10,000 plus costs.

Papa Winny’s Caribbean takeaway in Holloway Road now faces a total bill of £11,015 including costs after magistrates handed down five fines of £2,000 for fly-tipping, the largest-ever fine for fly-tipping in Islington.

Cllr Claudia Webbe, executive member for environment and transport, said: “Islington does not tolerate fly-tipping, which is selfish and disrespectful. This is the biggest fine for fly-tipping the courts have ever handed down in Islington, reflecting how seriously the law and the council take these offences.

“This prosecution sends out a clear message that fly-tipping is simply unacceptable and we will not stand for it. This takeaway business ignored all our efforts to engage with them and did not even turn up to defend themselves in court. We support small businesses in every way we can but it is essential that they respect the law.

“We will always look to gather evidence of fly-tipping and seek the maximum penalties available.

“Nonetheless, we urge the owners to get in touch and we can see what support the council can provide to help them make their business a success in Islington.”

Four offences related to the dumping of several black bin bags of commercial waste in a residential recycling centre in Kingsdown Road – a six-minute walk from the premises – which contaminated the recycling.

One offence related to black bin bags being left on the pavement outside the premises, and magistrates also found the firm guilty of failing to provide proof of any contract with a commercial waste firm – a legal requirement for all businesses.

The offences spanned a seven-month period to May 2017. The council’s enforcement officers spotted the first offence and spoke to an employee, issuing a £400 fixed penalty notice (FPN) that would have been reduced to £200 if paid within 10 days.

But after two FPNs were left unpaid despite correspondence from the council, court proceedings were started. A further three offences were recorded subsequently.

Papa Winny’s did not contest any of the charges at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court and no representative attended the hearings, so they were convicted in their absence. The 21-day leave to appeal has now expired.

Pictured above: The black bin bags recovered from the residential recycling centre on two occasions.