A MAN who dumped a ‘significant’ number of bin bags in an alleyway already blighted by fly-tipping has received the largest bill ever dished out in the town following a prosecution spearheaded by Barnsley Council.

The Chronicle can reveal that Daniel Williams’ sentence made up of a £1,200 fine, £1,378 court costs and a £480 surcharge, totalling £3,058 was issued after tougher penalties came into force in an effort to reduce spiralling reports of dumping.

Last July, the council’s in-house Safer Communities team issued Barnsley’s first £1,000 fine, and another was issued in September 2024, but Williams’ penalty now tops the list.

Williams, of Hough Lane, Wombwell, pleaded guilty to dumping waste in an alleyway off Osborne Street on the outskirts of the town centre.

The 34-year-old, who unloaded his vehicle in April last year, was granted permission to pay the sum back at a rate of £100 per month following an appearance at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court.

Williams fell foul of new rules which were brought in to give fly-tippers tougher financial penalties if they are caught or found to be involved in incidents of dumping.

A two-tiered approach to fly-tipping fines has been adopted which sees a £400 penalty for between one and five bags’ worth of waste left, while five or above will climb to four figures.

Coun James Higginbottom, cabinet spokesperson for environment and highways, said: “I’m very pleased with this as fly-tipping incurs significant costs to this council.

“This isn’t just reserved for Barnsley as it’s a national issue, but we absolutely recognise the importance of this as it’s something that impacts our communities.

“It gives us a strong platform to take action.”

The number of fly-tipping incidents recorded in Barnsley climbed by 13 per cent in the last year, latest figures have revealed, with 4,980 being recorded, costing taxpayers in the town £265,000 in the last financial year.

Matt O’Neill, executive director for growth and sustainability at Barnsley Council, said the new fining strategy showed the local authority’s commitment to taking action.

“Littering and environmental blight not only harms the environment but also affects people’s sense of pride in their community.

“Our new environmental crime strategy shows our commitment to creating a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable Barnsley for everyone.

“The development of our strategy would not have been possible without the invaluable input and knowledge of our volunteers.

“To achieve the ambitions within our plan, we need everyone to play their part by recycling right and preventing items from becoming litter in the first place.”

Coun Wendy Cain, cabinet spokesperson for public health and communities, warned other fly-tippers that they face similar punishments.

“Since the introduction of our Environmental Crime and Litter Strategy, we have been taking a tougher stance on individuals who take it upon themselves to blight our borough with fly-tipping.

“The level of fine handed to Mr Williams shows that we will continue to take strong action against those who continue to commit environmental crime in our borough.

“We take these offences very seriously and with the help and support of the wider public, we will identify and prosecute any offenders to show that we won’t tolerate fly-tipping.

“I’d like to thank our wardens, the Safer Communities team and our litigation team for their help and hard work in this prosecution.”