Abandoned large cardboard box

A large fly-tipped cardboard box has been dumped at this location and left in situ. Due to its size and placement, this cannot reasonably be categorised as casual litter and should be treated as fly-tipping. The item is obstructive, visually intrusive, and likely to deteriorate rapidly in wet weather, breaking down into multiple fragments and spreading across the surrounding pavement and carriageway. This creates: An obstruction to pedestrians A trip and slip risk once saturated Secondary litter dispersal Increased vermin attraction The presence of bulky dumped waste strongly suggests unauthorised disposal, rather than accidental loss. Statutory and policy basis for action: Environmental Protection Act 1990 – Section 33 The unauthorised deposit of controlled waste is a criminal offence. Cardboard packaging of this size constitutes controlled waste and should be removed promptly to prevent further environmental harm. Environmental Protection Act 1990 – Section 59 Bristol City Council has powers and responsibilities to remove fly-tipped waste from land under its control and to investigate where appropriate. Bristol City Council Fly-tipping Strategy The Council’s published strategy commits to: Rapid removal of fly-tipped waste Preventing escalation and repeat dumping Avoiding normalisation of illegal disposal Allowing bulky waste to remain undermines deterrence and contributes to repeat incidents. Public Health and Environmental Risk Once wet, cardboard degrades into dispersed debris, making later removal more resource-intensive and increasing risk to pedestrians, particularly those with mobility impairments. Requested action: Prompt removal of the fly-tipped cardboard box Classification of this report as fly-tipping, not litter Inspection of the immediate area for additional dumped material Consideration of whether this location requires monitoring or preventative measures due to repeat risk Why this matters (public interest): Failure to address fly-tipping quickly leads to: Normalisation of illegal dumping Escalation from single items to multiple loads Disproportionate environmental degradation in already stressed neighbourhoods Early intervention is both cost-effective and consistent with the Council’s statutory and moral duty to steward public space responsibly.