Three local councils have pledged not to penalise charities for donations left outside shuttered shops amid concerns they would be fined for flytipping.
The Southend-on-Sea, Eastbourne and Swindon borough councils, which have all been quoted in local media warning people not to leave items outside charity shops while they are closed during the pandemic, have sought to reassure charities that they will not be fined.
The news comes after one charity worker took to social media to complain that the charity she works for had been fined £250 by the council to clear up items that had been left outside its store in Islington, north London.
Third Sector understands that Islington Council has not fined any charity in relation to unwanted donations outside its shops, but did fine two charities in March for “improper business waste disposal”, which is understood to be unrelated.
Last week the Charity Retail Association, along with representatives from the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Barnardo’s, Oxfam and Scope, wrote to the Local Government Association, the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee and the Chartered Institute of Waste Management seeking reassurance that councils would deal with the issue.
Unwanted stock donations left outside charity shops during the lockdown often become damaged by the elements and pose a risk to environmental health and fire safety, and could limit emergency service access to nearby buildings.
A spokesman for Swindon Borough Council told Third Sector: “People are dumping bags and charities can’t deal with it, but we are not going to be fining any charities over this.”
A spokesman for Southend Borough Council said: “It is the member of the public who would be facing flytipping charges. Charities should not be facing anything like that.”
And a spokeswoman for Eastbourne Borough Council confirmed it would not penalise a charity over items left outside its shop.