Grain cleanings

[Alwaysinit]

Got a letter yesterday from the local council stating i have been reported for tipping barley waste and encouraging rodents which has to be removed.
Ive a cleaner here and the dust/chaff out of it i tip over at the back of the field, probably 4-5 bucket fulls.
Its a family member that as usual is trying to cause me bother.
They usually call the police on me over something silly but now even the police have caught on, so they seem to have moved onto the council now.
Does anybody know if i do have to shift it? What else can i do with it if i cant tip it and spread it later on my own stubbles? I would understand if it was rubbish etc but its 100% cereal cleanings.
I am in N.I if it makes a difference.
Thanks.

 

[Clive]

You can compost it (unless we are talking thousands of tonnes) so it’s not a tip it’s a compost heap and you will be spreading when it’s composted

 

[Chae1]

Do you have cattle? Dump it in a midden.

 

[quattro]

Find someone with a biomass boiler they would take it,if it was dry before it was dumped in your field

 

[Alwaysinit]

Its only a few bucket fulls we are talking, maybe 6 at most. I usually tip it and then once the fields are cleared i can spread it on the stubble. No cattle here, so no midden. Can i argue i am composting it which would mean i can leave it there.
I am not wanting to come across awkward or non compliant, i will remove it no problem if i have to, but it is the principle of the matter and where it is going to stop if i lye down this time- whats next?.

 

[RushesToo]

@Alwaysinit hand buckets or loader buckets?

 

[Exfarmer]

Grain cleanings are a very valuable wild bird food, and putting round field margins will help keep your pheasants sorry wild birds fed overwinter. Point this out to the council, only doing what the RSPB are asking of all comers. Also rats are a good food source for owls and foxes.

 

[Alwaysinit]

@Alwaysinit hand buckets or loader buckets?

Sorry, should have said 5ft loader buckets.

 

[topground]

Is there any evidence of rats? If so in England the council has powers under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 to serve notice setting out the steps necessary to clear the infestation of rats. If there are no rats the question here would be 'what are you going to do about it'? Also a word of advice to whoever wrote the letter that they are being used by whoever complained as the stick to beat you with.

 

[egbert]

I would try to make clear that the complainant might have a personal grudge.

 

[Alwaysinit]

I certainly have not noticed any signs of rats etc although i have not had a good look yet.
I know the complaint is just malicious just like all the other complaints made by the same person.

 

[betweenthelines]

Wait a couple of days then write back saying you want more information (field number, type of waste allegedly being tipped, date of tipping, what evidence, if any, of vermin, numbers of vermin before and after alleged tipping, what by law or Act of Parliament they are claiming has been breached, etc. etc.)before you can provide a detailed written response.

In essence, just throw loads on questions at the letter writer, so they have to take time to research answers and reply. When they finally reply, write again asking for clarification of a number of points. They'll soon get fed up and let the matter drop.

My guess is they won't even reply to your first letter as they tend to look for the easy wins. Their ideal "case" is they write to someone who writes back saying "Yes I did that but I've cleared it up now" so they can report a successful "Case Closed" without getting off their arses

Local Government really does contain some idiots. I had a letter a few years ago from the County Council Heritage Officer informing me "as a courtesy" that the owner of a block of woodland/old mine workings adjoining my property was gifting them the land so it could be declared part of a World Heritage Site which would include public access, visitor centre etc. (land in question was 25 metres from my sitting room window) Got the letter writer out to do a site visit, he showed me the land in question and said Mr X had offered it to them as a gift etc. Showed him a copy of the Land Registry Records confirming that Mr Y who was stood next to me, owned the land and wasn't giving it away to anyone. Yes, Council Officer hadn't even checked who owned the land!

 

[michael N123]

We get some of a neighbour to throw on the duck ponds

 

[Alwaysinit]

Thanks for the replies.
I will give it a bit more thought over the next few days and take it from there.

 

[Lazy Sod]

As a valuable food source for wild birds, it's a waste to tip a whole bucket out in a heap. It needs putting out sparingly in feeders. I know it's an extra job, but bag it up and get some pheasant feeders made with recycled plastic barrels. Your quantity of seed will feed the birds for months.

 

[Alwaysinit]

As a valuable food source for wild birds, it's a waste to tip a whole bucket out in a heap. It needs putting out sparingly in feeders. I know it's an extra job, but bag it up and get some pheasant feeders made with recycled plastic barrels. Your quantity of seed will feed the birds for months.

There is very minimal seed in it, it is 99% awns/chaff

 

[michael N123]

There is very minimal seed in it, it is 99% awns/chaff

Still a food source

 

[Dry Rot]

I used to trap pigeons for dog training at a grain processing plant and discovered their screenings were almost 100% barley so I got permission to liberate a few loads! Just to be on the safe side, I called in at the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency to make sure I wasn't breaking any laws taking it for feeding to my pheasants. I was told the rules and regulations only kick in if it's waste and if someone had a use for it, it wasn't waste! I got them to put it in writing just to cover my ass. I think they were quite flattered someone had actually asked. Just make sure it looks as if you have made some effort to make a feeding point. But as has been said, dump it in a pond or wet spot and it will feed the duck for months. They don't care if it's stinking and you can put it in a heap.

 

[Happy]

Grain cleanings are a very valuable wild bird food, and putting round field margins will help keep your pheasants sorry wild birds fed overwinter. Point this out to the council, only doing what the RSPB are asking of all comers. Also rats are a good food source for owls and foxes.

That’s the route to go down on this one.
This very thing will probably fall under remit of public money for public good in a years time

 

[Brisel]

Register a T23 waste exemption with the Environment Agency

I have all of these: