“Councils are determined to crack down on the problem, including installing CCTV at fly-tipping hotspots which has led to successful prosecutions."
Responding to fly-tipping statistics for England in 2018/19 published today, which show incidents have increased, Cllr David Renard, Environment spokesman for the Local Government Association, said:
“Fly-tipping is illegal, a serious public health risk, and costs taxpayers in England more than £57 million a year to clear up.
“This is why councils take the issue very seriously and took action on nearly half a million incidents in 2018/19 – around 5,000 more than the previous year and up by nearly 75,000 in six years.
“Councils are determined to crack down on the problem, including installing CCTV at fly-tipping hotspots which has led to successful prosecutions.
“However, prosecuting fly-tippers often requires time-consuming and laborious investigations, with a high threshold of proof.
“The next government needs to ensure councils have the funding needed to investigate incidents and should review sentencing guidelines for fly-tipping, so that fly-tippers are given bigger fines for more serious offences to help deter incidents.
“Manufacturers can also contribute, by providing more take-back services so people can hand in old furniture and mattresses when they buy new ones. We’d urge our residents to report fly-tipping as soon as possible.”
Notes
- Analysis by the LGA shows that nobody convicted of fly-tipping has received the maximum £50,000 fine or 12 months in prison by the courts, since new guidelines were introduced in 2014.