Fly-Tipping
The mess we didn’t make
Fly-tipping is leaving a long-lasting scar on rural landscapes with the latest figures released by Defra showing an overall increase of 6% of incidents on public land that were dealt with by local authorities in 2023/24. This includes increases across the Midlands region.
It is important to remember that these figures don’t tell the full story. The statistics only cover waste dumped on public land that has been reported to the authorities; waste on farmland or privately owned land is not included.
That means farmers and landowners are left to deal with the clean-up themselves, shouldering the cost and responsibility of removal.
In theory, the maximum fine is an unlimited amount and offenders can face up to five years in jail. Despite this, landowners often find themselves paying out, on average, £1,000 to remove the dumped waste and in some cases the costs can soar as high as £100,000.
According to the statistics, the number of court fines and fixed penalty notices being handed out for fly-tipping have decreased in England.
The increase of incidents reported is incredibly worrying. It is imperative that cases of fly tipping on private are included in the figures, so that the true extent of this issue can be addressed. The situation is incredibly unfair as those landowners and farmers who do not clear up the waste risk being prosecuted themselves. It is an eyesore on our beautiful countryside and one that needs to be challenged.
The government promised to publish its rural crime strategy prior to the election, and the CLA is continuing to push for this to happen, as well as calling for correct training and resources for various enforcement agencies to enable them to tackle this crime.