Fly-tipping ‘tragedy’ as over 150 incidents reported in Broxtowe last year

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs figures reveal there were 180 fly-tipping incidents in Broxtowe in the year to March 2022 – though this was down from 183 the year before.

A significant amount of fly-tipping in the area last year was discovered on footpaths and bridleways (35 per cent) and on private or residential land (22 per cent).

Of the discarded waste, the largest proportion was household waste (29 per cent) followed by commercial waste (21 per cent).

The data also shows £2,140 was paid by councils on removing large incidents of fly-tipping in Broxtowe.

A council spokesperson said: “Broxtowe Borough Council asks that residents report any incident of fly-tipping across the borough through our website or call centre.

“Fly-tipping is a criminal offence, all reports are taken seriously and will be followed up and investigated accordingly.”

Across England, 1.09 million fly-tipping incidents were recorded in 2021-22– a decrease of four per cent from the 1.14 million reported in 2020-21.

The cost of clearance to local authorities was £10.7 million last year.

Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy said the high level of fly-tipping seen across England is a ‘tragedy’ to the environment and to communities.

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy chief executive, said: “A million-plus fly-tipping incidents illustrates just how little people understand about the impact their unwanted ‘stuff’ can have.”

Ms Ogden-Newton said there must be a concerted effort to educate the public about their role in solving the problem. She added: “We need immediate and tough enforcement that targets the rogue traders who are making a fortune by breaking the law, raking in the cash and wrecking our environment.”

The Defra figures show about 91,000 fixed penalty notices were issued across England in 2021-22, an increase of 58 per cent from 2020-21. And the number of court fines nearly tripled from just 621 in 2021-21 to 1,798 last year.

David Renard, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said fly-tipping is not just an eyesore for residents, but a serious environmental and public health risk.

Mr Renard added: “Councils are working tirelessly to counter the thousands of incidents every year and are determined to crack down on the problem."