There may have been a rise in number of Local Authority prosecutions, but fly-tipping continues to cost farmers millions of pounds a year.
Figures from the government's Flycapture database, which records fly-tipping incidents on public land, show that the past year has seen a 20% increase in the number of prosecutions for fly-tipping. As well as 2,500 prosections (2009-10), local authorities also issued 116,500 warning letters and 2,100 formal cautions to those suspected of illegally dumping waste. 97% of prosecutions were successful.
However, waste fly-tipped on private land is not included in these figures. The NFU continues to lobby government for more to be done to tackle fly-tipping on private land yet government refuses to acknowledge the scale of the problem as Flycapture statistics only record incidents on public land, ignoring the picture on private land.
Recent Environment Agency research has shown that 94% of private landowners have been victim to fly-tipping and clearance costs for landowners who have been fly-tipped average as much as £809 per removal. Meanwhile, feedback from our members suggests that the problem is only getting worse.
We are urging members to join our campaign to point out the true scale of the picture with hard facts.
If you are fly-tipped call our confidential hotline at NFU Call First on 0870 840 0686 and report the details of the incident to us anonymously.
All information will be treated confidentially and aggregated into anonymous data. We hope to use the data to influence government and get the problem dealt with. We can only do this with your help.
For more information on the campaign and the NFU's work on fly-tipping download the documents on the righthand side of the page or call 0870 840 0686.
The full Flycapture statistics can be found on the Defra website.
- J Weston - 16/10/2010
Seems like an excellent idea, to have the councils check anyone who advertises waste collection services. If the councils were picking up the tab for ALL dumped waste it may make them keener to do so.
- celia smith - 15/10/2010
Dumped tyres are the bane of many farmers lives. People seem to think they're doing you a favour letting you have them for putting over tarps on silage and muck heaps.
Also, tips are not open long enough. Many arrive at the tip with a car load of rubbish, find it closed, and promptly jettison it so they can use the car the next day! Tips need to be easily accessible and the staff there should bear in mind they're there for the convenience of the population and not their own.
- R.J.L.Gooding - 12/08/2010
I have just spent over £1,000 on the removal of a lorry load of tyres!