Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Fly-tipping and Illegal Dumping — [SIR MARK HENDRICK in the Chair]

24 May 2022 · 17 other contributors · 13,229 words

Opened by Saqib Bhatti Con Meriden and Solihull East

Responding minister: Jo Churchill

Environment

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Saqib Bhatti raised concerns about fly-tipping and illegal dumping — [sir mark hendrick in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about a 16% increase in fly-tipping incidents in England in 2021, with over 1.1 million instances.
  • The economic cost of fly-tipping to local authorities was 11.6 million in the most recent year reported.
  • The MP calls for increased support and powers for parish councils to tackle fly-tipping and asks for public education initiatives on the issue.

Key requests to Government

The MP calls for increased support for parish councils to tackle fly-tipping, suggesting that further powers could be given to them. He asks if the Government is considering such measures and whether they can provide more education to the public about fly-tipping. Additionally, he enquires about future rounds of the fly-tipping intervention grant and requests that any fines issued to fly-tippers should benefit local councils.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Saqib Bhatti Con Meriden and Solihull East

The MP is concerned about the significant increase in fly-tipping incidents, noting that there were more than 1.1 million instances in England in 2021 alone, a 16% rise from the previous year. This crime undermines communities and poses serious environmental and public health risks. The economic cost of fly-tipping to local authorities was £11.6 million last year, up from £10.9 million in 2019-20. The MP also highlighted the social damage caused by fly-tipping, particularly its impact on community spirit and pride.

Other contributors (17)
  • Anthony Mangnall Con Penrith and The Border

    He highlighted the rise in fly-tipping across different regions, with the east midlands seeing a 20% increase and London a 6.9% increase over two years. He stressed the need for collaboration between councils, individuals, and businesses to address this issue and suggested that punitive fines were necessary to discourage fly-tipping. Questioned whether licensing requirements for waste clearers should be made more rigorous to prevent individuals with criminal records from easily obtaining licences.

  • Cherilyn Mackrory

    In Cornwall, fly-tipping has decreased since the pandemic but still costs council tax payers £250,000 annually. The Conservative-led council is making progress in tackling the issue through joint-working with waste contractors and surveillance operations.

  • Douglas Ross Con Moray

    Fly-tipping incidents in Moray have more than doubled from 139 in 2016-17 to 402 in 2020-21. Douglas criticises the lack of accountability with only 16 fixed penalty notices issued despite the increase in cases, and calls for better data collection and reporting mechanisms.

  • Gagan Mohindra Con South West Hertfordshire

    Mohindra congratulated constituents on their recycling efforts and highlighted the significant damage caused by illegal fly-tipping to local wildlife, communities, and private landlords. He mentioned that his council is among the top performers for recycling. Mohindra also discussed the importance of education in addressing fly-tipping issues and welcomed the government's announcement on new council grants.

  • Gavin Williamson Con Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge

    Williamson addressed the issue of industrial-scale fly-tipping in his constituency, noting its high costs to landowners and local authorities. He suggested increasing the limit for on-the-spot fines from £500 to £5,000 and proposed enabling local authorities to use concealed CCTV to better catch fly-tippers. The Minister was urged to consider increasing the fixed penalty fine for fly-tipping from £500 as a means of deterring illegal dumping.

  • Jane Hunt

    Farmers in Charnwood Borough face frequent fly-tipping which causes distress and expense. She highlights the 'Don't muck around' campaign, including rubbish amnesty days for students and advice on proper waste disposal. Farmers resort to installing security measures at their own cost.

  • Janet Daby Lab Lewisham East

    I thank the hon. Member for securing this debate and agrees that fly-tipping is a blight on society, suggesting a need for a well-funded Government campaign to prevent it.

  • Laura Trott Con Sevenoaks

    Fly-tipping is a major issue in Sevenoaks and Swanley, with over 1600 incidents reported last year. The waste includes hazardous materials such as asbestos which have caused significant harm to the community and local wildlife.

  • Marsha de Cordova Lab Battersea

    Congratulates the hon. Member on their opening speech and highlights that fly-tipping causes environmental issues and financial burdens for local authorities, advocating for preventive measures such as additional waste removal services and CCTV.

  • Paul Bristow Con Peterborough

    He discussed persistent fly-tipping problems in urban and rural areas of his constituency. He called for higher fines, a zero-tolerance approach, new Government guidance, and better tools for local authorities to combat fly-tipping. He welcomed recent initiatives but urged the Government to go further and revise existing guidance documents.

  • Paulette Hamilton Lab Birmingham Erdington

    The MP reported a significant increase in fly-tipping cases in Birmingham, noting that the council received 38,142 reports between May 2021 and May 2022. She stressed the need for more resources to address this issue and highlighted the detrimental effects of houses in multiple occupation on her constituency. Inquired about evaluations of mobile recycling centres' success in Birmingham and requested information on expanding such schemes across local authorities.

  • Robbie Moore Con Keighley and Ilkley

    Mr. Moore highlighted the significant issue of fly-tipping in his constituency, particularly in rural areas like the Worth valley and urban centres such as Keighley. He cited specific examples including dumped tyres and household waste in East Morton cemetery near Captain Sir Tom Moore's burial site. He noted that nationally, 1.13 million incidents were reported over the past year, with Bradford district experiencing 2,000 fly-tipping events last year alone. Mr. Moore called for increased funding and a name-and-shame strategy to tackle this problem. Asked the Minister if councils failing to issue fixed penalty notices should be named and shamed, and suggested naming and shaming those individuals receiving fixed penalty fines publicly.

  • Ruth Jones Lab Newport West and Islwyn

    Welcomed the debate on tackling fly-tipping, mentioned the Labour Government's climate focus in Australia. Highlighted local efforts to combat waste issues, such as litter-pickers and transformed 'road to nowhere'. Criticised Tory austerity for increasing plastic waste and export problems. Called for a circular economy with investment in recycling industries. Noted a 12% increase in aggregate waste from 2010-2018 in England. Praised Wales's high recycling rates due to £1 billion investment since devolution. Asked the Minister about extending deposit return schemes and resource allocation to councils.

  • Sara Britcliffe Con Hyndburn

    A constituent's outing was ruined by fly-tipping in Lancashire, highlighting the widespread issue. Sara estimates that almost 20% of casework relates to fly-tipping and calls for stricter enforcement measures such as covert recordings, drones, and increased fines.

  • Stephanie Peacock Lab Barnsley South

    In Barnsley, fly-tipping reports increased by nearly double in the past year. Local authorities are struggling with budget cuts and high costs of waste removal. The council's #EverybodyThink campaign has seen some success recently but needs national support to sustain progress.

  • Stephen Hammond

    Thanks his hon. Friend for securing the debate and points out that fly-tipping on private land is a significant issue requiring Government pressure on agencies like Network Rail to clear up more quickly, noting it can take months to resolve such issues.

  • Taiwo Owatemi Lab Coventry North West

    The MP highlighted the extensive issue of fly-tipping in her constituency and across Coventry, mentioning specific areas like Radford, Chapelfields, and Allesley. She pointed out that local authorities struggle to fund waste removal due to budget cuts over 12 years and called for more government support.

Government Response

Jo Churchill

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Mark. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Saqib Bhatti) and all right hon. and hon. Members who have come to this Chamber to tell us forcefully that we need to keep our foot to the floor on fly-tipping. The Government have been taking significant action and are committed to stamping out fly-tipping, which blights communities and the environment. We have strengthened powers to search and seize the vehicles of suspected fly-tippers and introduced fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping and for householders who give their waste to unlicensed individuals. Fixed penalty notices are currently set at £400. Local authorities can issue fines of up to £400 to fly-tippers and householders who pass their waste on to those who are not licensed. The Government have also fulfilled the commitment to strengthen enforcement powers through the passing of the landmark Environment Act 2021, which ensures that agencies and authorities can work effectively to combat waste crime through better access to evidence and powers of entry. We are looking to improve the environmental quality of all our communities with initiatives such as introducing the deposit return scheme to ensure billions more drink bottles and cans are safely returned and recycled, moving the cost of disposal from local taxpayers and residents onto producers, and administering the fly-tipping intervention grant scheme worth £450,000 to enable councils to implement a range of measures. We also recognise the importance of local residents being able to dispose of rubbish in a responsible and simple way by working on legislative powers for consistent collections and consulting on preventing charges for DIY waste. The Environment Agency was granted access to the national automatic number plate recognition service, giving it the ability to better trace those using vehicles for illegal waste activities. We are currently working with the NFTPG to develop a fly-tipping toolkit to share best practice. That toolkit will ensure that people can present robust cases to the courts to support tougher sentences. DEFRA continues to chair the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group, through which we work with a wide range of interested parties, such as local authorities, the police, the Environment Agency and the National Farmers Union, to disseminate good education and learning.

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