Flytipping

The Problem

Fly-tipping is the term used to describe waste that has been dumped onto land illegally. Waste should be taken for disposal at an authorised landfill site.

Fly-tipping is a form of anti-social behaviour that can have a very negative impact on the local environment. Because fly-tipping can make an area look rundown and neglected, it can affect the wellbeing of residents. Fly-tipping and other forms of enviro-crime such as graffiti and dog fouling, can encourage more anti-social behaviour in an area which can make some people feel scared and not proud of their surroundings.

As well as damaging the environment, fly-tipping poses a threat to humans and wildlife and spoils the enjoyment of our towns and countryside.

The Facts

• A new incident of fly-tipping occurs every 12 seconds at a cost to the public purse of around £72 a minute.
• £73.7m is the estimated clearance cost of illegally dumped waste reported by local authorities in 2006/07.
• £47m is the estimated cost of clearing fly-tipping from agricultural land alone in 2005/06 (Environment Agency). Areas subject to repeated fly-tipping may suffer declining property prices and local businesses may suffer as people stay away.
• Local authorities in England reported that they had dealt with more than 2.6m incidents of fly-tipping in 2006/07, up 5% on 2005/06.
• Over half (56%) of fly-tipping incidents reported were in alleyways.
• Black bags full of domestic rubbish account for 63% of all fly-tipping.
• 77% of fly-tips involved household waste, a 5.4% increase on 2005/06.
• 95% of farmers have cleared up other people's rubbish from their land.
• Most people fly-tip to avoid paying the disposal fee called the landfill tax. Household rubbish is already paid for through council tax, but commercial waste is not, and a charge generally exists to have this waste removed.

Source - Campaign to Protect Rural England / www.telegraph.co.uk

The Message

Residents and local businesses are urged to Take a Stand and dispose of their waste safely and responsibly.

Residents can take household waste without charge to the Civic Amenity Site which can be found in Tor Park Road in Paignton.

If you employ the services of someone else to take your waste, you must ensure that they are properly registered and authorised to do so. Unregistered waste carriers undermine the role of those who are properly registered and may fly-tip your waste, in which case you too could be prosecuted.

Break the Rules, Pay the Price

Because of the amount of damage that fly-tipping can have on the environment, the penalties for those caught fly-tipping are severe. If you are caught fly-tipping you could face an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment.

Take a Stand

To report an incident of fly-tipping in confidence, contact Community Protection using the details at the top right of this page.

To find out more check out the factsheets available on our Downloads page