Newly-released figures from Defra today show that there were more than a million incidents of fly-tipping on public land in the last year – and more than 100,000 in the South East alone.
Councils in England dealt with 1.08 million fly-tipping incidents in 2022/2023, though these figures only account for waste illegally dumped on public land that has been reported to the authorities.
The Island's numbers have also been on the rise over the past few years, as the table below shows:
Representing around 27,000 rural businesses across England and Wales, the Country Land & Business Association (CLA) believes these figures only tell a fraction of the story.
Many fly-tipping incidents occur on privately-owned land, painting an even more damaging picture of the financial burden and environmental impact fly-tipping brings.
One CLA member is so badly affected he pays £50,000 a year to clear up waste.
Meanwhile the figures also show a 19% drop in the number of fixed penalty notices issued.
CLA South East represents thousands of farmers, landowners and rural businesses in Kent, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
Regional Director Tim Bamford said:
“These fly-tipping figures barely scratch the surface of a crime that’s blighting rural communities, with incidents on private land going unrecorded on a mass scale.
"Farmers and landowners bear the cost of removing rubbish and they pay on average £1,000 to remove waste.
“Without more progress farmers, not the criminals, will continue to pay the price.”
CASE STUDIES
Sam Biles, who farms in Calbourne, has seen numerous items dumped in the village.
He said:
“The lanes here are not busy and are frequently the scene of fly-tipping. In the last year there have been tyres, broken glass, fridges and builders’ waste dumped in the various laybys.
“It is such a shame – we are in the heart of the island’s National Landscape and it really detracts from the beauty of our environment.
"However vigilant we are as a community the fly-tippers continue their thoughtless activities.”
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