It is an offence under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to fly-tip any material. This offence carries a maximum penalty of up to £50,000. Or for very serious offences you could receive a fine and up to five years in prison. A court may also order an offender to pay costs for all removal undertaken by the council.
Fly-tipping is the illegal act of dumping items next to a road, in fields, in rivers, or private land without permission.
Items might include:
- electrical goods,
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furniture,
- building waste,
- chemicals,
- household or commercial waste.
We adopt a zero tolerance approach to anyone caught fly tipping. Our waste enforcement team investigates all reports of fly-tipping to try and identify those responsible.
If you are a private landowner and become a victim of fly-tipping, waste enforcement officers can help.
We must be given permission to search and investigate the waste on your behalf. We can also arrange removal of the waste, but this would be at a cost to you.
The team can also provide you with advice about how to take steps to avoid repeat incidents of fly-tipping.
Report it
If you witness someone fly-tipping, please report them.
The more information you can provide the better. Please provide as much detail you can. Be aware that we may contact you to ask for a formal witness statement.
Please take note of:
- the day, date and time you saw the incident;
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how many people were fly-tipping,
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what did they fly-tip,
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where did they fly-tip,
- what they looked like,
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any vehicles involved – model, colour and registration number.