South Gloucestershire councillors call for change in fly-tipping law
Criminals caught fly-tipping in South Gloucestershire were fined almost £50,000 last year
Fly-tipping is blighting play parks, country lanes and housing estates in South Gloucestershire as councillors say the law needs to change.
All over the district piles of rubbish are left by criminals which harm the environment, are a public health risk, and cost taxpayers to clear up.
Criminals caught fly-tipping in South Gloucestershire were fined almost £50,000 last year but that money then left the district.
Councillors are calling for a change in the law so the money raised from prosecutions is invested back into the area, and used to clamp down on the issue.
Fly-tipping is a “top concern” for people living in the area, but incidents are below the national average. However data shows the number of incidents increased by 72 per cent over the last decade. South Gloucestershire Council passed in a full council meeting on Wednesday, July 16, pledging to take further action on the widespread problem and write to the government.
Conservative Councillor Matthew Riddle said: “What I’ve noticed in the Severn Vale over the last few years is that the size of fly-tipping is getting much bigger. We still get a single divan bed put in the verge, maybe a couple of black bin liners dumped on the side of the verge.
“But we’re now seeing many more incidents where, for example, work lorries just tip out their loads of waste — householder waste or builder’s waste — in the middle of the road and leave it there. That then becomes a huge highway safety issue, especially for residents driving unlit country lanes at night, or at the very least a nuisance, having to find another way round.”
He added that South Gloucestershire was one of the “best performing councils across the country” for prosecuting people caught fly-tipping. Over the last financial year, the council successfully prosecuted 16 criminals in court for fly-tipping, with even more expected this year.
However, thousands of pounds they pay in fines go to the government, instead of the council. Cllr Riddle said this money could be used by staff to ramp up enforcement and catch even more criminals, while providing a financial incentive to clamp down on fly-tipping. The motion he put forward called on the government to change the law, so councils could keep fly-tipping fines.
According to government data, there were 2,171 fly-tipping incidents in South Gloucestershire in 2023–24, up from 1,258 a decade ago. In the same year, there were only 18 prosecutions and 15 fixed penalty notices, 101 warning letters and 603 investigations — suggesting that most incidents go unpunished.
As well as county lanes, one part of the district that is particularly blighted is Charlton and Cribbs Causeway, where the majority of people live in new-build housing estates. Conservative Cllr Jo Buddharaju, representing the area, said fly-tipping is reported there almost every month, including in children’s play parks.
Council staff don’t just prosecute intentional offenders, but also help residents struggling to manage their waste. One example is a park bin on a housing estate in Emersons Green which was constantly overflowing with household rubbish.
This was traced back to an elderly resident who couldn’t put their bins out on the kerbside. Their daughter couldn’t visit on bin days, so instead put the rubbish in a park bin. The resident was added to the council’s assisted collection scheme, which sees binmen help elderly and disabled people get their rubbish out, according to Conservative Cllr Rachael Hunt.
One repeat offender caught by the council recently received a prison sentence of 54 weeks. People who pay private removal companies to take away their rubbish could end up being liable for fly-tipping, with one example found recently of cardboard delivery boxes that still had names and addresses on them.
Labour Cllr Ian Boulton, co-leader of the council, said: “Innovative work is being done in South Gloucestershire. Our staff do an amazing job with bringing these prosecutions for fly-tipping to our attention. The forensic work that they do to trace the culprits is quite mind-boggling, and we’re in their debt.”
Fly-tipping can be reported on the council’s website. The council aims to clear dumped rubbish within three working days. People caught fly-tipping can receive an unlimited fine and up to five years in prison.