Tuesday, 6 May 2025
Stamping down on fly-tipping
Calderdale Council continues its fight against fly-tipping and has welcomed a new national government policy giving more powers to deal with the crime.
This will see fly-tippers and criminal waste operators having their vehicles seized and crushed; new technology such as drones and mobile CCTV identifying vehicles used for fly-tipping, and jail sentences of up to five years for people who illegally transport waste in England.
Photo: A car being crushed, which was seized for fly-tipping offences
Calderdale Council is ahead of the curve, as it has already seized 15 vehicles since January 2024 and regularly uses drones and a variety of CCTV equipment to catch fly-tipping criminals in the act, gather evidence for prosecutions and see where rubbish needs to be cleared.
This video shows one of the seized vehicles being crushed in early-2025.
Fly-tipping, where people illegally dump rubbish or debris, often by the roadside rather than taking it to a proper waste site, is a major concern for the Council and local people.
The Council dealt with over 5000 cases of fly-tipping between 2023 and 2024 alone. It costs the Council up to £1 million a year to deal with the crime, taking valuable resources away from vital services at a time of significant financial challenges.
But the Council is serious about making a difference. It is one of a few councils to issue Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) fines at the maximum amount of £1000 for fly-tipping offences, and uniquely has one dedicated team working on all aspects of fly-tipping – from lifting and shifting waste to gathering evidence, taking statements, reviewing CCTV footage and prosecuting offenders.
Photo: Council officers clearing fly-tipping in Calderdale
Cllr Danielle Durrans, Calderdale Council's Cabinet Member for Public Services, said, "Local people tell me time and time again how much of a concern fly-tipping is in their communities. We're listening and taking action.
"We have priorities for thriving towns and climate action, so in Calderdale we've been really stamping down on fly-tipping for the past few years. It's not a victimless crime – it costs us all money and blights our beautiful Calderdale environment. We welcome the wider government support and have already seen first-hand how effective vehicle seizures and new technology can be in tackling fly-tipping.
"Thank you to the local people, community groups and volunteers that help deal with and report fly-tipping. In Calderdale we care about our environment and we're all in it together."
The Council is using the government's new policy announcement to raise awareness of some key fly-tipping facts:
- If a vehicle is used for fly-tipping, the driver and owner can both be prosecuted and the vehicle can be seized and crushed.
- To help reduce fly-tipping, the Council provides a bulky item collection service, and household waste can be taken to one of its recycling centres.
- Please report fly-tipping when you see it, and try to give as much information as possible. This could include the date and location of the incident, descriptions of people / vehicles involved and photos of the items dumped. Report fly-tipping online and get advice on how to dispose of your waste here
- If you are getting a company to take your rubbish away for you, thoroughly check who they are first – you are ultimately responsible for the disposal of your rubbish and where it ends up, even if you've paid someone else to move it for you. We all have a duty of care.