Fly Tipping isn’t Just Ugly: It’s Illegal

Fly-tipping – the illegal disposal of waste by just dumping it anywhere – is on the increase. Government data released at the beginning of this month shows that the number of incidents of fly tipping reported in the Local Authority districts of Norwich and Great Yarmouth have gone up. Both sites saw increases of close to 20%

Government Records

Detailed records on the prevalence of fly-tipping have been kept by the government since 2013. Each Local Authority keeps records of how much fly-tipping is reported and what action is taken to deal with it. Looking through the statistics for our locality makes pretty depressing reading. There were 3643 incidents in Norwich and 6588 incidents in Great Yarmouth. 

The Costs of Clearance

Local Authorities spend hundreds of thousands of pounds clearing up the mess that these selfish people leave. In Great Yarmouth last year, there were 1,214 fly-tipping incidents large enough that the perpetrators would have needed a transit van to shift the waste. That’s more than three a day! It cost the local authority £139,610 to clear these up.

Paying the Fine

What happens when someone is caught in the act? Fly-tipping isn’t just an ugly and selfish act. It is also illegal. Magistrates can impose a fine of up to £50,000 and, in extreme cases, a custodial sentence. So, how well have our Local Authorities done at recouping some of the clearance costs? Great Yarmouth fined 10 people bringing in a total of £3,665. In Norwich, 594 incidents were investigated at a cost of £19,602… but not a single fine was issued.

Responsible Waste Disposal

We know that most people are responsible with how they dispose of their waste – separating their rubbish and hiring a skip for larger projects. If you are planning any kind of refurbishment of your home or business and need a skip, just get in touch. You can call our office on 01493 668118 or drop us an email: info@wtskiphire.co.uk

If you would like to read the latest statistics on fly-tipping in your area, there is a downloadable spreadsheet available from the government’s website.