Fly-tipping is the term applied to the unauthorised deposit/dumping of waste. It is a criminal offence. It includes general household waste, garden waste, bulky household items (fridges, and so on) and commercial waste.

Please note vehicles, caravans and trailers etc. are not fly tips but abandoned vehicles and should be reported on our Abandoned Vehicles webpage.

There are several areas of legislation that enable bodies, like local authorities and the Environment Agency, to prosecute offenders where evidence exists. If dealt with through a Magistrates Court, fines, upon conviction, can be up to £20,000 or six months imprisonment (or both). If the prosecution is through the Crown Court the fine is unlimited with the possibility of a jail sentence of between two and five years if hazardous waste is involved.

The Council will clear fly-tipping if it is on:

  • the highway (for example the carriageway, footways and adopted footpaths)
  • the highway verge
  • Council owned land
  • Council operated car/coach parks
  • recycling centres (it is a criminal offence to leave anything at these centres other than the materials for which containers are provided. The offence includes leaving recyclable material on the ground or anywhere other than in the containers provided).

The owner of land is responsible for clearing waste left on their land and the council has the power to require landowners to remove  waste which is detrimental to the amenities of a neighbourhood (an eyesore) or prejudicial to health.

Fly tipping can be reported to the Council by our online Report It form below. It would be helpful if you could provide the exact location of the fly tip and a description of the waste.

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