Fly Tipping
What is Fly Tipping?
Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of rubbish on land or in water where it is not permitted, and it is a serious offense with punishments including fines, imprisonment, and vehicle seizure. This unlawful activity, which can include household, commercial, or construction waste, causes environmental damage, poses risks to health, and places a financial burden on councils, farmers, and taxpayers for cleanup and investigation costs.
It's called fly tipping because it involves "tipping" or dumping waste "on the fly," meaning quickly, carelessly, and while on the move, often from a vehicle, without proper disposal.
Shropshire Council's Fly Tipping Strategy
The cleanliness of our county affects everyone who lives, works, or studies in Shropshire.
Shropshire, in common with the rest of the country, has experienced an increase in fly tipping in recent years. In 2023, we received reports of over 1500 reported fly tips, which were collected at a cost of more than £140,000 to the taxpayer.
We clear reported fly tips within five working days. However, if the offence causes an obstruction or is considered by us to be dangerous, it will be cleared sooner.
Our three key areas
Early intervention
- Encourage civic pride
- Raise awareness / education
- Improved engagement and stronger partnerships with managing agents, landlords and residents
Prevent re-occurrence
- Continue to remove fly-tips quickly
- Ownership and accountability to resolve fly-tip hotspots
- Profile types of fly-tippers and specific actions to change this behaviour
- Improved data collection
- Making fly-tips easier to report
Targeted enforcement
- Intelligence led
- Zero tolerance
- Toughest penalties
- Prioritise hot spot areas
- Work with key partners, such as residents, businesses, police and the Environment Agency
Private land
We'll work with private landowners to find solutions, but also remind them that clearing fly tipping from private land is their responsibility. Landowners will be made aware that there are penalties for fly tipping that apply if they allow someone to fly-tip on their land.
Your Responsibility
Did you know that if your rubbish is fly tipped you could also be prosecuted - even if you didn't dump it or know it was going to be dumped.
To make sure you stay on the right side of the law - and avoid a fine - make some checks on anybody who is going to take your waste and use a registered waste carrier if you've got rubbish that needs removing.
Under the Environment Protection Act 1990 section 34, people must ensure that any waste collected from their home is taken by a registered waste carrier. You could be liable to a fine of up to £5,000 for not doing so.
If you are employing somebody to remove waste from your home you can:
- ask to see their waste carrier licence registration certificate
- phone 08708 506 506 and ask for a waste carrier validation check for the person
- visit the GOV.UK website for more information about the disposal of business or commercial waste.
The below image shows recent instances of fly tipping in and around the Parish. If you see any further incidents please report them to Shropshire Council via www.fixmystreet.com giving as much information as possible about the location, the date and time the fly tipping was spotted and the type of waste.
The following is a YouTube link to a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary - Britain's Illegal Fly Tipping Gangs - Exposed