Government calls on councils to remove barriers to waste disposal to tackle fly-tipping

In a statement released on Monday, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said local authorities dealt with 1.13 million fly-tipping incidents in 2020/21, up by 16 per cent from 2019/20.

It is investigating if local authorities are making it harder for people to dispose of their waste and therefore increasing the risk of fly-tipping.

Environment Minister Jo Churchill said: “I want to make sure that recycling and the correct disposal of rubbish is free, accessible and easy for householders.

“No one should be tempted to fly-tip or turn to waste criminals and rogue operators.”

Barriers put in place by local authorities include booking visits to recycling centres and charging for the disposal of household DIY waste, including plasterboards, bricks and bath units.

Unlike a third of local authorities, Bedford Borough Council does not charge for the disposal of household DIY waste at council-run household waste collection sites. It has also removed the need to book a timeslot.

However, it does have a requirement for residents to obtain a permit to dispose of their DIY waste at its Household Waste Recycling Centre on Barkers Lane.

A council spokesperson said “Bedford Borough Council does not charge residents to dispose of DIY waste at the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC).

“We require people to obtain a permit if they are planning to dispose of four to six items of DIY waste per month and permits also allow the use of a trailer.

“This is simply to monitor use and prevent the site being wrongly used by traders disposing of their commercial waste for free at a cost to council tax payers.

“Commercial waste can also be disposed of at the site with reasonable charges.

“We work to make it as easy as possible for people to dispose of their waste as sustainably as possible by using the HWRC, with the site open seven days a week and now open late on Saturdays until the end of September.

“The council monitors and prosecutes people who fly-tip and the council does not suffer from fly tipping as a consequence of its policies. The council has no plans to change its free permit system at the HWRC.”

In February the council announced that it has invested in new, portable CCTV cameras that they are deploying at fly-tipping hotspots around the borough.

Footage will be used to help identify vehicles that were present in the vicinity of fly-tipping so that enforcement action can be taken against the appropriate persons who dumped the rubbish.

This footage will be posted on the council’s ‘Caught on Camera’ webpage at www.bedford.gov.uk/caughtoncamera which residents can review and pass on information if they recognise a vehicle or an individual.

Fly-tipping is a criminal offence and can be punished with a maximum fine of £50,000, or a 12 month prison sentence if convicted by a magistrates court.