FLY-TIPPING SOARS IN CITY

MORE rubbish than ever is being dumped illegally across Coventry.

Figures published by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) reveal there were 6,922 incidents of fly-tipping in the city in 2018/19 - or 19 every day.

The total included 2,059 cases where people simply dumped black bags full of household waste in the streets and 795 fly-tipped fridges and other white goods.

There were also 37 cases of tyres being dumped, 27 involving vehicle parts and even 11 where clinical waste was fly-tipped.

The total number of cases in Coventry was up from 4,704 in 2017/18 and is the highest number since local figures were first recorded in 2012/13.

That year, there were 2,836.

Fly-tipping is defined as the “illegal deposit of any waste on to land that does not have a licence to accept it”.

Campaigners said they suspected the reality may be “even worse” than the figures have captured.

Allison Ogden-Newton, Chief Executive of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, said: “A national programme to educate the public about the dangers and costs of fly-tipping is needed now as we have the evidence of a serious and rapidly escalating problem in this country in how we dispose of our rubbish.

“We suspect that, bad as these figures are, the reality may be even worse as many incidents of fly-tipping are being categorised as littering so not being counted.

“We need a programme of education and engagement in every local authority in the country so that the public understands the law and the impact of their behaviour, both financially and environmentally.

“Our research shows that many people are unaware that they are doing something illegal when they put out black bags or small items because councils are clearing them up extremely quickly and efficiently to keep our streets clean and not telling people that what they are doing is wrong.

“The reality is that this is fuelling the fly-tipping epidemic and costing all of us, as tax-payers, many millions to clean up.

“Britain is becoming a country divided, with more people than ever worrying about the environment and waste and yet equally a growing number of people habitually dumping their rubbish, wrecking that same environment others wish to protect.”

In most fly-tipping incidents local councils are responsible for removing the rubbish.

The figures show that Coventry City Council forked out £1,050 on tipper lorries to clear the mess.

However, the government no longer publishes the amount councils spends on things like car boot clearances, van removals or single black bag clearances.

It means the total amount the council spent on removing flytipping is unavailable and likely to be far higher than the tipper lorry cost.

The figures also revealed that 2,658 investigations were launched into fly-tipping.

However, just four resulted in a prosecution.

Highest since records beganOverall, there were 12,151 fly-tipping incidents across Warwickshire - the highest since records began.

DEFRA said: “Fly-tipping is a significant blight on local environments; a source of pollution; a potential danger to public health; [and] a hazard to wildlife and a nuisance.

“It also undermines legitimate waste businesses where unscrupulous operators undercut those operating within the law.”

Across England, there were 1.1 million fly-tipping incidents recorded in 2018/19.

That was up from 997,553 the year before and is the highest number in a decade.

The incidents saw councils spend at least £112.9 million removing the rubbish through tipper lorries and significant or multi-load clearances. Again, the true cost is likely to be higher.

The city council provided us with data from the first half of the year and figures for the enforcement actions.

In 2018/19 enforcement actions increased markedly from 2,613 in 2017/18 to 3,925 in 2018/19, a 50% increase. In the first half year of 2019/20 fly tipping has reduced to 3,269 episodes compared to 3,468 in the same period last year.

A spokesman added: “Coventry’s fly tipping is largely the result of local people dumping rubbish in their own neighbourhoods and in many cases their neighbours know what is happening.

“Local intelligence is key in identifying the culprits and bringing this problem under control. Fly tipping can be reported online.”