Reports of fly- tipping up 10pc, with 1,500 tonnes of waste removed

A YORKSHIRE COUNCIL removed 1,500 tonnes of fly- tipping type waste in less than a year.

A report seen by Doncaster councillors shows officers removed the haul from April 2020 until the end of the calendar year.

Figures show regular cleanups at ‘ fly- tipping hotspots’ costs the council an extra £ 400,000 a year on top of expected duties in the management of the problem.

Just last month, Doncaster Council’s director of environment, Dan Swaine, said between July and September, there were 3,314 reports of fly- tipping across the borough, up from 2,950 in the previous three months – an increase of 10 per cent.

Statistics also show the council’s 85 per cent target of clearing fly- tipping within seven days of it being reported is down to around 61 per cent. The coronavirus pandemic is being blamed for the delay and more resources are being sought.

Council bosses, in the Environment and Sustainability Strategy 2020, said there is due to be a rollout of increased CCTV at fly- tipping hotspots to support enforcement action against perpetrators.

There’s also plans to invest in technology to improve efficiency of fly- tipping response routes and times. The council is also working with the Environment Agency, police and fire service over fly tipping intelligence for enforcement.

Andy Brown, of Doncaster Council, said: “Fly- tipping imposes a direct financial cost to the Council, the public and to private landowners relating to the clearance, investigation and prosecution of fly- tipping incidents, as well as to prevention measures.

“Fly- tipping can negatively affect the wider community, how it looks and how people feel about where they live.

“Where the composition of flytipped waste includes hazardous waste, fly- tipping can threaten our ecosystem and wildlife and may even depict a risk to human life.”