More than 1,500 fly-tipping incidents in York last year

The data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs shows there were 1,661 fly-tipping incidents in York in the year to March 2022 – though this was down from 1,808 the year before.

Thirty-five per cent of fly-tipping in the York area discovered last year was on highways and 32 per cent on council land.

Of the discarded waste, the largest proportion was household waste followed by household black bin bags.

James Gilchrist, director of transport, environment and planning at City of York Council, said: “Our records show that incidents of fly-tipping in York have dropped over several years. However, we remain committed to tackling this issue and would like to remind residents to always dispose of waste in the correct manner.

“City of York Council ensures that fly-tipping on public land, highways and riverbanks is cleared away as soon as possible. If we find items which could be used as evidence in legal action against those responsible for fly-tipping, our Neighbourhood Enforcement team will investigate further.

"Fly-tipping will be cleared once any investigation is complete. We will investigate fly-tips on private land but landowners are responsible for clearance.

“To report an issue with fly-tipping, go to the City of York Council website.”

Fly-tipped waste was discovered more than 1,500 times in York last year (Image: UGC)

Across England, 1.09 million fly-tipping incidents were recorded in 2021/22 - a decrease of four per cent from the 1.14 million reported in 2020/21. The cost of clearance to local authorities was £10.7 million last year.

Defra figures show about 91,000 fixed penalty notices were issued across England in 2021/22, an increase of 58 per cent from the year before.

According to the data, the number of court fines nearly tripled from just 621 in 2021/21 to 1,798 last year.

The value of all fines was £840,000 in 2021/22, more than doubling the £330,000 from the year before.

The Defra figures show that 22 fixed penalty notices were issued in York last year, down from 37 in 2020/21. One fine was issued by courts in the year to March – a fall from three the year prior. The total value of fines was £1,000.

• READ MORE: King Charles III to return to York for royal visit this year.

David Renard, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said fly-tipping is not just an eyesore for residents, but a serious environmental and public health risk.

He said: “Councils are working tirelessly to counter the thousands of incidents every year and are determined to crack down on the problem.

“But, penalties handed down from prosecution fail to match the severity of the offence committed. We continue to urge the Government to review sentencing guidelines for fly-tipping so that offenders are given bigger fines for more serious offences to act as a deterrent."