Scott Bros on rise in fly-tipping across North East

Scott Bros of Teesside has spoken out after updated Defra statistics showed a rise in fly-tipping incidents across England.

Local authorities recorded 1.15 million fly-tipping incidents in the 2023/24 period, a six per cent increase from the previous year.

Sixty per cent of these cases, amounting to 688,000, originated from households.

The North East saw an increase in fly-tipping cases from 24 to 25 per 1,000 people.

Despite this, Durham County Council reported a fall in fly-tipping cases from 8,286 in the 12 months up to June 2021 to 5,752 in 2024, attributing the decline to a targeted crackdown on illegal waste disposal.

Between June 2021 and December 2024, the council issued 181 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for fly-tipping offences, a further 187 to unlicensed waste carriers, and 60 to householders who failed to ensure responsible waste disposal.

This resulted in fines amounting to £47,190 in FPNs, and 82 prosecuted offenders collectively paid £81,278 in fines and charges.

Peter Scott, a director at Scott Bros, reminded householders of the potential repercussions of using rogue waste carriers.

He said: “Too often, unlicensed carriers take a few pounds to remove waste, only to dump it illegally in back alleys, lay-bys, roadsides, or on open land, which harms the environment, contaminates land and water, and has legal consequences for the who generated the waste.

“It’s the legal duty of householders to ensure their waste collector is licensed, otherwise they can face prosecution and fines.”

Defra data indicates that highways remain the most common fly-tipping site, accounting for 37 per cent of all incidents (427,000 cases).

Large-scale fly-tipping is also on the rise, with 47,000 incidents involving a “tipper lorry load” size or larger, an 11 per cent increase.

The cost of clearing these incidents reached £13.1 million in 2023/24.

Despite 528,000 enforcement actions, the number of FPNs issued fell by five per cent to 63,000, and court fines declined by eight per cent to 1,378 cases.

Mr Scott added: “The best way to protect yourself is to always check that the person collecting your waste is a licensed carrier who will dispose of it responsibly.

“Always ask for proof of a waste carrier’s licence, which can be verified online via the Environment Agency.”

To search for licensed waste carriers, visit: https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/index