Fly-tipping is a crime all councils are keen to clamp down on.
Figures reveal that Greater Manchester councils have seen 93,629 fly-tipping incidents reported between 2020 and 2022 - with five boroughs seeing a decline in incidents, and five seeing an increase.
As well as the environmental health risks, fly-tipping presents a significant legal and financial burden, with taxpayers left with the bill for local authorities having to clean up - up to £10,000 per incident, the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs says.
Here is how each GM borough ranks in terms of total fly-tipping incidents between the start of 2020 and the end of 2022 and an individual breakdown of data:
- Manchester - 28,890
- Rochdale - 11,583
- Salford - 11,190
- Tameside - 9,165
- Oldham - 7,475
- Stockport - 7,153
- Bury - 6,631
- Trafford - 6,037
- Wigan - 3,071
- Bolton - 2,434
Bolton
The borough, where fly-tippers are warned of a £400 fixed penalty notice or an unlimited fine, saw a reduction in fly-tipping incidents across two years.
In 2021/22 they had 1,184 reports, which is slightly down from the previous year at 1,250. The council did not respond to the request for a comment.
Bury
The borough has achieved eight court convictions for fly-tipping in the past 18 months.
In 2021/22 they had 3,323 reports, which is slightly up from the previous year at 3,308.
A spokesman for Bury Council said: “Fly-tipping and littering is disgraceful. It blights our neighbourhoods, and costs local taxpayers money to clear it up.
“We know how much this matters to residents, which is why we have increased our enforcement action against the perpetrators. In the last 18 months, we have issued 36 fines for littering and 50 fines for fly tipping, and eight offenders were prosecuted through the courts.
“If residents witness incidents of fly tipping, or have any information about who is doing this, we would urge them to contact us with all the details they have so that we can take action.”
Manchester
The most populated borough tops the list for total fly-tipping incidents. However, Manchester has seen a significant reduction in number over the two year period.
In 2021/22 they had 13,999 reports, which is down from the previous year at 14,891.
Coun Lee-Ann Igbon, Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council, said: "Fly-tipping is an environmental crime that blights neighbourhoods and green spaces not just across Manchester but across Greater Manchester and beyond. Our figures fell by six per cent in Manchester which is broadly in line with the trend in the Northwest and exceeds the national figure, but we are not complacent and take this crime very seriously and will continue to work hard to deter fly-tippers.
“When we find evidence to identify culprits, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action."
Oldham
Reports have risen dramatically in Oldham - something Oldham Council puts down to a recent clean up campaign labelled ‘Don’t Trash Oldham’.
In 2021/22 they had 5,903 reports, a significant rise from the 1,572 incidents in the previous reporting period.
Councillor Hannah Roberts, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods with Oldham Council, said: “Oldham, like boroughs across the country, suffers from fly-tipping. However, thanks to Don’t Trash Oldham, we are being proactive about tackling the issue through support, education and enforcement.
“Since we launched the clean up campaign, more than 508 people have been fined for environmental crimes. The number of cases in Oldham has increased, but the large spike seen in the figures from the year 2020/21 to 2021 /22 is as a result of underreporting of fly-tipping incidents to central Government – where evidence could not be found in 20/21 these are now included in 21/22.
“This has now been corrected so the 2021/22 figure and all submitted in the future accurately show all fly-tipping incidents reported within the borough.”
Rochdale
The local authority puts high numbers down to their system recording incidents twice, due to multiple callouts to the same area, and says it deals with the issue through education and fines.
In 2021/22 they had 6,241 reports, which is an increase on the previous year at 5,342.
A Rochdale Council spokesperson said: “There has been a small increase in fly-tipping figures reported, but the actual amount collected has reduced by more than 32 tonnes from the previous year. This reduction has had a positive impact and meant we have spent less on disposal costs.
“The figures reported are also due to our rapid response and proactive work in removing fly-tipping. We can often respond to a small fly-tip, then additional waste is added to the same location, resulting in the same fly-tip being reported twice.
“We work extremely hard in educating our residents on the importance of checking for waste carriers’ licences and promoting the council’s free bulky waste collections, which has made a huge impact on the amount of potential waste that could have ended up on our streets. We continue to charge offenders by serving formal cautions and on-the-spot Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) when evidence is found, as we will not tolerate fly-tipping in our borough.”
Salford
The city says their numbers increase is down to a clearer method of reporting incidents.
In 2021/22 they had 6,020 reports, which increased from the previous year at 5,170.
A spokesman for Salford City Council said: “The rise reflected the introduction of new ways of reporting fly-tipping which can now be done via social media, as well as online and by phone. All incidents are investigated and appropriate action taken.
“There is no excuse for fly-tipping and those who do know full well they are spoiling their community and wasting public money.”
Stockport
Stockport has seen a decline in incidents over the last two years. The council has thanked community groups in the area who have helped in reducing the ‘blight’ that is fly-tipping.
In 2021/22 they had 3,157 reports, which decreased from the previous year at 3,996.
Coun Helen Foster-Grime, Cabinet Member for Communities & Housing at Stockport Council, said: “Fly-tipping is a blight on our community and a criminal offence. It undermines the ability of our residents to live and work in a clean and safe environment.
“It's heartening to see a reduction in the number of fly-tipping incidents, but there are still too many people not disposing of their rubbish in the correct way with many being duped by unscrupulous fly tippers. The council is currently leading on a ‘Spring Clean’ programme with additional organised clean up events and activities across Stockport, over March and April.
“Our teams will work on tidying up District and Local Centres, parks and green spaces, removing graffiti and collecting waste, while being supported by superb local parks’ ‘Friends of’ groups, schools and other outstanding volunteer groups. The campaign aims to spruce up the borough further and highlight some of the great work that takes place around the clock to ensure our residents and visitors can enjoy the clean and safe environment they rightly deserve.
“If residents are aware of a case of fly-tipping, they can report it by using the Council's online form https://www.stockport.gov.uk/start/report-a-fly-tipping-issue.”
Tameside
The borough has seen a big reduction in incidents over the last two years, setting up the Fly Tipping Enforcement Unit to deal with incidents of illegal dumping in the borough.
In 2021/22 they had 4,102 reports, which is down from the previous year at 5,063. Tameside Council did not respond to requests for comment.
Trafford
The council in Trafford says it is working with other agencies to crack down on fly-tippers and has increased the cost of fines.
In 2021/22 they had 2,521 reports, which is a decrease from the previous year at 3,516.
A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: “Trafford Council is working hard alongside partners including Greater Manchester Police, housing providers and other agencies to tackle the blight of fly-tipping within our communities. Environmental enforcement officers and staff from One Trafford are also working closely to identify hot-spots to allow us to target fly-tippers.
“We also have a dedicated telephone line (0161 912 4152) to report fly-tippers and have increased our fixed penalty notices for those caught from £200 to £400. We are also working closely with schools, local businesses and the local community to highlight our key messages to reduce littering, fly-tipping and increase recycling. We are pleased with the decrease in the number of fly-tipping incidents but will continue to work hard to bring the figures down even further.”
Wigan
In 2021/22 Wigan had 2,130 reports, which is up from the previous year at 941.
Paul Barton, director of environment at Wigan Council, said: “We are very disappointed that we have seen an increase in fly-tipping – a criminal offence which blights our environment and is expensive to clean up. We all have a part to play in tackling this issue to create a cleaner, greener borough for us all to enjoy.
“The reasons behind this vary – from lack of knowledge, apathy and illegal activity and we saw this rise begin in the pandemic, but it has been exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis too. We are pleased to see that this trend is now decreasing again. Tackling this issue is a key priority for us at Wigan Council.
“Our litter prevention strategy was recently approved by the cabinet and seeks to educate, support those vulnerable to fly-tipping as well as prosecute those who break the law. We also urge residents to be aware of small businesses advertising on social media who claim to remove rubbish and we encourage those using such services to be vigilant and check the company has the relevant waste licences in places, as well as requesting waste transfer notes.
“If any of our residents spot an incident of environmental crime, we ask that you send us as much information as you can, including descriptions of the perpetrator, vehicle registrations or home addresses where possible so we can take action.”
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