The staggering cost of fly-tipping to local taxpayers

Fly-tipping in Healey Dell

Fly-tipping is costing the local taxpayer over two hundred thousand pounds per year, according to figures released by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).

There were 4,394 incidents of fly-tipping reported to Rochdale Borough Council in 2014/15, which cost a staggering £201,967 to deal with.

Of the cases reported, 1,534 were on a highway, 601 were in back alleyways and 162 on a footpath or bridleway.

Of serious concern to public health, there were 24 incidents of asbestos being dumped.

The vast majority of cases, 2,611, were classed as other household waste, 336 cases involved white goods and another 39 were other electrical goods.

The data also shows that in 2014/15, the council sent 116 warning letters, issued four fixed penalty notices to fly-tippers and brought 18 prosecutions.

Investigations into 3,942 fly-tipping cases cost the council £130,185.

The number of fly-tipping incidents has risen slightly since 2013/14 from 4,082; the cost has remained almost identical - £201,648 in 2013/14.

Residents in some areas of the borough say they are persistently blighted by fly-tipping, a resident of Industry Road described the area as a “dumping ground":

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/94098/industry-road-has-become-a-dumping-ground-says-resident

Baguley Crescent in Middleton is also a hot spot for fly tipping.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/94324/baguley-crescent-becoming-a-flytipping-hot-spot

In Heywood, public safety was put at serious risk when a propane gas bottle was found to be amongst tonnes of rubbish, including timber, glass, rubble and a sofa, that had been dumped on Cherwell Avenue:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/92895/flytippers-put-lives-in-danger

Fly-tippers caught and punished include Denver Knitwear, of Manchester - fined £4,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £400, after they pleaded guilty to failing to arrange proper disposal of their commercial waste, after a large amount of it was found fly-tipped in Healey Dell Nature Reserve:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/94588/denver-knitwear-fined-%C2%A34000-for-waste-flytipped-in-healey-dell-nature-reserve

Matthew Greaves was ordered to pay more than £1,000 after being prosecuted in connection with rubbish dumped at Hollingworth Lake Visitor Centre car park:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/95914/matthew-greaves-fined-for-flytipping-at-hollingworth-lake

A person responsible for fly-tipping in Ashworth Valley on Christmas Day was given a fixed penalty notice of £100, reduced to £50 for early payment:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/93831/christmas-day-fly-tippers-fined

Penalties for fly-tippers include a fine up to £50,000 and/or five years prison and antisocial behaviour orders.