8,796 fly-tipping incidents were reported in Barnet in the year to March 2024 – down from 9,763 the year before reports Sonja Tutty, Data Reporter

A man standing at the side of a road next to a pile of fly-tipped rubbish — The Defra figures reveal a slight drop in the number of enforcement actions, with fixed-penalty notices dropping 5% to 63,300 fines last year – (Credit – Radar)

Barnet dealt with fewer fly-tipping incidents last year, new figures show – bucking a national increase in illegally dumped waste.

A record 1.15 million fly-tipping incidents were reported across England last year, with Environment Secretary Steve Reed pledging to “punish rubbish dumpers”.

However, figures from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs show 8,796 fly-tipping incidents were reported in Barnet in the year to March 2024 – down from 9,763 the year before.

The national number of fly-tipping incidents last year jumped by 6% and reached the highest figure since 2018-19.

The most common place for fly-tipping to occur was on pavements and roads, accounting for 37% of incidents. Meanwhile, some 60% of cases involved household waste, ranging from black bags of waste to the contents of shed clearances, furniture, and carpets.

Fly-tipping in Barnet was most common on highways (93%), while household waste accounted for 77% of the illegally dumped rubbish reports.

Reed said: “Fly-tipping is a disgraceful act which trashes communities and its increase is unacceptable. Communities and businesses shouldn’t have to put up with these crimes.”

He pledged the government will crack down on fly-tipping and “punish rubbish dumpers, forcing them to clean up their mess”.

He also said the new Crime and Policing Bill gives ministers the power to issue statutory guidance to councils to drive up fly-tipping enforcement.

The Defra figures also reveal a slight drop in the number of enforcement actions, with fixed-penalty notices dropping 5% to 63,300 fines last year. This includes 39 notices issued in Barnet.

But Adam Hug, environment spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: “Councils are working tirelessly to counter the thousands of incidents every year and are determined to crack down on the problem.”

He warned the penalties from prosecution fail to match the severity of the offences 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,” he said.

“Manufacturers should also contribute to the costs to councils of clear-up, by providing more take-back services so people can hand in sofas, old furniture and mattresses when they buy new ones.”

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