Leeds city council dealt with 10,000 flytipping incidents in one year
Increased efforts have been made to tackle flytipping after figures reveal Leeds city council dealt with around 10,000 incidents during 2013 and 2014.
According to statistics revealed by the Environment Agency, local authorities across England dealt with a total of 852,000 flytipping incidents in 2013 and 2014, an increase of 20 per cent since 2012 and 2013.
It cost these authorities £45.2 million to clear the illegally deposited waste from 2013 and 2014, according to estimated costs.
In Leeds, council officers and West Yorkshire Police have been stopping and searching vehicles in an attempt to stop dumpers in their tracks.
Checks have taken place at the junction of Gain Lane and Woodhall Road, a location that has seen a recent influx of flytipping.
Vans and trucks in the area were also checked to see if they were transporting rubbish and if drivers held the correct waste carriers license to do so.
Cllr Mark Dobson, Leeds City Council’s executive member for the environment, said: “We need to stamp out any ill-conceived thoughts that flytipping is an appropriate alternative to disposing rubbish properly. It’s not acceptable on environmental or financial grounds.
“We don’t tolerate any levels of flytipping so as our street cleaning crews go about their daily business they’ll pick up waste abandoned in the streets. Rather than treat this as litter, over the past year we’ve recorded these as flytipping incidents.”
If found guilty of flytipping, dumpers could face fines of up to £95,000 and companies could be liable for £3 million if cases are heard in the crown court.
