Record number of fly-tipping incidents in Portsmouth, new figures show

It comes as a record 1.15 million fly-tipping incidents were reported across England last year, with Environment Secretary Steve Reed pledging to "punish rubbish dumpers".

Figures from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs show 1,092 fly-tipping incidents were reported in Portsmouth in the year to March 2024 – up from 751 the year before. It was the highest level since comparable local records began in 2019-20.

The national number of fly-tipping incidents last year jumped by six per cent 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 per cent of incidents. Meanwhile, some 60 per cent of cases involved household waste, ranging from black bags of waste to the contents of shed clearances, furniture, and carpets.

Fly-tipping in Portsmouth was most common on council land (57 per cent), while household waste accounted for 78 per cent of the illegally dumped rubbish reports.

Mr 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 five per cent to 63,300 fines last year. This includes 17 notices issued in Portsmouth.

Elsewhere in the area 1,408 fly-tipping incidents were reported in the Havant Borough Council area – up from 1,185 the year before; in the Gosport borough that figure was 452 fly-tipping incidents – down from 478 the year before and in the Fareham borough the figure was 247 fly-tipping incidents – up from 241 the year before.

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."

To report flytipping in Portsmouth visit the council’s dedicated ‘report it’ web page via https://my.portsmouth.gov.uk/MyServices.