Fly-tipping in Sheffield: Huge scale of dumping revealed as farmers and landowners are urged to act

There were a total of 12,126 fly-tipping incidents recorded across Sheffield during 2020/21, according to data from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) – a rate of 20.6 per 1,000 people, which is just above the England-wide average.

That was down from the 14,231 recorded in 2019/20 but remains the third highest number in Yorkshire and The Humber, behind only Bradford and Leeds.

The statistics were highlighted by Wailes-Fairbairn, of rural insurance broker Lycetts, who pointed out how across the region fly-tipping cases on agricultural land had increased from 420 to 489.

What can you do about fly-tipping on your land?

He said: “Fly-tipping is an unwelcome blight on our countryside and can represent far more than an inconvenience to victims of the crime.

“Incidents not only pose significant environmental and human health risks, but also a legal and financial burden for farmers and landowners.

“Although local authorities will usually pay the clean-up costs of clearing waste from public land, the responsibility for removing waste from private land falls squarely at the feet of the landowners. If they fail to do so, they can face prosecution.”

Clean-up bills per incident average around £1,000, according to the National Rural Crime Network, but large-scale incidents can cost upwards of £10,000, and Mr Wailes-Fairbairn said that in some cases farmers could be repeatedly targeted, with the costs mounting up.

What action has been taken over fly-tipping in Sheffield?

He advised landowners at risk to be extra vigilant, ensuring gates are locked and considering installing CCTV, especially during the winter months when the longer nights provide more opportunities for crooks to illegally dump their waste under cover of darkness.

In Sheffield during 2020/21, Government figures show that a total of 482 warning letters and 119 statutory notices were issued over fly-tipping.

There were 289 fixed penalty notices issued, including 77 which were specifically for fly-tipping, 12 for ‘household duty of care’ and 144 for littering in conjunction with fly-tipping.

Two vehicles were seized and there were two successful prosecutions for fly-tipping, according to the DEFRA data.