Large-scale fly-tipping incidents – where lorry loads of waste are dumped in public places – have increased by more than 150% across the Greater Cambridge area since 2019.
The latest figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) show that Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) dealt with 116 incidents larger than a “tipper lorry” load during the last financial year.
This compares with 45 similar incidents recorded in 2019/20.
Year-by-year data also shows a sharp rise during the Covid-19 pandemic. Cases almost doubled to 89 in 2020/21 and remained at similar levels throughout the pandemic before continuing to increase in subsequent years.
It is not known whether any of the incidents occurred in or around H&I.
Taken ‘very seriously’
A Cambridge City Council spokesperson said environmental crimes, including fly-tipping, “show a blatant disregard for the environment” and are taken “very seriously”.
He said: “We know these crimes can have a big impact on our wildlife and local communities, and they can also attract antisocial behaviour. They also cost the council money – which could be better spent on other services if everyone took the simple step of disposing of their waste responsibly.”
Recently, SCDC successfully prosecuted two offenders for environmental crimes.
In one case, a householder from Harrow in north London was ordered to pay £9,005 after failing to use a legitimate waste carrier and ensure their rubbish was disposed of properly.
The offender was traced after a council enforcement officer discovered documents containing their details among a pile of dumped waste – including furniture, wood and household items – off the Caxton Bypass.
After failing to cooperate with the investigation and ignoring a fixed penalty notice, the Council pursued the case through the courts. The individual was found guilty and ordered to pay fines, costs and a victim surcharge.
Cllr Natalie Warren-Green, SCDC’s lead cabinet member for environment, said the case “sends a very clear message that fly-tipping is not tolerated”.
National picture
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), the UK’s professional body for the waste sector, has warned that large-scale fly-tipping is “running out of control” across the country.
Defra figures show that councils in England recorded around 52,000 fly-tipping incidents larger than a tipper-lorry load in 2024/25. This is up from about 31,000 in the year before the pandemic.
Defra has previously said the increase may partly reflect improved reporting and recording of incidents by councils, noting that authorities may also classify cases differently.
However, campaigners have repeatedly linked the rise in large-scale fly-tipping to organised crime.
A CIWM spokesperson said: “Collectively we should all be clear about where the blame lies for such incidents – with the perpetrators.
“These are crooks and cowboy operators, often organised criminal gangs, deliberately profiting from other people’s misery, polluting our environment and exploiting loopholes in the system.
“They must be held to account wherever possible and made to pay the full cost of clearing up the damage they cause.”
Residents can report fly-tipping incidents in South Cambridgeshire via the Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Partnership website. For incidents in the city, the City Council advises to report those using its own website.
Elements of this story were provided by the BBC Shared Data Unit.
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