For farmers and landowners, the illegal dumping of waste on their land is at best a time-consuming nuisance and at worst a potentially dangerous act which can bring serious environmental risks along with the financial burden of clearing it up.
Illegal fly-tipping is a blight on our landscape and farmers are invariably the ones who have to deal with it when waste is dumped on their land.
The Environment Agency’s most recent National Waste Crime Survey found that a shocking 86% of farmers and landowners were affected by fly-tipping incidents. The bi-annual survey, which was last published in 2023, also reported that small-scale waste dumping (no more than one lorry load of waste) impacted the most respondents, with businesses facing disruption and clean-up costs.
Now farmers have their chance to have their say in this year’s survey which is live on the Environment Agency’s website. The survey aims to help the Environment Agency identify trends and understand the effectiveness of its approach to tackling waste crime.
For the record, waste crime is much more than illegal fly-tipping. It encompasses a range of illegal activities including the dumping, burning, illegal shipping and mis-description of waste, as well as the operation of illegal sites.
The 2023 National Waste Crime Survey found that nearly a fifth of all waste in England is illegally managed, with the Environment Agency estimating that waste crime costs the economy £1 billion every year.
So how can you help prevent fly-tippers from dumping rubbish on your land? The National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG) offers some simple practical tips including restricting access by installing gates or physical barriers such as tree trunks or boulders, while making sure they are in keeping with the natural environment and don’t block any rights of way. Keeping gates closed and if possible locked when not in use, and putting up deterrent signage or lighting and CCTV, if possible.
If someone has fly-tipped on your land, then the NFTPG advises noting down as many details as possible about the waste and when you found it, and taking photographs.
Whether fly-tipping is on public or private land, it should always be reported to the relevant local authority – it may be that the culprit can be found or linked other incidents.
Always exercise caution when dealing with fly-tipped waste, as there’s the chance it could contain hazardous materials. While it’s a good idea to remove it as soon as you can to stop others from doing the same, you need to ensure that it’s disposed of in the right way, using a registered waste carrier if required. For example, hazardous waste should be carried and disposed of by professionals with the appropriate licence. Keep full details of any clearance and disposal costs. Successful prosecution can mean that costs incurred for the removal of waste could be recovered.
Persistent fly-tipping is not only an environmental nuisance. From an insurance perspective it has the potential to lead to higher premiums in high-risk areas. That’s just another reason why we need to do everything we can to prevent it. The National Waste Crime Survey 2024-2025 is open until Sunday, February 23. Have your say by visiting the EA website or following this link: systraltd.welcomesyourfeedback.net/s/Waste_crime_2025
H&H Insurance Brokers operates across the North of England, the Scottish Borders and Wales. Contact Corinne Cooper on [email protected] or call the Northallerton office on 01609 710376. www.hhinsurancebrokers.co.uk