Stoke Gifford is one of five main areas identified as contributing to the prolonged rise of fly-tipping in South Gloucestershire.
This summer, councillors sounded the alarm as piles of rubbish were being left across the district and called for an investigation into the root-causes of why people fly-tip.
This also found that there are six challenges facing South Gloucestershire Council in addressing the rise of fly-tipping. Boyd Valley, Severn Vale and Frampton Cotterell were highlighted as having the highest levels of fly-tipping, followed by Staple Hill, Mangotsfield and Stoke Gifford.
Councillors passed a motion in July, calling on the government to change the law so that money raised from prosecuting fly-tippers gets reinvested back into the area. The motion also led to a root-cause analysis.
A report to the scrutiny commission said: “Fly-tipping continues to pose a serious and escalating challenge in South Gloucestershire, with far-reaching environmental, financial, and social consequences.
“Fly-tipping incidents have shown a fluctuating but overall upward trend between 2019 and 2024, with notable hotspots in both urban fringes and rural lanes.”
One contributing factor is access and affordability. The four household waste recycling centres in the district — in Little Stoke, Mangotsfield, Thornbury and Yate — are only open from 8.30am to 4.30pm every day. People without cars cannot book a slot to visit a recycling centre, and anybody visiting on foot or by bicycle has to call or email the council to arrange a visit.
Another factor is a lack of awareness of legal disposal routes and potential penalties. Residents might not realise that arranging for a man in a van to take away their waste could result in that getting fly-tipped. Leaving unwanted items where they could be taken by others can also end up getting left on the side of the road for weeks.
Few people get prosecuted for fly-tipping in South Gloucestershire. While the council shouts about the successful prosecutions of criminals caught dumping waste, government statistics show the majority of fly-tipping incidents go unpunished in the district. In 2023–24, some 2,171 incidents were recorded. But there were only 18 prosecutions and 15 fixed penalty notices.
“Commercial waste mismanagement” was also identified. Rogue traders and unlicensed waste carriers operate in South Gloucestershire, cold calling and advertising on social media to take rubbish away. Lastly, the rising cost of living and expensive costs of legitimate waste disposal are contributing to the increase in fly-tipping. This affects both residents and commercial waste.
The 2,171 figure is a whopping increase of 72% compared to a decade ago. Spikes were seen during the pandemic and at the brunt of the cost of living crisis. Last year, two thirds of incidents were household waste, with construction and demolition waste coming in second.
As well as looking at the causes of fly-tipping, the report also considered six challenges facing the council in tackling the issue. Hazardous waste, such as asbestos, is expensive for people to dispose of within the rules and also costly for the council to clear up if left on the side of the road. This also presents a risk to the public in the meantime.
Court sentences “don’t recognise the seriousness of fly-tipping”. A recent prosecution led to a £180 fine, £100 costs and £80 victim surcharge, which “in no way reflected the nature of the offending nor the resources involved in investigating the offence”. Another problem is alleged offenders failing to attend voluntary interviews, making it hard to gather necessary information.
Enforcement is not a statutory service, unlike other services the council provides. Council staff are “largely reactive rather than focusing on preventative measures and education”. A lack of intelligence sharing is also a challenge. Some council staff can’t access police systems, and requests for data from the Motor Insurance Bureau and the DVLA often have a slow turnaround.
And lastly, organised crime is a challenge facing the council. Rogue waste carriers and criminal enterprises are “profiting from large-scale fly-tipping”.
By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporter