Areas under Labour-run councils are three times more likely to be awash with dumped rubbish, compared with Conservative counterparts, new data reveals.
Information from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs states that Labour-controlled councils recorded an average of 6,843 fly-tipping incidents last year, while Conservative Councils recorded 2,428 incidents.
The report, released this month, shows watercourses and riverbanks were more than twice as likely to be affected by fly-tipping, under Labour.
For large fly-tipping incidents, the cost of clearance to local authorities in England between 2022 and 2023 was £13.2mn, much higher than costs of £10.7mn from 2021 to 2022.
Fly-tipping is defined as the “illegal deposit of any waste onto land that does not have a licence to accept it”. It covers the dumping of a single black bin bag, up to thousands of tonnes of waste. Fly-tipping can be dangerous, pollutes land and waterways, and costs the council taxpayer significant amounts of money to clear away.
Minister for Rural Affairs, Robbie Moore MP, said: “This appalling record shows that Sir Keir Starmer and his party have no plan for protecting our cities, towns and rural areas from the menace of illegal dumping.
“Labour-run councils are failing to get a grip on fly-tipping, blighting communities and parts of our countryside with heaps of rubbish that is dirty, dangerous and damaging to our precious natural environment.
“While Conservative councils are keeping local streets and countryside clean and safe by using extra powers from this Government to crack down on offenders, Labour would take us back to square one.”
The report also revealed Labour-run council areas are consistently affected by more fly-tipping of white goods, tyres, vehicle parts, chemicals and oil on average than in Conservative areas.
Take a look at the areas of the UK where fly-tipped rubbish has been piling high.
Between 2022 to 2023, local authorities in England dealt with 1.08 million fly-tipping incidents, a decrease of just 1 percent from the 1.09 million reported in 2021 to 2022.
Size categories for incidents show fly-tipping equivalents to a “small van load” were 31 percent of total incidents, whereas sizes similar to a “car boot or less” were 27 percent.
Far more than an eyesore and a nuisance, fly-tipping can be a health hazard to passers-by and cause serious damage to soils and waterways.
It is a serious criminal offence for which people can be prosecuted – courts have the power to impose unlimited fines, deprive rights to the vehicle used to commit the offence, or even impose prison sentences.
Express.co.uk has contacted the Labour party for comment.
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