Fly-tipping: Kent and Medway see 10% rise in cases

Across Kent and Medway the number of fly-tipping cases increased from 24,795 in 2021-22 to 27,433 in 2022-23

Fly-tipping cases have increased by 10% across Kent and Medway to more than 27,000 last year, figures show.

And there were 5,809 incidents of fly-tipping in Maidstone between 2021 and 2023, but no prosecutions, the government statistics reveal.

To combat fly-tipping, the council has introduced a new waste crime team.

Maidstone Borough Council's waste crime manager, Carl McIvor, said: "It costs a significant amount of money to get rid of the rubbish. It makes me angry."

He added: "The people who do this have no respect for the people or the community."

Fewer prosecutions

Across Kent and Medway, the number of fly-tipping cases increased from 24,795 in 2021-22 to 27,433 in 2022-23 - a rise of 10.6%, the figures from Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) show.

In Medway 4,664 incidents were reported in the 2022-23 period, an increase of 95 from 2021-22.

In 2022-23 Medway Council issued 52 fixed penalty fines, compared to 158 the previous year. There were also fewer prosecutions made through the courts.

Councillor Simon Curry, portfolio holder for climate change and strategic regeneration at Medway council, said: "We diligently record and investigate all complaints - ranging from a small number of isolated black bags, to large scale fly-tipping.

"Our teams work to clear and investigate fly-tipping as quickly as possible, and we work with Kent Police to address illegal waste carriers."

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