the council wanted to “go heavier and harder” on prosecutions
Fly-tipping in Coventry has risen by around 40% since before the Covid-19 pandemic, while just 3% of reported cases have resulted in enforcement action or prosecution.
The figures were discussed by councillors during a meeting of Coventry City Council’s Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee.
The committee reviewed measures being used to tackle illegal waste dumping across the city.
These include compliance officers, neighbourhood support officers and targeted CCTV cameras aimed at identifying people responsible for fly-tipping.
Council leader George Duggins said tackling fly-tipping was one of his priorities this year.
He said the council wanted to “go heavier and harder” on prosecutions for fly-tipping offences.
Councillor John McNicholas said CCTV could play an important role in tackling dumping hotspots.
He suggested ward councillors and residents could provide information about problem areas.
This would allow cameras to be targeted at locations experiencing frequent fly-tipping.
However, Councillor Frank Beechey questioned whether increased reporting was responsible for the rise in recorded incidents.
He said council data showed fly-tipping had increased significantly during the pandemic.
However, he argued that reported levels had remained considerably higher than before Covid-19.
Beechey rejected suggestions that the increase was mainly because more residents were reporting incidents.
He also criticised the level of enforcement, describing the 3% action rate as “ridiculously low”.
On the other hand, Councillor Amirjit Kaur warned that cameras could simply cause offenders to move their dumping activities to different areas.
She said five fly-tipping incidents had been reported in her Upper Stoke ward during one week.
Councillor Matt Greenhalgh highlighted education and language barriers as additional challenges.
Speaking about his St Michael’s ward, he said its large transient population made communication about waste disposal more difficult.
He suggested providing information packs to new residents explaining local rubbish and recycling rules.
Greenhalgh also recalled stopping a group of people who were preparing to dispose of waste in a skip.
The group reportedly believed the skip was available for general rubbish disposal.
The incident highlighted concerns around residents’ understanding of where different types of waste can legally be taken.
The council has also increased penalties for fly-tipping.
Fixed penalty notices have risen from £200 to £1,000, which is the maximum amount available to the authority.
Coventry City Council has also introduced its ‘Bringing the Tip to You’ scheme.
The initiative takes waste disposal services directly into neighbourhoods experiencing high levels of illegal dumping.
The scheme aims to make legitimate waste disposal easier for residents while reducing opportunities for illegal dumping.
With fly-tipping remaining significantly above pre-pandemic levels, councillors are now calling for stronger enforcement alongside education and better access to waste services.
