Freedom of Information request reveals huge numbers of fly-tipping complaints across Wakefield district

Official figures, gained exclusively by the Express, show in 2022 there were 3,456 reports of fly-tipping across the city and the five towns to Wakefield Council.

This follows 3,764 reports in 2021 and 3,453 reports in 2020.

The council refused to provide information on the nature of each complaint, when it was received, and the location of the complaint under Section 12 of the FOI Act, stating that retrieving the information would be too expensive and time consuming to retrieve the data.

But bosses have vowed to get tough on fly-tippers and people dumping rubbish illegally.

Glynn Humphries, Corporate Director for Communities, Environment and Climate Change, said: “Fly tipping in the Wakefield district will never be tolerated, and we take firm action against those who carry out these crimes.

“In places that are affected more frequently, we use CCTV as part of our evidence gathering to prosecute fly-tippers.

“Those who fly-tip can stand to lose the use of their vehicle, face criminal proceedings and potential fines.

The Freedom of Information request showed Pontefract South had the least amount of complaints last year, with only 85 reported incidents of fly-tipping over the 12 month period from January 2022 to the end of December 2022.

This was followed by Stanley and Outwood East with 88 reports of fly-tipping, Altofts and Whitwood with 95 reports, and Wrenthorpe and Outwood East with 107 reports.

Wakefield South, which includes Belle Vue, Agbrigg, some of Portobello, Sandal, and Kettlethorpe, received the highest number of reports with 352 complaints in 2022, followed by Wakefield East, which includes Pinders Heath and Eastmoor, received the second highest complaints at 309.

Castleford Central received 275 complaints and Wakefield North, which includes Flanshaw, received 202 reports of fly-tipping, and Wakefield West which includes Lupset and Thornes had 181 complaints.

Normanton had 197 fly-tipping complaints; South Elmsall and South Kirkby had 162;, Ackworth, North Elmsall, and Upton had 157; Ossett had 147; Pontefract North had 141; Crofton, Ryhill and Walton had 143; Hemsworth had 135; Knottingley 133; Airedale and Ferry Fryston 114; Horbury and South Ossett 110, and Featherstone 101.

When asked for the expenditure by the authority on dealing with fly-tipping, officials refused our request stating that: “For each report received, colleagues from the Council’s street cleansing department attend on site and remove the fly-tipping if it is on public land.

“If the fly tipping is on private land, this is passed on to the enforcement team to investigate and pass on to the landowners.

“The team does not record expenditure down to the level requested, so we regret that it is not possible to break down, as costs are all part of the overall Street Cleansing budget.”

Mr Humphries added: “We remind residents to ensure that they are using registered waste collectors to get rid of their rubbish, as you can be liable if your items are illegally tipped.

"Remember to always ask, record and keep information on anyone you are using to dispose of your waste.”

To find out more visit https://www.wakefield.gov.uk/anti-social-behaviour/report-a-litter-issue/fly-tipping/