URGENT action is needed to tackle fly-tipping as a priority issue for rural communities as new figures show farmers are badly affected.

The Environment Agency figures show that regional farms are more likely to suffer from large-scale amounts of rubbish being illegally dumped.

In Herefordshire during 2019-20, 685 fly-tipping incidents were reported, with 73 of those on agricultural land, 43 on commercial land, 42 on footpaths and bridleways, 108 at private and residential addresses. There were also 19 fly-tips reported in alleyways, 201 on council land, 104 on highways, 11 in watercourses, and 84 in unidentified areas.

Government data shows large numbers of those were household waste, with 172 reports, and 34 white goods fly-tips, while 209 household and single black bag dumps were reported. 

Business and trade waste fly-tips included 18 reports involving tyres, 22 involving vehicle parts, five involving asbestos, 39 involving construction waste, 25 commercial black bag dumps, and 17 reports of flytips involving chemicals and fuel.

A number of fly-tips were called as 'other' commercial waste, two involved animal carcasses, 44 were 'green incidents', and 129 were unidentified.

The NFU says the rising number of incidents is having a devastating impact on farming businesses across the country and is calling for more to be done to prevent fly-tipping from taking place, making the public more aware of their responsibilities and proper punishments for those caught.

NFU Deputy President Stuart Roberts said: “This survey has again thrown into sharp focus the extensive problems fly-tipping is causing. I hear every day about industrial-scale amounts of rubbish such as builder’s rubble, old furniture, kitchen appliances and used tyres being dumped in fields.

“Our own rural crime survey in March revealed fly-tipping was the most prolific crime experienced by our members, with nearly half (48%) of those surveyed saying they had been affected by fly-tipping in 2020.

“These crimes must be taken seriously. We need to understand the links to organised crime and commit to levelling up¹ policing for both urban and rural areas to create a safer, cleaner and greener rural Britain."

The NFU would like to see the Environment Agency, police, local authorities, and farmers working together to tackle the problems, with a more consistent approach across the whole country.

“More also needs to be done to educate householders on their legal obligations of disposing rubbish and how they can better reduce, re-use and recycle their waste,” Mr Roberts added.

“Many people may not realise they are criminally liable for their rubbish being illegally dumped, even if someone else is responsible."

Fly-tipping costs the West Midlands millions of pounds a year to clear up, but the figures do not account for huge piles of rubbish dumped on land belonging to farmers and other private landowners who have to then foot the bill.

Farmers have borne the brunt of illegal rubbish dumping for years and they can regularly pay out hundreds of pounds to put it right.

Sarah Faulkner, NFU West Midlands environment adviser, said: “Fly-tipping is very costly and time consuming to remove, dangerous to human health and harmful to wildlife and livestock.

“In some cases, fly-tipped waste pollutes watercourses and contaminates land.”

Mrs Faulkner said many farmers had installed gates and put up barriers, warning signs, security cameras and lighting to deter fly-tippers.

She said: “Currently 95% of fines given to offenders caught fly-tipping are lower than the cost of hiring a skip.

“This is a real nonsense, people dumping waste illegally must see the fines as a punishment, so they act as a proper deterrent to anyone tempted to fly-tip waste.”