Number of ‘tipper lorry load’ fly-tipping incidents in West Northamptonshire decreases over four years, despite worrying national data

In the latest environment statistics released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in February this year, the amount of fly-tipping incidents larger than a ‘tipper lorry’ have been recorded for each local authority and complied by the BBC Shared Data Unit.

For West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), there are four sets of data starting in the financial year 2021/2022, when the council was first established.

Large scale fly-tipping incidents in West Northamptonshire

2021/2022

• ‘Tipper lorry load’ incidents: 365
• Significant/multi-load incidents: 222
• Total large scale incidents: 587

2022/2023

• ‘Tipper lorry load’ incidents: 329
• Significant/multi-load incidents: 7
• Total large scale incidents: 336

2023/2024

• ‘Tipper lorry load’ incidents: 512
• Significant/multi-load incidents: 16
• Total large scale incidents: 528

2024/2025

• ‘Tipper lorry load’ incidents: 494
• Significant/multi-load incidents: 14
• Total large scale incidents: 508
• In 2024/2025, a total of £172,200 was spent on clearing tipper lorry load fly-tips.

From 2021/2022 to 2024/2025, there has been a decrease of 79 in the total number of large scale incidents across West Northamptonshire, despite national figures increasing.

A spokesman for WNC said: “While we’re pleased to see movement in the right direction, there is still a long way to go and we’re working hard with our contractors and partners to deliver lasting change.

“Changing people’s attitudes to littering and fly-tipping to reduce the amount of incidents is our preferred approach, though it is difficult to achieve as evidenced by the similar issues and increasing trends which exist in towns and cities across the country.

“We are most successful when working with communities to address these issues, and we rely on support from people who spot fly-tipping to help us bring those responsible to account.

“It’s impossible for us to be everywhere at all times but, where we do receive reports with credible evidence we can follow up, we have had some real successes, which we will continue to build on.”

Across the country, 52,000 large scale fly-tips were recorded in 2024/2025, which is an increase from 31,000 in the year before the pandemic.

Defra has previously said the rise is partly being driven by better reporting and recording, but campaigners have repeatedly linked the rise in large scale tipping to organised crime.

Across the country, fake companies are appearing to offer legitimate commercial waste clearance services before dumping that waste in fields, farm sheds, even local parks.

The professional body in charge of waste management in the UK - The Chartered Institute of Waste Management (CIWM) - says massive scale fly-tipping is at risk of “running out of control”.

A spokesperson for CIWM said: “Waste crime is at risk of running out of control across the UK. It is evident that waste crime at all levels continues to cause misery and anxiety for local communities and causes real damage to local environments and local economies.

“Collectively we should all be clear on where the blame lies for such incidents, which is clearly on the perpetrators. These are crooks and cowboy operators, often organised criminal gangs, deliberately profiting from other’s misery, from polluting our environment and exploiting loopholes in the system. They must be held to account wherever possible and to pay the price for their actions - including full clean - up costs where they can be recovered.”