A rise in fly-tipping in York to almost 3,000 incidents in a year has sparked a row over the council’s handling of the issue.
A total of 2,954 cases of illegal waste dumping were recorded in York in the year up to March, up from 2,500 in 2023/4 and the highest since 2011.
Opposition Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Cllr Paula Widdowson said the increase followed the introduction of green bin charges, hikes in bulky waste collection fees and changes to tip opening times.
Cllr Jenny Kent, environment spokesperson for the council’s Labour administration, said the rise was in line with nationwide trends but York was faring better than other similar cities.
The 2,954 fly-tipping incidents recorded from April 2024 to March this year compares to 2,368 in 2022/3 and 1,960 five years ago in 2019/20.
A decade ago in 2014/5, the amount of fly-tipping cases recorded in York numbered 1,358.
The total was 1,525 in 2011/2, the earliest year with publicly available data.
Government figures showed there were 1.15 million incidents of fly-tipping across England in 2023/4, up by six per cent compared to the previous year.
National data for 2024/5 has not yet been released.
The figures follow an exchange between Cllr Widdowson and Cllr Kent about trends in fly-tipping during March’s full council meeting.
Cllr Kent told the meeting there had been a drop in fly-tipping but said she would investigate further when Cllr Widdowson questioned her in light of the figures showing an increase.
Cllr Widdowson said Cllr Kent has not yet clarified the statement or the trends which had continued to get worse.
She added the rise in fly-tipping followed the introduction of the Garden Waste Subscription Scheme last year, dubbed the Green Bin Tax by the Liberal Democrats, costing £49 this year.
Cllr Widdowson said it also came after council bulky waste collection charges rose from £27 to £52.50 from April and reduced opening hours at the Hazel Court and Towthorpe tips.
Closing times were brought forward last year to 6pm from 7pm from April to September and Hazel Court was closed on Wednesdays as part of council cost-cutting measures.
The Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson said: “Fly-tipping is soaring, and it’s no coincidence.
“Labour have made it more expensive and less convenient for people to dispose of their waste legally and now our streets, green spaces and rural roads are suffering the consequences.
“People want to do the right thing, but Labour’s policies have created unnecessary barriers. Illegal dumping is filling the gap and the figures speak for themselves.”
But Cllr Kent said the Liberal Democrats presided over thousands of fly-tipping incidents when they led the council’s administration from 2019 to 2023 and accused them of politicising the issue.
Labour’s environment executive member added opposition attempts to link the rise in fly-tipping with council policies was an attempt to justify offences that were always inexcusable.
Cllr Kent also said new Neighbourhood Caretakers which are set to launch this year backed by £150,000 in funding, would help tackle fly-tipping.
The executive member said: “Unfortunately, fly-tipping is on the rise, with a 20 per cent increase nationally in the five years to 2024 but York has much lower rates than many comparable cities.
“Our staff work hard to tackle this criminal behaviour, and should be commended on increased performance in the last two years, with zero reports currently awaiting clearing, despite the increase in fly tipping activity.
“We do take this issue seriously and our new Neighbourhood Caretakers team reflects our commitment to taking pride in our fantastic city.”
