Cameras rolled out and higher fines considered in fly-tipping crackdown

Funding for new surveillance cameras and a review into fixed penalties for fly-tipping are part of a tougher stance being taken by the Welsh Labour Government to tackle illegal dumping across Wales.

There were 42,171 fly-tipping incidents reported between April 2023 and March 2024, with 71% involving household waste, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing communities.

Thanks to Welsh Government funding, Fly-tipping Action Wales is providing local authorities with 150 new trail cameras to target hotspots and help clean up neighbourhoods.

Grants have also been awarded to councils including Denbighshire and Flintshire to support enforcement and camera-based projects, with best practice to be shared more widely.

Hannah Blythyn MS has welcomed the additional investment and stronger enforcement measures, highlighting the impact fly-tipping has on local residents, businesses and the natural environment.

Over recent years, Hannah has worked closely with community groups, local authorities and enforcement teams to raise concerns about persistent littering in rural areas, tourist spots and residential areas. She has consistently pressed for stronger preventative action alongside tougher consequences for offenders, ensuring local voices are reflected in national policy discussions.

She has also supported awareness campaigns encouraging residents to dispose of waste responsibly and report incidents quickly, recognising that prevention, enforcement and community action must go hand-in-hand to tackle the issue effectively.

Hannah Blythyn MS said:

“Fly-tipping is incredibly frustrating for residents and deeply damaging to our environment. I regularly hear from people who are angry to see their communities blighted by fly-tipping, whether in our towns, villages or countryside.

“These additional cameras and the review of penalties send a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated. I have been working with local partners to push for stronger enforcement tools, and I’m pleased to see further support being delivered to help councils take action and keep our communities clean.”

The Welsh Government is also reviewing fixed penalty notice limits for fly-tipping and household waste duty of care offences to ensure they remain an effective deterrent.

Since 2022, the Welsh Government has provided £1.6m directly to the Fly-tipping Action Wales programme, which works in partnership with local authorities to tackle the issue through enforcement, surveillance and education.

Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change, Huw Irranca-Davies, said:

"There is never any excuse for fly-tipping. It blights our streets, countryside and communities and people the length and breadth of the country are rightly angry about it.

“We are determined to clean up our communities, and these new cameras will help us do just that.

"Our continued funding makes sure local authorities have access to enforcement expertise, surveillance equipment and legal support they need to catch and punish those who break the law.”

Residents are reminded to always check that anyone they pay to remove waste holds a valid waste carrier licence through the Natural Resources Wales website – https://naturalresources.wales/permits-and-permissions/check-a-waste-carrier/.

If waste is dumped illegally, householders could face fines or prosecution if they failed to take reasonable steps to ensure it was disposed of responsibly.