Call for NFDC crackdown on persistent flytipping in New Forest

COUNCILLORS have called for more action to catch litter-bugs in the New Forest as figures showed flytipping remained stubbornly stable.

Among them was Cllr Steve Clarke, from Milton ward, who said his “pet hate” was seeing motorists on the A35 and other major routes throwing litter out of their vehicles.

He asked: “What opportunity do we have to run a campaign to actually prosecute those few people who just toss everything out the window?”

He made his comments during a meeting of New Forest District Council’s community, partnerships and wellbeing overview and scrutiny panel.

The panel was told that since 2015 flytipping rates have remained “consistent” at between 800 and 1,000 incidents per year.

There had been a spike of around 1,200 incidents in 2020/21 during the Covid lockdown as it was harder to access recycling centres.

NFDC spends between £100,000 and £150,000 annually to tackle flytipping.

Around £36,000 has been made back through fixed penalty notices issued to offenders after they have been tracked down.

NFDC grounds and streetscene manager Iain Park said there have been internal discussions at the council about running a crackdown on motorists who litter from their vehicles.

But he stressed it was not a “seasonal problem” as there may be a perception of litter increasing during the tourist season.

He said there was still a “significant” amount of litter on some Forest roadsides throughout the year.

Committee chair Cllr Keith Craze added: “It seems we’re tidy, but no we’re not.”

Councillors were also told council operatives have now started separately reporting flytipping incidents they find and deal with.

Cllr Christine Ward said she lives near a road where people flytip regularly.

She asked what could be done to find and prosecute offenders – “short of taking plastercasts of their tyre tracks”.

Officers replied that NFDC was “getting a lot better” at identifying flytippers, although the process was still “very unpredictable” and many offenders operated opportunistically.

The debate coincided with the publication of Defra figures, collated by rural insurance broker Lycetts, which confirmed that from 2020/21 and 2021/22, flytipping in the New Forest fell 22% from 1,155 to 891.

Amanda Harman, of Lycetts, commented: “The figures are very encouraging, but it is important that landowners continue to remain vigilant if the downward trajectory is to continue.

“Making it difficult for environmental criminals to access land is one of the most effective preventative measures you can take.

“Gates should be locked when not in use, fences should be in a good state of repair and hedges should be cut back to allow good visibility for property owners.

“Flytippers tend to operate under cover of darkness, so exterior lighting should be installed, if possible.

“Security cameras can also be an effective deterrent, and can help secure successful prosecutions.”