Data reveals 50 per cent increase in fly-tipping incidents in Herts since last year
Deborah Price, Local Democracy Reporter
Predictions suggest there will be more than 17,000 fly-tipping incidents in Herts this year. - Credit: Archant
Fly-tipping incidents in Hertfordshire have increased by more than 50 per cent since last year, the latest data has shown.
In 2019/20 there were 11,208 incidents of fly-tipping reported across the county – with a monthly average of 934.
But latest data shows that in the nine months between April and December last year (2020) there were 13,026 fly-tipping incidents – with a monthly average of 1,447.
Based on current projections, Hertfordshire waste experts expect the number of incidents by the end of the year to reach 17,368.
That’s more than 50 per cent higher than the year before – and the highest level since 2012.
The data was reported to a meeting of the Hertfordshire Waste Partnership on Monday, January 25.
And Partnership development manager Duncan Jones said: “We have seen excessive levels of fly-tipping in November and December – January is panning out to be the same way.
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“Where we currently stand we are about 54 per cent up on the same period last year.
“And as a result 2021 will be highest level of fly-tipping on record since 2012, which is really disappointing given that in 2019 we had he second lowest annual total reported for the Partnership.
“It’s a situation that’s replicated in other parts of the country, but there are others that have seen an overall reduction during the pandemic.”
According to the data more than 40 per cent of the fly-tipping incidents reported this year have been in Welwyn Hatfield or in Stevenage.
The monthly average of fly-tipping incidents in Welwyn Hatfield so far this year (2020/21) is 387, according to the data.
And that’s 172.7 per cent higher than last year, when the monthly average was 142.
In Stevenage the data shows that the monthly average so far in 2020/21 in 252 incidents a month – which is 65 per cent higher than the average in 2019/20.
And Mr Jones suggested there may be a need for some highly localised campaigning as a result.
A spokeswoman for Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council urged residents to think more carefully about how they get rid of their waste – especially if having a ‘clear out’.
