Will Oliver, a farmer from Warwickshire, is fed up with rubbish being dumped on his land and having to pay for its removal. He has photographed numerous flytipping incidents on his land over the past eight months and is calling for a stronger deterrent against offenders.
Oliver wants the maximum fine of £50,000 to be enforced more frequently to prevent people from ruining his land and livelihood. He pointed out that local authorities are not responsible for clearing up rubbish on private land, leaving the responsibility to the landowner.
This is a burden that Oliver and other farmers do not have time for as they are already busy with their work. The presence of broken glass and wire from flytipped rubbish is also a danger to livestock and wildlife.
Government statistics released last month indicate that there were 14 flytipping incidents per 1,000 people in the West Midlands from 2021 to 2022, with fixed penalty notices issued to 91,000 people nationwide, an increase of almost 60 percent.
However, these figures only account for incidents on local authority land, with the Country Land and Business Association saying much more is happening on private land, which is unrecorded. In those instances, it costs landowners £1,000 pounds on average to clean up the waste.
Oliver emphasized that flytipping is not only a financial burden but also a threat to the environment and wildlife. He believes that stronger enforcement and harsher penalties would be a significant step towards tackling the issue.
Farmers and landowners across the UK have been increasingly vocal about the growing problem of flytipping. They argue that it is a serious issue that not only damages the countryside but also poses a risk to people and animals.
Oliver’s plea for tougher penalties echoes their frustration and highlights the urgent need for action to combat flytipping on private land.