Fly tipping— otherwise known as the illegal dumping of waste—is a significant, current national problem. As well as being an eyesore, it poses health and safety risks and increases pests in local areas. It also increases council tax charges where Local Authorities are responsible and, in our customers’ case, can increase service charges when our Grounds and Maintenance Team must carry out additional collections and disposals.
In February 2024, our RVIP decided that the time was right to look into this issue further and began a year-long scrutiny review of fly tipping. They made initial recommendations, and a new pilot was introduced in four locations, focusing on education, improved signage, and enforcement.
In addition, Estuary committed to participating in The Great British Spring Clean, a national initiative by Keep Britain Tidy that encourages communities to come together to tackle litter. In April 2024, we held our own version of the event and collected over 80 bags of litter from three locations. In April 2025, we focused solely on the Woodgrange Drive Estate; we quadrupled our number of volunteers, collected nearly 100 bags of litter, and even involved the Easter Bunny! Our next event, the Great British Summer Clean, is planned for the Woodgrange Drive Estate on 31 July 2025, and we will continue to organise community events focusing on improving the environment and local communities.
During the fly-tipping pilot, signage was tested to measure its effectiveness as a deterrent. Brightly coloured, with simple messages, advice, and QR codes linking customers to local council bulk disposal services, this signage is now being rolled out in areas with high levels of fly tipping across our stock.
Although there were initial reductions, it was concluded that signage alone was ineffective. Fly tipping notification cards were introduced, and after thirty-four households received a first warning, there were no repeat offenders. Twenty-two 24-hour removal notifications were issued, with only one repeat offender. We now have a consistent recharge system in place for repeat offenders.
It was found that some of our locations do not have a fly-tipping problem at all, whereas other areas have required multiple additional collections. Going forward, the focus will be on intervention in areas with high levels of fly tipping and minimal intervention in those with lower levels. Tailoring our approach is both cost- and time-effective.
It was concluded that a combined approach of signage, engagement, and enforcement is required. Our brilliant RVIP will conduct bi-annual reviews to monitor the progress of this scrutiny project.
