Manchester council is set to increase fines for fly-tipping from £700 to the maximum of £1,000, with an early repayment discount kept at £700. Sixteen portable CCTV cameras will also be deployed across the city to capture evidence of fly-tipping from vehicles.
Rise in incidents and council response
According to a council report, Manchester saw a 9.2% increase in fly-tipping incidents reported between 2020 and 2025. The city declared war on fly-tipping in February, with leaders aiming to 'at least halve' the practice in the next 10 years.
Fly-tipping enforcement was discussed during a council meeting on July 21. A council officer said: “Fly-tipping remains one of the most visible environmental issues affecting our communities and this report demonstrates the challenge we face on a daily basis. Residents are constantly telling us that having a clean and safe neighbourhood matters to them.”
Reasons and deterrents
The council report cites reasons for fly-tipping including a sense of feeling 'disconnected' to the community, rogue waste carriers, and high tenant turnover. Plans to increase penalties were welcomed by councillors at the meeting.
Councillor Chris Wills said: “My concern is that this doesn’t go far enough. I appreciate £1,000 is as much as we can raise fines with, but I worry that isn’t enough of a deterrent.”
Engagement and education
The council report explained that 'engagement and education are effective tools' in tackling fly-tipping. It stated: 'Residents may not be aware that what they are doing is wrong or is having a negative impact on the area or others around them, so having that initial conversation is a good opportunity to provide support and signposting with a view to changing behaviours. Where there are significant or repeat issues with household waste mismanagement in an area, the Neighbourhood Compliance Service will liaise with relevant teams or partners in the first instance to seek support with engagement activity.'
