Edinburgh fly tipping clean-up costs council over £650,000

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 15:50 · Archive

Edinburgh Council spent over £650,000 on private contractors to remove fly-tipped rubbish from council housing land in five years.

Edinburgh Council spent over £650,000 of housing funds on private contractors to remove fly-tipped rubbish from council housing land during the five years leading to September 2025. The scale of the problem emerged after questions were raised about how the authority responds to fly tipping complaints on council land.

Strips of land adjacent to parks or housing often fall outside the responsibility of council waste and cleansing staff, requiring outside contractors instead. A council report noted that cooperation between waste and cleansing teams and housing staff was "not consistent". Removal of fly-tipped rubbish often relies on staff working overtime to reduce the impact on statutory duties.

Councillors will consider alternative approaches to tackle the issue. A report suggested that more formal arrangements for collecting rubbish in these areas could reduce costs and reliance on private contractors. A dedicated cleaning team for the Northeast Locality has been proposed, which would attend to housing land for six months as a trial.

How it is being reported

• Edinburgh council weighs up dedicated fly-tipping squad after £650,000 private contractor billPilot scheme proposed to tackle fly-tipping hotspots on housing landEdinburgh Evening News · 5 Nov, 16:47
• Edinburgh fly tippers cost taxpayer over £650,000 in contract clean-up costsThe figure came to light after questions were raised over how the authority responds to fly tipping complaints on council land.Edinburgh Live · 5 Nov, 14:44

In this story: Edinburgh Council · Edinburgh

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