Fly-tipping in Surrey borough hits three-year high

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 21 Oct, 20:32 · Archive

Fly-tipping reports in Runnymede borough have increased by more than a third in three years, with figures on track to hit nearly 1,950 this year.

Fly-tipping in Runnymede borough is increasing rapidly, with reports rising from 1,363 in 2023/24 to 1,871 in 2025/26. This year has already seen 487 reports, putting the borough on track to reach approximately 1,948 by year's end. Only one vehicle has been seized in response, and 20 warning letters have been issued.

The council provides collection and enforcement services, working alongside the Surrey Environmental Partnership for strategy and education, Surrey Police for enforcement and vehicle investigations, and the Environment Agency for large-scale or hazardous waste. However, officers cited numerous barriers to action, including witness reluctance to provide formal statements, vehicles registered under false names and addresses, and the time required to review CCTV footage.

Hazardous waste removal is expensive and time-consuming. Asbestos clearance costs about £1,500 per flytip plus disposal charges. The council operates two crews—one with an 18-tonne crane vehicle and one with a smaller six-and-a-half-tonne tipper—targeting removal of non-hazardous waste within five days. A council chair urged residents to report all instances through the council website or FixMyStreet app rather than social media.

How it is being reported

• Council losing battle against fly-tipping 'scourge'Runnymede council has seen illegal dumping increase by more than a third in the last three years.BBC Surrey · 21 Oct, 19:58
• Runnymede Council 'doing what it can' as fly-tipping reaches 3-year highIllegal dumping this year has increased by a huge amount compared to the last few yearsSurrey Live · 21 Oct, 16:15

In this story: Runnymede Borough Council · Surrey · Surrey Environmental Partnership · Surrey Police · Environment Agency

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