Fly-tipping

What is fly-tipping and what are the penalties?

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of rubbish or bulky items on land that isn’t licensed to receive it. Fly-tipping can be dangerous to people and wildlife, it pollutes land and waterways and costs the taxpayer significant amounts of money to clear away.

Fly-tipping is a criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to £50,000 or 12 months imprisonment if convicted in a Magistrates’ Court. The offence can attract an unlimited fine and up to 5 years imprisonment if convicted in a Crown Court.

There are other possible penalties, including fixed penalty notices and having a vehicle seized. Householders can be fined up to £250 if they pass their waste to an unlicensed waste carrier which is then fly-tipped.

Where we can't remove fly-tipping 

We can’t remove fly-tipping from privately owned land. It is the responsibility of the landowner to remove the waste. Details of the fly-tipping can be passed to our enforcement team to investigate.

We can’t remove fly-tipping from Vico Homes (formerly Wakefield District Housing (WDH)) land.

You can report fly-tipping on Vico Homes land to 0345 8 507507 or emailing contact@vicohomes.co.uk.

Help with removing unwanted items and waste 

• recycling centres – you can take waste to one of three household waste recycling centres in the district - if you have access to your own transport
• recycling centres are open seven days a week and are free for all Wakefield residents
• bulky collections - we offer bulky collections for a reasonable fee
• skip hire - if you have a few items to get rid of, you can hire a skip from us.
• pass it on – if you need to get rid of items that are still usable, you could pass them on.

Report fly-tipping