THE National Farmers Union (NFU) has welcomed a much-needed Government consultation on how to deal with waste crime and fly-tipping.

The announcement came as an agricultural expert warned of the ‘hidden cost’ of fly-tipping, with councils spending more than £4.5m on cleaning up the South East in just 12 months.

According to newly-released figures from Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) more than one million incidents of fly-tipping were dealt with by councils in England in 2016/17, costing taxpayers nationally £58m to clear up.

Apart from being a blight on the countryside, the scourge of fly-tipping is a major challenge for farmers and councils alike, and one which the Government has determined to address with the launch of its 25-year environment plan which proposes new powers to tackle the serious problem of waste crime, and a consultation to raise awareness and seek public views.

Proposed measures include the ability for local authorities to fine households whose waste ends up fly-tipped or illegally dumped, and new powers for the Environment Agency to block access to problem waste sites.

NFU South East spokeswoman Isobel Bretherton said: “This is an important first step but the NFU is calling for targeted measures to address fly-tipping on farmland as this scourge cannot continue. Farmers constantly face the hassle of reporting incidents of fly-tipping and cleaning up illegally dumped waste. They foot big clean-up bills as fly-tipped waste must then be disposed of responsibly.

“The NFU has already laid out solutions to deal with this issue in its rural crime report.

“For example, there needs to be a joined-up approach between Government, landowners and police to prevent this act in the first place, and provide assistance to farmers clearing up rubbish when they fall victim to fly-tipping.

“There is also a clear need to raise awareness within households, businesses and organisations about their duty of care to deal with waste lawfully and to keep it out of the hands of criminals who blight our countryside.”

As the authority responsible for removing fly-tipped refuse from council-owned land, a spokesman for East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) said: “Fly-tipping is a blight on the beautiful countryside of this district and EHDC treats it very seriously. It costs the council and private landowners thousands (of pounds) to clear and causes pollution and environmental damage.

“We would advise farmers and landowners to deter would-be fly-tippers by ensuring that fields, particularly those which are roadside, are gated and locked where possible.

“If the problem persists, consider setting up security lights and a camera. This will help provide crucial evidence which will aid any investigation.

“Residents having waste removed must also be aware of their legal responsibilities. If they do not check that a waste carrier holds the appropriate licence, and their rubbish is then dumped, they can also be prosecuted, even if they paid for their waste to be removed in good faith.”

Every January, councils see a surge in fly-tipping, with rogue residents and traders dumping post-festive waste, including old Christmas trees.

DEFRA figures reveal 79,911 recorded fly-tipping incidents in the South East between April 2016 and March 2017 – an increase of 15 per cent on last year when the figure was 69,315.

The clean-up cost to taxpayers in the South East totalled £4,541,608 for 2016/17.

The worst hit area was Southampton, with 10,046 incidents, followed by Milton Keynes (4,120) and Medway (3,637). Milton Keynes had the highest bill for fly-tipping clearance, totalling £317,856.

In East Hampshire, the figures show an increase from 509 incidents in 2015/16 to 676 in 2016/17 and that the clear-up cost to the taxpayer last year was £52,610.

But Alan Sinclair, of Oxford-based farm insurance specialist Lycetts, warns that these figures, as high as they seem, are not a true reflection of the cost of flytipping across the South East.

The DEFRA figures only account for flytipping incidents on council land, not private land, he said.

Farmers who fall prey to this crime are having to shoulder the burden, responsible for meeting the cost of clearing rubbish from their land themselves – at an average cost of £1,000 per incident. They are also liable if the dumped rubbish damages the countryside.