District bucks national trend with dramatic decrease for fly-tips
District fly-tipping incidents in Winchester have dramatically decreased, according to the latest government figures.
New fly-tipping statistics released by Defra for 2024/25 show that incidents in the Winchester district are at their lowest level for ten years, reducing from 2,120 in 2020/21 to 735 in 2024/5.
The reduction represents a 65% drop in numbers of incidents - the fifth highest reduction out of over 300 councils in England, with the total number of incidents falling to just 34% of the 2020/21 figure.
So far in 2026, successful prosecutions by Winchester City Council regarding this environmental crime include four prosecutions in a single court day in January and February’s conviction assisted by eye-witness evidence from a member of the public.
Nationally, for the 2024/25 year, local authorities in England dealt with 1.26 million incidents, an increase of 9%. The most common place for fly-tipping to occur was on highways (pavements and roads), which accounted for 37% of total incidents, and 62% of fly-tips involved household waste.
Winchester City Council Cabinet Member for Recycling and Public Protection Cllr Steve Cramoysan said: “Fly-tipping is a serious crime which we do not tolerate as it causes huge concern for our residents due to the damage it causes to wildlife, the environment and our local communities.
"Our robust approach to tackling the issue has helped to lead this significant reduction in incidents across the Winchester district, and we will continue to take action when appropriate against those who commit this crime. I would like to recognise the hard work of the council officers from several teams who help us to investigate, clear and take action regarding fly-tips.
“Members of the public play a key role in helping us to combat this crime as we often rely on reports and statements from members of the public for successful prosecutions. We would encourage anyone who witnesses any incidents of fly-tipping in our district to report it via our website at www.winchester.gov.uk/report, or by calling 0300 300 0013.”