Fields of Waste: Farmers under siege as fly-tipping hits new levels in south west

Farmers’ fields and country lanes are being buried under piles of waste, with new figures showing fly-tipping in England has hit record highs.

From sofas and fridges to large-scale builders’ waste, illegal dumpers are turning farmland into rubbish tips — leaving their victims paying to clear up the mess.

The latest statistics, released today by the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), reveal councils dealt with 1.26 million fly-tipping incidents in 2024-2025 - an increase of 9% on the previous year.

In the South West, there were 55.349 reported incidents of fly-tipping – an increase of 8.1%. The figures for every local authority area in England can be found on the government website here.

Local authorities in rural areas experiencing an increase in reported incidents include Cornwall (26.7%), East Devon (20.7), North Somerset (13.7), Tewksbury (9.4%), Torridge (22.7%) and Wiltshire (7.7%).

Yet, the picture becomes even more bleak as the figures only account for waste illegally dumped on public land that has been reported to the authorities. Many fly-tipping incidents occur on privately-owned land, painting an even more damaging picture of the financial burden and environmental impact fly-tipping brings.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) which represents farmers and landowners says thousands of offences go unrecorded every year as they occur on private land.

Ann Maidment, Country Land and Business Association Regional Director for the South West, said: “Flytipping is placing an unbearable burden on farmers and landowners across the south west. With more than 55,000 incidents recorded in just one year, and many more going unreported, this is not a minor nuisance – it is a serious rural crime often driven by organised criminal networks. Clearing up waste illegally dumped can cost private landowners thousands and thousands of pounds. The threat of action from local authorities if they don’t clear the waste away only deepens the injustice. Landowners aren’t just faced with the financial strain of removing waste they did not create but they are left to deal with the environmental damage too.

“We urgently need stronger enforcement, better resources for local authorities, and meaningful support for victims. The Government’s recent steps are welcome, but far more must be done. Rural communities deserve a system that punishes offenders, not one that makes victims pay the price. Our message is clear; rural communities have had all they can take. The countryside is not a dumping ground.”

Country Land and Business Association (CLA) President Gavin Lane said: “Farmers and land managers have had enough. The countryside is increasingly being targeted by organised crime gangs – often violent – who know that rural areas are under-policed and resourced.

“It’s not just litter blotting the landscape, but tonnes of household and commercial waste which can often be hazardous – even including asbestos and chemicals – endangering wildlife, livestock, crops and the environment. Farmers are victims yet have to pay clean-up costs themselves.

“We need to see penalties being enforced that better reflect the severity of the crime, and the seizure of vehicles must be the default penalty to send a clear signal that criminals will face real consequences if they are caught fly-tipping.”

Through its ‘Five Point Fly-Tipping Plan’ The CLA is calling for:

• The appointment of a national fly-tipping commissioner to co-ordinate agencies, monitor incidents on private land and benchmark enforcement performance.

• The enforcement of fines for businesses and homeowners whose waste is found dumped.

• More support for victims via a new permit scheme to allow farmers who did not cause or knowingly permit the fly-tipping to dispose of it at a waste disposal site free of charge.

A CLA survey found almost three quarters of farmers who responded are affected each year, with some targeted multiple times each month. Each incident costs on average £1,000 to clear up, with 85% saying they have invested in measures such as CCTV, lighting and other security.

CLA members speak out

Ralph Rayner, who owns land in Devon, says he experiences at least one incident of fly-tipping every month, ranging from household, garden and builders waste to white goods. He says it often results in hours of work to clear away as well as the cost of security and recycling.

“Illegal dumping has worsened dramatically following tighter recycling rules, which have effectively shifted the burden onto private landowners. No one accepts injustice lightly, yet entirely innocent victims are now routinely held responsible for the actions of criminals. Many landowners will recognise the indignity of receiving a threatening letter from their local authority warning them of prosecution for “unlicensed waste storage”, when in fact they are the victims of illegal dumping on their own land. Unfortunately, the law and its enforcement remain poorly aligned. At the very least, landowners should be permitted to load dumped waste into a trailer and take it to recycling centres free of charge. Instead, this proposal is dismissed on the grounds that it might encourage farmers and landowners to dispose of their own waste there. Until government makes a genuine effort to work with landowners and develop practical solutions, fly-tipping will only continue to increase.”

A spokesperson for Colesbourne Estate in Gloucestershire said: “We have experienced regular fly-tipping for several years, but we have suffered particularly over the last few months. Since November we have had three lorry loads of cannabis waste – mostly soil and roots – as well as household waste tipped on our land. This isn’t just small amounts – it’s been 75 bags each time.

“We’ve also had three lots of old motor tyres discarded, which were taken into the far end of the fields. Again, this was between 50 and 60 tyres dumped on each occasion. There’s also been a lot of building waste, particularly plaster board, which gets dumped because skip hire companies will no longer take this, and a large amount of damaged plastic car body work.

“It costs a lot of money for us to clear it up each time. The problem is aggravated because you need an appointment to go to the local authority recycling centres and they are closed for longer periods during the winter months. The long, dry period last summer made it easier for lorries to get on the field. We aren’t always able to put barriers in gateways where access is frequently needed to stop people from gaining getting on the fields."