The coronavirus pandemic has forced councils to temporarily close household recycling centres (tips) to the public, prompting fears of an increase in fly-tipping incidents on private land.

The CLA encourages both landowners and farmers, along with the public, to report any fly tipping incidents to their local authorities.

Farmers and landowners can go some way to preventing fly-tipped waste on their land by ensuring gates to fields are locked, opening up concealed entrances so they more visible to passers-by, using CCTV in black spots and reporting all instances to the local police force or local authority.

CLA director south west, Ann Maidment said: “It is shocking to hear reports of fly tipping incidents especially at this time when non-essential travel is not permitted. The closure of tips is understandable, but this can’t be used as an excuse to dump rubbish in our countryside.

“Local authorities don’t usually get involved with clearing incidences of fly-tipped waste from private land leaving the landowner to clean up and foot the bill. If they do not dispose of tipped waste appropriately, they risk prosecution for illegal storage of waste. This is simply not right or fair.

“Fly-tipping is not new to us and is a regular blight on our countryside with members speaking to us often about rubbish tipped on their land. We don’t want the closures of recycling centres to become an excuse to find alternative means to get rid of waste and those caught in the act should be appropriately punished.”

The CLA, which represents 30,000 landowners and farmers in England and Wales, has long called for decisive action in tackling this scourge by publishing a 5-point action plan in 2017.

As a result, the government introduced new regulations in 2018, which enabled local councils to issue fixed penalty notices or fines of up to £400 for small scale fly-tipping.

Fly tipping can be reported to local councils via a dedicated online site: https://www.gov.uk/report-flytipping.

Waste crime can also be reported in confidence and anonymously to Crimestoppers by phoning 0800 555 111.