Birmingham fly-tipping incidents soaring by thousands 'linked to council cuts'

There have been thousands more instances of fly-tipping in Birmingham this year amid budget cuts at the city council. A council performance report, published ahead of this week’s cabinet meeting, said the number of reported fly-tips had jumped from 8,171 in 2023/4 to 12,453 in 2024/25.

That is an increase of just over 50 per cent - a rise described as “really concerning” by Liberal Democrat councillor Roger Harmer. According to the report, which covers the second quarter of the year, this suggests either an increase in the number of fly-tips or that they were not being cleared as proactively as before.

It acknowledged the findings are likely to be linked to “budget reductions” in this area. The financial difficulties at the Labour-run council saw an unprecedented wave of service cuts and ‘savings’ passed in March, triggering backlash and dismay across the city.

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During Tuesday’s meeting, Conservative councillor Ewan Mackey said he feared “further worsening of fly-tipping in the city as budget cuts work their way through the system”. Coun Majid Mahmood, the cabinet member for environment, accepted there had been a rise and said the loss of Love Your Environment crews had played a role.

“This is something I am actively discussing with officers to re-introduce in some capacity,” he said. He added a taskforce had been set up and there were early indications that October's figures would suggest a “much-improved picture”.

“We are working very closely with the new enforcement hub and new targeting of CCTV of vehicle fly-tipping,” he said. “We have now received £1,000 fines from 61 individuals and 13 vehicles, as a direct result of the actions of the enforcement team, have now been seized.

“So the message is clear - if you fly-tip, we will catch and prosecute you". Birmingham-specific factors, such as the Oracle system and equal pay debacles, contributed to the council's financial crisis as did funding cuts and the rising demand for services.