THE number of fly-tipping incidents increased across Hertfordshire last year – by more than 50 per cent.

Latest data shows there were 17,963 incidents of fly-tipping recorded across the county in the 2020/21 financial year.

And that’s 6755 – or 59.8 per cent – higher than the 11,208 recorded in 2019/20.

Increases in fly-tipping were recorded in every one of the county’s 10 districts and boroughs – varying between 5.9 per cent to 184.5 per cent.

And estimates suggest the cost of cleaning up the waste and investigating the fly-tips was a staggering £1.57 million.

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The data was part of an annual review of the Herts Fly Tipping Group that was presented to a meeting of the Hertfordshire Waste Partnership on Monday (July 26).

At the meeting it was reported that household waste accounted for around 65 per cent of fly-tips.

Construction and demolition waste accounted for eight per cent, white goods for six per cent, commercial waste for five per cent and green waste for five per cent.

The report also detailed the fixed penalty notices issued by each district or borough council – and the number of prosecutions.

Across the county it reported that there had been 129 fixed penalty notices issued for fly-tipping – and a further 64 for ‘duty of care’. And there were a further 24 prosecutions.

Broxbourne pursued half of the court prosecutions in 2020/21. And six of the county’s district and boroughs (Hertsmere, St Albans, Stevenage, Three Rivers, Watford and Welwyn Hatfield) didn’t prosecute at all.

As a result of the ‘inconsistency’ the report suggests the need to consider a common approach to enforcement across the county.

Meanwhile the report also indicates that the increases in fly-tipping were not evenly spread across the county.

The smallest increase in the number of fly-tip incidents recorded in 2020/21 – compared to 2019/20 – was 5.9 per cent in Broxbourne.

The largest increase was 184.5 per cent in Welwyn Hatfield. This has been put down to increase reflected ‘new data capture and reporting procedures’.

But, says the report, this ‘must also therefore bring into question the accuracy of their previous reporting.”

Elsewhere in the county a 75.9 per cent increase was recorded in Stevenage – and a 62.3 per cent increase in North Herts.

Other data shows the percentage increase in Dacorum was 16.8; in St Albans 22; Three Rivers 23.4; East Herts 28.9; Watford 29.1; and Hertsmere 30.1.