Ashfield District Council saw a 20% reduction in fly tipping reports in 2021.

Last month, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reported that there has been a 16% increase nationwide in reported fly tipping during the pandemic.

However, Ashfield District Council bucked that trend, with a 20% reduction in fly tipping reports received in 2021 compared with 2020.

The Council's Community Safety Team has made significant efforts to curtail fly tipping in the District. Since April 2021, 545 fly tipping investigations have been carried out and 88 fines issued under the Environmental Protection Act 1990: the highest recorded amount in the Council's history.

The Environment team also delivered a number of educational packages in schools to educate and engage young people with their environmental responsibility.

Councillor Helen-Ann Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Crime Reduction, said: "Tackling fly tipping is a high priority for the Council; it is a serious criminal offence and a blight on our communities, so it is fantastic to see that incidents of fly tipping have massively reduced in Ashfield.

"We are dedicated to cleaning up the District and clamping down on people who commit environmental crimes. We will continue to work towards reducing the amount of fly tips by offering residents a chance to dispose of their bulky items, extra waste collections, and persisting with enforcement of those who do fly tip.

"We have just recommitted to delivering another Big Ashfield Spring Clean in 2022 to help residents responsibly dispose of their additional waste."