Kent County Council to tackle fly-tipping in first-of-its-kind conference
In the past year, Kent County Council processed around 2,500 tonnes of fly-tipped waste
Kent County Council is set to host a countywide conference aimed at combating fly-tipping and waste crime later today.
This conference marks the first of its kind in Kent, bringing together councils, enforcement agencies, landowners, and the waste industry to take unified action against environmental crime.
Fly-tipping has become a persistent issue, tarnishing Kent’s streets, countryside, and public spaces.
This illegal activity places immense pressure on local services and provokes frustration among residents, especially as certain locations become notorious hotspots.
In 2024/25, Kent County Council processed about 2,500 tonnes of fly-tipped waste, incurring a cost of approximately £345,000.
The upcoming conference aims to foster collaboration among organisations responsible for waste collection, safe disposal, and enforcement to enhance system-wide consistency and joint action.
Kent County Council
Leader of Kent County Council, Linden Kemkaran, said:
“Fly‑tipping is more than an environmental nuisance – it is illegal behaviour that scars neighbourhoods, damages our countryside and places a real financial burden on the people of Kent. Every time waste is dumped, council taxpayers end up paying for its safe removal and disposal, which takes money away from services communities rely on.
“When fly‑tipping is allowed to persist in the same places, there is a real risk it becomes normalised. That is unacceptable for residents who take pride in where they live, and it sends the wrong message to those who think they can dump waste without consequence.
“Tackling this problem properly means recognising that responsibility sits across the whole system. Different organisations collect waste, dispose of it, investigate offences and bring prosecutions – and by working together more effectively, we can make a stronger, more positive difference for our communities.
“This conference is about strong, collective leadership. By bringing partners together, we can amplify the work already underway, share intelligence and agree practical actions that strengthen enforcement, disrupt repeat offending and reduce the cost and harm of fly‑tipping across Kent.
"By joining together in this way, we can turn that shared commitment into stronger, more consistent action on the ground and better outcomes for the people we serve."
Community Response
Speaking to Hits and Greatest Hits Radio Kent, Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott welcomed the conference, but stressed the importance of results:
"It is a really severe issue. I engage regularly with rural community who are disproportionately impacted by this and the concerns that they have.
"We talk to farmers and rural businesses all the time about this. We are starting to see some action from the Environment Agency in this respect. I have to give credit where credit's due. They have been taking some enforcement action where it has been necessary.
"My hope is that we can get some kind of cross-agency plan that will help deal with this.
"So meetings are fine, but meetings are only fine when they result in action.
"I hope that there is actually a comprehensive strategy that comes out."
On ways to solve the issue, he added that a clear point of contact would be key:
"At the moment, it's a very convoluted picture, depending on the size of the tipping that you're reporting, who you report it to, whether it's the council or the Environment Agency, or whether it's the police.
"And so you report it to the wrong agency. You then end up on the merry-go-round of people saying, 'well, no, you need to go to that person. You need to go to that person.' We need one single reporting mechanism, so you phone one number and it is just dealt with.
"One of the big issues around places like Hoadswood near Ashford has been the fact that people just went on the merry-go-round of agencies saying 'this isn't my problem. You need to go and talk to somebody else' until it was eventually gripped, by which point it was far too late.
"I think you need a central reporting mechanism, and there needs to be greater investment in the enforcement side."