By Declan Carey

Stockport has not prosecuted a single person for fly-tipping over the past two years, a freedom of information request has revealed.

Figures obtained from Stockport Council in August show two fixed penalty notices (FPN) were issued for fly-tipping in 2021/22 and two in 2022/23, but not one person was prosecuted for the offense under the Environmental Protection Act.

Fly-tipping is illegal and those caught risk having to pay a £400 fixed penalty notice up to a maximum of £50,000 as well as the potential of spending 12 months in prison.

Stockport Council says that it deals with around 3,000 incidents of fly tipping each year.

One FPN was issued for littering in 2021/22, and none in 2022/23. Stockport had been run by a Labour minority administration between 2016 and 2022, until the Liberal Democrats took control in May 2022 under Cllr Mark Hunter.

Stockport Labour leader Councillor David Meller said: "These figures show we have a council that, under the Liberal Democrats, is directionless on getting the basics right. Due to this government people are paying more in Council Tax but are getting less. By not fining or prosecuting those who are persistently blighting our communities, local residents are picking up the cost. Our council inboxes show we have regular offenders – but it seems the Lib Dems aren't bothered.

"This focus on getting the basics right is why my group pushed, despite some opposition from Lib Dem councillors, on reviews that consider the council's most basic services: from how our grids are unblocked and our streets maintained to how we can hold those who provide our social housing to account."

Cllr Gary Lawson, leader of Stockport Greens, said: "Fly tipping is a problem, I think we should be doing more to tackle it. Fines and prosecutions are not the only thing we could be doing with this, we should make it easier for people to dispose of waste."

Other regions in Greater Manchester have seen similar figures, after it was reported in August that Tameside council had issued one fly-tipping fine in a year despite 4,000 reports.

Cllr Grace Baynham, Stockport council's cabinet member for parks, highways and transport services, said: "In recent years we have focussed on educating our residents on the effects of fly-tipping within our borough, with the help of GM colleagues and Recycle for Greater Manchester.

"We have been reviewing our procedures around fly-tipping and similar offences so that we are able to have maximum impact across the borough. We work in partnership with GMP colleagues on days of action to target high priority issues.

"Previously this was focused on trading standards, this week we deployed teams to take action on tackling environmental crime in the town centre. As a result a number of warnings were given by officers as well as fixed penalty notices for littering. We will continue to take positive action to reduce these types of offences across the borough."

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