Fly-tipping statistics for Surrey Local Authorities
This publication summarises the number and type of fly-tipping incidents and the enforcement actions taken against fly tipping in Surrey, as reported through WasteDataFlow to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs ('Defra').
Fly-tipping is the illegal deposit of waste on land contrary to Section 33(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The types of waste fly-tipped range from ‘black bag’ waste to large deposits of materials such as industrial waste, tyres, construction material and liquid waste. Fly-tipping is a significant blight on local environments; a source of pollution; a potential danger to public health and hazard to wildlife. It also undermines legitimate waste businesses where unscrupulous operators undercut those operating within the law.
Local councils and the Environment Agency (EA) both have a responsibility in respect of illegally deposited waste. Local councils deal with most cases of fly tipping on public land, whilst the EA investigates and enforces against the larger, more serious and organised illegal waste crimes.
Data has been taken from Fly-tipping statistics for England, last published in February 2026.
The dataset provides figures from each of the 11 District and Borough Councils of Surrey, and run from 2012-13 through to 2024-25. Values for the county as a whole, and for the forthcoming Unitary Authorities of East Surrey and West Surrey, have been calculated by summation.
There are two data tables in the download available below:
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number of incidents, including breakdowns by both land type, waste type, size and costs.
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number of actions, including associated costs, and outcomes including court-issued fines and Fixed Penalty Notices.
The total number of fly-tipping incidents in the county has more than doubled in the time period of the data collection, rising from 6,450 incidents in 2012-13 to 13,911 in 2024-25. In the same period, the number of actions taken has almost tripled, from 2,295 in 2012-13 to 6,823 in 2024-25.
In the latest year reported, 6,893 fly-tipping incidents were reported in the councils that will become East Surrey, and 7,018 in areas that will become West Surrey.
