Lewisham residents could have access to ‘community tips’ in a bid to tackle fly-tipping.

A motion to launch a new approach to tackle the problem is due to be passed by Lewisham Council next week (February 26).  

Plans include a review of what it would cost to provide community tips, which would make it much easier for people to dispose of their rubbish.  

Currently residents “effectively need to own a car” to access the tip at Landmann Way. 

The move is in response to figures published in January which showed that fly-tipping incidences have shot up by 50 per cent in the last six years, from 714,631 in 2012/13 to 1,072,431 in 2018/19.  

According to the figures, councils are shelling out £58 million a year to clean up the mess. 

“In Lewisham, councillors have observed an increase over the last few years with some councillors reporting fly-tipping on the FixMyStreet app on a daily basis.  

“Given the increase in fly-tipping, noted above, and the necessity for residents to own a car to be able to effectively access the council tip at Landmann Way, at a time when car use and ownership is being discouraged by the council, a new approach to fly-tipping is needed,” according to the council.  

The council plans to look into the cost and savings of community skips across the borough. 

“It is understood that this scheme should be cost neutral and so officers are also asked to investigate the likely amount of savings that will be delivered as a result of the scheme and any other sources of funding, including best practice in other boroughs and whether existing Lewisham contractors can provide the service under social value provisions.  

“The officers are asked to report back to councillors within three months”, according to the motion. 

The Local Government Association (LGA) called for tougher sentences in response to the figures, while revealing that only five per cent of court-imposed fines for fly-tipping offences were above £1,000 and only a sixth were above £500.  

LGA Environment spokesman, Cllr David Renard, said: “Prosecuting fly-tippers often requires time-consuming and laborious investigations, with a high threshold of proof.  

“Tougher sentences are needed to act as a stronger deterrent to criminals dumping waste. 

“This is why we want to work with the Government on reviewing sentencing guidelines for fly-tipping, so offenders are given bigger fines for more serious offences, and ensure councils have the funding needed to investigate incidents.”