Statistics have shown that not a single fine has been issued to fly-tippers despite over 1,400 incidents being observed across Aberdeen.
Since 2021, numbers have shown that 1,411 incidents of illegal rubbish dumping have been recorded in the city, with no recourse for offenders.
The data, sourced from Aberdeen City Council, has also revealed the biggest fly-tipping hotspots in the Granite City.
The most prevalent area for fly-tipping was in Danestone, Bridge of Don, where 28 instances were recorded last year.
In 2024, St Ninian’s Court, near King Street, was the next hotspot for illegal dumping followed by Urquhart Road and Urquhart Street at the beach, Inverdon Court and Jackson Terrace.
It has prompted a response from Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser, who has called for new legislation to combat the issue.
Aberdeen fly-tipping ‘irresponsible’ and ‘destructive’
Supporting the bill is his Tory colleague Douglas Lumsden, who said: “It is clear from these alarming figures that robust, new fly-tipping legislation is urgently needed to catch the culprits.
“It’s shocking that since 2021 and despite more than 1,400 incidents of fly-tipping occurring across Aberdeen, no one has been caught.
“Fly-tipping creates huge environmental damage across Scotland, which blights the nation’s landscape in cities like Aberdeen but also in rural areas.
“The irresponsible, destructive, and criminal dumping of refuse and waste at unauthorised locations leaves councils and landowners with the substantial costs of cleaning up.
“It’s bad enough that such a tiny proportion of fly-tipping cases end up with prosecutions but in Aberdeen’s case, not a single person has even been reported to the Crown Office.
“That is exactly why I support the Scottish Conservatives’ bill to change the law in Scotland so that tougher punishments are put in place to crack down on fly-tipping.”
‘Increased action against offenders’
An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said: “City wardens have been given extra support to help tackle dog fouling and littering following calls from citizens for increased action against offenders.
“Aberdeen City Council has entered into an agreement with National Enforcement Solutions whose staff can issue fixed penalty notices. City wardens can also issue on-the-stop fines for fly-tipping offences. Community safety officers are also going to be using existing investigatory skills to carry out more in-depth investigation into fly tipping incidents to identify potential offenders.
“We are further strengthening our response to such incidents by establishing a multi-agency group through our community safety partnership which will provide ongoing analysis and direction to frontline services in tackling issues.
“Fly-tipping, littering and not picking up after dog waste are all unsightly, pollutes the environment and can be harmful to people – we would also ask people not to fly-tip and to take litter home with them if nearby bins are full.”
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