Council steps up action to tackle fly-tipping across St Helens Borough
St Helens Borough Council is stepping up its targeted response to fly-tipping by investing further in its in-house enforcement powers.
Article date: 6 July 2026
Recruitment is underway for two additional fly-tipping enforcement officers, expanding and strengthening the existing Environmental Action Team, as part of a £300,000 investment into improving the cleanliness of St Helens Borough.
In recent months the service has been delivering faster clean-ups, increased enforcement action, and a renewed focus on publicly identified "grot spots."
Since October 2025 the team has:
- Issued 5 fixed penalty notices and 300 Section 46 Environmental Protection Act notices to those suspected of illegally dumping waste
- Reduced the average clearance time for reported incidents from 17 days in spring 2025 to just 6 days
- Increased the use of highly visible yellow warning signs at fly-tipping hotspots to deter would-be offenders
- Cleared 155 instances of fly-tipping in May alone
Councillor Michael Gibson, St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste, said:
"Fly-tipping is completely unacceptable. It's a criminal offence that has a harmful impact on our communities, damaging the environment, dragging down our communities and costing taxpayers' money to clear up. Tackling fly-tipping is a priority for the council and these latest figures show that we're making real progress - responding quicker, clearing more waste, and taking action against those responsible.
"Not only that, but we're also increasing investment into these vital services, with the recruitment of additional officers to ramp up our enforcement efforts. We will continue to clamp down hard on those who pollute our communities, and ensure our borough remains a clean and welcoming place."
Residents are encouraged to report fly-tipping and play their part in keeping the borough tidy.
If you witness someone fly-tipping, please call Merseyside Police and report it as a crime in progress. Residents can also help by reporting all instances of fly-tipping to the council, whether you witnessed the fly-tipping take place or not.
There are several ways to responsibly dispose of household waste yourself, including the council's Bulky Waste collection service, or by taking your items to one of the borough's household waste recycling centres for free. Quality items can also be donated to and collected by local charities.
For more information on this and how to report fly-tipping, visit: https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/flytipping