New data released by the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) shows that there were 10,948 fly-tipping incidents in Southampton across 2023/24, up from 9,486 in 2022/23.
The statistics showed that 6,687 incidents were reported on council land.
It’s the first time the number of fly-tipping incidents in the city rose above 10,000 in the space of a year since 2019/20.
It comes as local authorities dealt with a record 1.15 million incidents of fly-tipping for the year 2023/24, up six per cent from the previous year.
The number of fly-tipping incidents in Southampton far exceeded neighbouring boroughs and districts.
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The most recent data shows that Eastleigh Borough Council received 848 incidents of fly-tipping in the area, up from 665 the preceding year.
Speaking to the Echo, Shirley resident, Tony Weafer, said fly-tipping had “got worse” in Southampton in recent years.
He said: “Fly-tipping in Southampton has only got worse in Southampton in the last couple of years.
“I’ve seen it time and time again in Shirley, I’m sure the council and private companies have got the facilities to do more to combat the issue, but it’s never kept under control. Perhaps it ultimately comes down to money.
“If there’s rubbish all over the street it makes the area look untidy and at the end of the day it’s ordinary people and businesses that suffer.”
Elsewhere in the region, there were 880 reports of fly-tipping in Test Valley, 452 incidents in Gosport, and 247 cases in Fareham.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Southampton City Council said: “
