Mixed messaging concern over fly-tipping volume

Senior councillors have been accused of mixed messaging about whether Bradford's tip closures have led to an increase in fly-tipping.

At a meeting earlier this month, the leader of the Reform-run council's Executive, the body which makes day to day decisions at the authority, claimed fly-tipping had "risen exponentially" since three tips were shut in 2024.

But, at the same meeting, the Executive told councillors there was "no evidence" linking closures to fly-tipping – saying it still happened in areas with open waste centres.

When questioned by Airedale Conservative councillor George William Buckley on the contradiction, council leader Stephen Place said he had not read the written question.

Buckley said: "In the Leader's report he says fly tipping has 'risen exponentially while household waste reclaiming sites were closed'.

"I agree, it has, it's a terrible situation. Yet his portfolio holder responded to a written question by one of his own councillors saying there is no direct evidence linking HWRC usage to fly tipping.

"Should the leader not have checked this, and what do they actually believe?"

Place replied: "I'll have to come back to you on that – I haven't read it."

In his first Leader's Report ahead of the meeting, Place wrote: "Incidents of fly-tipping have risen exponentially whilst household waste reclaiming sites were closed."

But during the meeting on 15 July, Keighley West Reform councillor Dawn Thewlis asked what work was being done to tackle fly-tipping.

She claimed the closure of Sugden End tip near Keighley was "contributing to a surge in fly-tipping in the local area".

In reply, the council said it was looking into re-opening Sugden End tip using funds to improve recycling.

But it said "there is no direct evidence linking Household Waste Recycling Centre usage levels with fly-tipping volumes".

The competing claims were made at the first regular Full Council meeting since Reform took control, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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