Coventry City Council is intensifying its battle against fly-tipping with significant new investment and innovative projects designed to keep the city's streets cleaner and safer.
The Council has secured £420,000 in additional funding for 2025/26, which will be deployed across multiple initiatives including a dedicated team for the Ball Hill area, enhanced suburban shopping site coverage, and increased mechanical sweeping across the city.
This investment comes alongside an £80,000 CCTV budget that will see six additional cameras deployed over the next four years, bringing the total network to 30 cameras strategically positioned across fly-tipping hotspots.
The Council's Environmental Enforcement Team has been working for residents tirelessly to tackle the problem, handling over 11,000 referrals in the past 12 months alone.
The team has investigated more than 3,000 fly-tipping incidents, examined over 1,400 refuse complaints, and served more than 900 notices requiring landowners to clear waste or address vermin issues.
Recent increases in penalty fines appear to be having an impact.
Since fines were increased in November 2024, fly-tipping penalties rose from £200 to £1,000, littering fines increased from £100 to £500, and Duty of Care fines jumped from £200 to £600. Early data from 2025/26 shows encouraging signs, with enforcement actions maintaining pace despite the higher penalties.
Cllr Abdul Salam Khan, Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities, said: “Fly-tipping blights our communities and we're absolutely committed to tackling this issue head-on.
“The significant investment we're making demonstrates that we're listening to residents' concerns and taking decisive action.
“Our enforcement teams work incredibly hard investigating thousands of incidents every year, and the new resources we're deploying - from additional street cleaning teams to expanded CCTV coverage - will make a real difference across Coventry.
“We're also focusing on education alongside enforcement, because lasting change comes from everyone taking responsibility for keeping our city clean.”
The Ball Hill area is benefiting from a comprehensive pilot programme that includes Big Belly Bins installed in July 2025, a dedicated daily clearance team, enhanced street sweeping, and a 'Pride in Ball Hill' campaign working with local business and community group Destination Ball Hill.
Additional targeted initiatives are underway at suburban shopping sites including Jubilee Crescent, Upper York Street, Daventry Road, Gosford Street/Far Gosford Street, and A45 laybys, with new 1,100-litre bins and dedicated clearance teams.
Councillor Patricia Hetherton, Cabinet Member for City Services said: “Every day our amazing teams are out picking up rubbish and fly tipped waste. It’s a constant battle – but a battle we are determined to win. Fly-tipping has become a real and persistent problem and it is critical that we come together to find long-term solutions to reduce its impact on communities.
“We have secured some extra funding to help us trial some new ways of working. But, we also know we can’t crack this alone so I am really pleased that we will be working with groups like Destination Ball Hill and the many wonderful litter picking groups who already make a huge difference across the city.”
The Council is working collaboratively with multiple partners including West Midlands Police, West Midlands Fire & Rescue, Citizen Housing and other housing providers, and the Probation Service's Community Payback team. Clean-up projects have taken place in Hillfields and Binley, while Wood End is the next area being targeted.
Future plans include a comprehensive service review, the introduction of additional resources, and the development of new initiatives, such as education courses and accreditation to balance education with enforcement.
Site clearance capacity is being increased from two teams to three city-wide teams, while mechanical sweeping frequency is being improved from six-weekly to four-weekly cycles.
The Council continues to encourage residents to report fly-tipping incidents and to ensure they use licensed waste carriers to dispose of bulky items responsibly.