FLYTIPPING is costing Trafford taxpayers £9,000 a month to clean up, with over 350 tonnes of waste illegally dumped across the borough last year.

The figures were revealed in a review into how flytipping reports are dealt with, and were followed by a council pledge to invest more money into tackling the problem.

The review also warned that flytipping in Trafford poses a risk to public health, with 35 of the 200 monthly reports concerning the dumping of hazardous materials. The hazardous waste is a significant drain on the public purse because it requires specialist equipment and expertise so that it can be safely handled and disposed of.

One Trafford Partnership have been battling with an average of 30 tonnes of dumped waste every month (350 tonnes every year). This is the equivalent weight of 60 elephants or 200 cars every year.

In response to these concerns, Trafford Council have approved extra funding for the fight against flytipping, with an extra flytipping removal team hitting the streets.

The Council said they also want to see waiting times for the removal of waste slashed by 50 per cent. Amey are now be asked to clear dumped waste within 10 working days instead of the 20 working days currently expected of them. The time to clear hazardous flytipping will remain prioritised at one hour.

The initiative will run for a six-month trial period, to see whether Amey can fulfill their obligations to speed up the collection of flytipped waste.

If the trial proves successful, further funding may be approved to retain the extra flytipping team on a permanent basis.

Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change, Cllr Stephen Adshead said: “Flytipping is a crime and such crimes pose a threat to the environment, wildlife and people in Trafford. Dumped waste can attract vermin and damage natural habitats, as well as pose a fire-hazard threat in built up areas.”

“All waste can be disposed of responsibly, even electrical goods like televisions, toaster and fridges. These items, and more, can be taken to your local household waste recycling centre or you can order a bulky waste collection if the items are too large.

"Sometimes fly-tipped waste is the result of an unregistered waste carrier. We would advise that if residents are paying somebody to take their waste, please ensure they hold a Registered Waste Carriers Licence. If they are not, you too could be fined as well as the person who dumps it.”

If you see someone fly-tipping, you can report it with details such as what you saw, how many people were involved, model of vehicles and registration numbers, and roughly how much waste was tipped.

Fly-tipping can be reported via https://my.trafford.gov.uk or 03330 035865.