BRADFORD Council’s Reform Executive has been accused of giving mixed messages over whether tip closures have led to an increase in fly-tipping.
At a meeting earlier this month the Council Leader claimed fly-tipping had “risen exponentially” since three tips were shut in 2024.
But at the same meeting the Reform Executive told Councillors there “no evidence” linking closures to fly-tipping – pointing out that there is still fly-tipping in areas with open waste centres.
The contradiction led to one Councillor to ask if the Leader could confirm what Reform actually believe.
The competing claims were made at the first regular Full Council meetings since Reform took control Bradford following May’s local elections.
In his first Leader’s Report, Council Leader Stephen Place criticised the legacy of Bradford’s former Labour leadership. He said: “Incidents of fly-tipping have risen exponentially whilst household waste reclaiming sites were closed.”
However, a response by the Council’s Reform Executive to a Councillor question claimed there was no link between fly-tipping and waste centre closures.
Councillor Dawn Thewlis (Reform, Keighley West) asked the Executive what work was being done to tackle fly-tipping.
She referred to the former Labour Council’s decision to close the Sugden End tip near Keighley, saying it is “believed to be contributing to a surge in fly-tipping in the local area.”
The reply said the Council was looking into re-opening Sugden End tip using funded awarded to the Council to improve recycling.
The response added: “In relation to fly-tipping, there is no direct evidence linking Household Waste Recycling Centre usage levels with fly-tipping volumes.
“Despite previous site closures, the remaining HWRCs continue to experience increased visitor numbers and waste tonnages.
“Fly-tipping incidents also occur in areas surrounding operational HWRCs and typically involve commercial waste, bulky items, or DIY-related materials.”
The contradiction was picked up by Cllr George William Buckley (Cons, Airedale) who said: “In the Leader’s report he says that fly tipping has ‘risen exponentially whilst 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?”
Cllr Place replied: “I’ll have to come back to you on that – I haven’t read it.”
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