Gravesham Borough Council issued 18 fines of £1,000 each for fly-tipping and more than 70 warnings in just two months, as it steps up enforcement across the borough.

Residents in Gravesend, Northfleet and the surrounding rural areas could face four-figure penalties if they dump waste illegally — or even if a rogue collector dumps it for them. Gravesham Borough Council announced the crackdown via its official social media account, reporting that between July and August it issued 33 fines for waste offences, 18 fines of £1,000 for fly-tipping, and more than 70 warnings, with further cases still under investigation. The council has not yet published these figures in a formal report, so they should be treated as the council’s own account of its activity.

The £1,000 fly-tipping penalties sit above the council’s standard fixed penalty notice — the on-the-spot fine set at £400 for fly-tipping under Gravesham’s Environmental Enforcement Strategy, which already matches the maximum allowed by national law. A January 2025 council news release shows how the higher figure works in practice: 35 people were identified through CCTV at the Morrison’s car park on Coldharbour Road and hit with £1,000 fines and court action, while a further 37 fixed penalty notices were issued at the same site and more than 20 cases were referred to magistrates’ court. If cases reach court, the stakes rise sharply — a magistrates’ court can impose fines of up to £50,000 and, in serious cases, a prison sentence.

What the council says it is trying to achieve

The council’s position is that setting fines at the top of the permitted range, backed by CCTV and investigation, is the most effective way to change behaviour. According to Gravesham’s Environmental Enforcement Strategy, officers follow a graduated approach — warning first, then a formal notice, then a fixed penalty or prosecution for persistent or serious offending. The Morrison’s operation showed that approach in action: CCTV footage was used to trace waste back to individuals, including householders whose rubbish turned up in dumped material even if they hadn’t done the dumping themselves.

That last point matters for anyone who pays a man-with-a-van to take away an old sofa or a pile of rubble. Under the duty of care rules — a legal requirement under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 — householders must make sure their waste goes to a licensed carrier and should keep a receipt as proof. Get that wrong, and a £400 fixed penalty notice can follow, even if the householder never went near the fly-tip.

The concerns critics raise

Not everyone is convinced that heavier fines are the right answer. Environmental and waste management specialists argue that high penalties work best when they sit alongside clear information, affordable legal disposal routes, and community support — not instead of them. The worry is that people on lower incomes, private tenants, or small businesses who don’t know the rules around licensed waste carriers could find themselves fined for mistakes rather than deliberate dumping.

There are also questions about whether council-level enforcement can make a real dent in fly-tipping linked to organised waste crime, and whether residents in different parts of the borough see consistent enforcement. Some residents near known hotspots have raised concerns about how quickly dumped waste is cleared after it is reported, regardless of whether anyone is eventually fined for it.

Gravesham’s track record and national picture

Defra’s fly-tipping statistics for 2024/25 suggest Gravesham may be among the Kent districts with relatively high enforcement action rates compared to the number of incidents recorded — though the council changed its reporting basis during that period, which makes direct year-on-year comparisons tricky.

How to report fly-tipping in Gravesham

The council asks residents to report fly-tipping as soon as they see it. The more detail the better — location, time, vehicle registration number, and any photos all help investigators build a case.

Key information

  • Report fly-tipping using Gravesham Borough Council’s online reporting form or by telephone — details are on the council’s website.
  • Use a licensed waste carrier when getting rid of bulky items or large amounts of rubbish, and keep your receipt as proof of duty of care.
  • Standard fixed penalty notices in Gravesham: fly-tipping £400, duty-of-care failure £400, littering £150, dog fouling £75.
  • Court penalties for fly-tipping can reach £50,000 and/or imprisonment if a case goes to magistrates’ court.

*The council’s enforcement team continues to investigate cases from July and August; further fines and prosecutions are expected to follow.*