I've campaigned in Everton for over a decade - this is one of the worst cases of fly tipping I have ever seen

Next to one of Liverpool’s most revered open markets on Great Homer Street is Dryden Street in Everton.

As the revival of the market continues through Liverpool Council’s targeted campaign, residents and campaigners are bemoaning the opportunistic abandonment of waste next to rundown buildings just yards away from the popular attraction in the north of the city. Now a call to action has been sounded for the city council to clamp down on rogue waste being left on the street.

Kevin Robinson-Hale, who has campaigned for improvements for the area, said he was left stunned by the dumping near to the market last weekend. He has urged the local authority to come down hard on those responsible, particularly those living within the community.

It was revealed earlier this year that during 2024, 16,500 incidents of highway fly tipping were recorded by Liverpool Council’s waste collection arm – Liverpool Streetscene Services Limited (LSSL) – with a further 6,149 responses to alleyway dumping. This was despite further staffing power being made available to the city to stamp out the scourge of illegal waste left on the streets.

Each year, Liverpool Council spends around £12.5m on cleaning litter and fly-tipping across the city. The local authority describes this as “entirely preventable expenditure” which could be reduced if non-compliant residents and businesses “managed their waste responsibly.”

This wasn’t the case when Mr Robinson-Hale visited the area around Dryden Street and was dismayed by what he found. The community campaigner said he had taken it upon himself to report the waste – including a damaged old bath – to the city council.

He said: “In over a decade of campaigning in Everton and across the city this is one of the worst cases I have ever seen. There are four or five hot spots in Everton West that have a constant stream of flytipping.

“The council needs to invest in CCTV in the places that are a constant and fine those responsible. In some of those cases these are members of the community and people just dumping because they know they will get away with it.”

Currently, people caught dropping their waste are slapped with a fixed penalty notice (FPN) of £80. Later this year, the council’s cabinet will consider a plan to hike that amount up to £200.

In March, documents revealed how more than 100 FPNs issued in an eight month period generated £10,000 in fines from offenders. The sanction will be reduced to £100 if paid within 14 days.

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Similar increases are being touted for those responsible for fly-tipping, with the current level set at £400, up to £1,000. Of the 106 FPNs issued between June last year and February 2025, 81 have been paid totalling £10,480.

The LDRS approached Liverpool Council for comment.