Milton Keynes Fly-Tipping Report 2025

From abandoned furniture on pavements to bags of rubbish dumped by communal bins, fly-tipping isn’t just unsightly – it poses real risks to the environment and to public health.

Unfortunately, like many cities across the UK, Milton Keynes residents are no strangers to the issue of fly-tipping. In this report, we take a closer look at Milton Keynes’ fly-tipping figures, including where fly-tipping is happening, what’s being dumped and what action is being taken to address the problem.

How many fly-tipping incidents are reported in Milton Keynes each year?

To find out how often people fly-tip in Milton Keynes, we looked into the latest government data on fly-tipping incident reports in England, which found:

• In the year ending March 2024, 4,824 fly-tipping incidents were reported in Milton Keynes.
• This equates to 16.5 incidents per 1,000 people, below the national average of 20 per 1,000.
• This is a 5% increase from the year before (ending March 2023), when 4,607 incidents were recorded.
• The number of fly-tipping incidents in Milton Keynes has fluctuated over the past decade, but the overall trend has been downward, with a 20% reduction from 2015 to 2024.
• Following a significant fall from 2021 to 2022, incidents have crept back up in the past two years.

The graph below shows the number of fly-tipping incidents in Milton Keynes over the past ten years:

Where does fly-tipping occur most in Milton Keynes?

It’s clear that illegal waste disposal is an ongoing problem in Milton Keynes. But where is fly-tipping most likely to happen? The data shows that: 

• The majority (78%) of fly-tipping incidents in Milton Keynes take place on council-owned land such as parks and play areas, with 3,771 reports in the year ending March 2024.
• This is followed by footpaths and bridleways, which saw 717 incidents (15%).
• Public highways accounted for 179 reports (4%), and back alleyways for 129 reports (3%).

Map of Milton Keynes showing 508 open incidents of fly-tipping (FixMyStreet, 25th November 2025)

What type of waste is illegally disposed of most often in Milton Keynes?

Now that we know where illegal dumping is happening, here’s a look at what type of waste is being fly-tipped in Milton Keynes. The government report found that:

• Household waste was by far the most frequently fly-tipped material in Milton Keynes, with 3,661 incidents reported in the year ending March 2024.
• This made up more than three-quarters (76%) of all cases.
• The second most common category was unidentified or uncategorised waste, with 297 incidents (6% of all cases).
• White goods – like fridges and washing machines – followed, with 225 incidents (5%), showing ongoing issues with bulky waste disposal.
• Construction waste accounted for 178 incidents (4%), suggesting problems with illegal dumping by tradespeople or DIYers.

How do Milton Keynes’ fly-tipping statistics compare to other areas in the South East?

Here’s how Milton Keynes’ fly-tipping figures compare with other local authorities in the region:

• Out of 70 local authorities in the South East, Milton Keynes recorded the 4th highest number of fly-tipping incidents in the year ending March 2024, with 4,824 reports.
• Similar numbers were reported in Oxford (4,959) and Buckinghamshire (4,272).
• Southampton recorded the most incidents, with nearly 11,000 reports – more than double that of Milton Keynes, despite having a slightly smaller population.
• This works out as 41 fly-tipping reports per 1,000 people, compared to 16.5 in Milton Keynes and a regional average of 11.

The table below shows the South East local authorities with the highest number of fly-tipping incidents in the year ending March 2024:

Can you be fined for fly-tipping in Milton Keynes?

Fly-tipping is a criminal offence, and like other councils across England, Milton Keynes City Council issues fines (also known as Fixed Penalty Notices) to those found to be fly-tipping. Under UK law, the most serious cases of fly-tipping can be punished with up to five years in prison or fines up to £50,000.

However, government data shows that:

• In the year ending March 2024, only 58% of fly-tipping reports in Milton Keynes led to any form of action (2,796 actions).
• This included investigations (1,815 actions), warning letters (573 actions) and duty of care inspections (275 actions).
• Only 86 fixed penalty notices were issued for fly-tipping in Milton Keynes, meaning less than 2% of incidents resulted in fines.
• Surprisingly, this was the sixth highest number of fines issued in the South East, with Brighton & Hove and the New Forest leading the way.

What can be done to tackle fly-tipping in Milton Keynes?

There’s a lot that can be done to tackle fly-tipping in Milton Keynes. The City Council has been working for several years to address the root causes. In a 2021 action plan, the council committed to longer-term solutions rather than quick fixes – including targeted use of mobile CCTV, intelligence-led enforcement, stronger partnerships with the police, and a data-driven approach to identifying problem areas.

While the council plays a vital role in providing adequate waste disposal services and enforcement, residents are ultimately responsible for disposing of their waste properly. But for many, getting bulky or excess waste to a local tip just isn’t practical. That’s where our Milton Keynes rubbish removal service can help.

Whether you choose skip hire, HIPPOBAG collection or man and van rubbish removal, HIPPO makes it easy to dispose of waste responsibly. We divert as much as possible from landfill, and our friendly team is always here to help.