Royal Borough councillors have unanimously voted in favour of plans to explore what more can be done to tackle fly-tipping.

In a motion brought forward at a full council meeting on Tuesday (April 21), Councillor Genevieve Gosling (Con, Sunningdale and Cheapside) asked that the possibility of increasing fly-tipping fines and installing cameras at known hotspots be explored.

She said: This is not a radical proposal; it is a practical and proportionate response to a problem that residents raise with us time and time again. Fly-tipping is not just unsightly. It is costly.

In 2022-2023, the council spent £135,000 clearing up fly-tipping across the borough, whilst income from fines has fallen, she added.

She said: We also know that much of our enforcement activity is focused on lower-level littering, such as cigarette butts. While that has its place, it does not address the scale or impact of organised repeat fly-tipping.

Cllr Mark Wilson (Lib Dem, Eton and Castle) welcomed the motion and said fly-tipping is a terrible blight on our precious green spaces and streets.

But he proposed an amendment to the original motion, asking cabinet to explore further measures to tackle fly-tipping as well as fly-posting within six months.

He added that fines for fly-tipping were increased from £400 to £1,000, but there were concerns that raising them further would lead to less effective enforcement and more challenges.

With regards to CCTV, this was trialled, but officers considered it was rarely effective in identifying fly-tippers, Cllr Wilson said.