Report fly-tipping
What is fly-tipping and how to report it?
Fly‑tipping is the illegal dumping of waste on land or in water, including household items, bulky furniture, commercial waste and other controlled materials. It is a serious environmental crime that damages neighbourhoods, attracts pests, and costs local services significant time and money to clean up.
At First Choice Homes Oldham, we’re committed to keeping our communities clean, safe and welcoming. You can help us tackle fly‑tipping by understanding what it is, how to dispose of waste responsibly and reporting it when you see it happening using the form at the bottom of this page.
Fly‑tipping includes:
- Dumping large household items such as sofas, mattresses, fridges, wardrobes in communal areas, alleyways, gardens, or streets.
- Leaving rubbish next to bins, in bin stores, or on land without an arranged collection.
- Disposal of any controlled waste (household, commercial or industrial) without permission.
This is different from littering, which covers smaller items like wrappers, food packaging or cigarette ends.
Fly‑tipping has a significant impact on communities:
- It’s illegal and can lead to unlimited fines or imprisonment for offenders.
- It can lead to increased service charges, as clearing dumped items costs housing associations and councils thousands each year.
- It attracts vermin, causes obstructions, and creates unsafe or unpleasant environments.
If you need to get rid of bulky household waste:
- Always use a licensed waste carrier. If you hire someone who isn’t licensed and the waste is found dumped, you may be held responsible.
- Never leave bulky items on the street, in communal areas or next to your bins. This may be treated as fly‑tipping and could lead to enforcement action.
- Most councils (including Oldham Council) offer bulky waste collection services, sometimes for a small fee or even free.
- Items in good condition can often be donated to charity, who may collect them from your home.
Local authorities investigate and clear fly‑tipping on public land, and housing providers such as FCHO have to take responsibility for clearing dumped waste across neighbourhoods.
In some cases, councils or the Environment Agency may step in - especially when hazardous, large scale or environmentally damaging waste is involved (e.g., more than 20 tonnes, asbestos, hazardous containers).
Housing teams like ours work to:
- Remove dumped waste from FCHO land
- Report environmental crimes
- Work with partners such as Oldham Council, Greater Manchester services and waste enforcement teams to prosecute offenders
- Keep neighbourhoods clean through regular caretaking and grounds maintenance services
If you see fly‑tipping:
- Report it to FCHO (if on our land).
- Include a photo if possible (but never put yourself at risk or confront anyone).
- If the waste is on council land, report it directly to Oldham Council via their online system.
- For hazardous or large scale fly‑tipping, the Environment Agency may be involved.
Help keep our neighbourhoods clean
You can help keep your neighbourhood safe and clean by:
- Disposing of rubbish properly and recycling where possible
- Never leaving bulky items in communal areas
- Letting us know when you spot issues
- Using licensed waste carriers or council services
- Encouraging others to dispose of waste responsibly
Together, we can keep our communities cleaner, greener and safer for everyone.