The leader of the opposition group on Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) says the authority is investigating more flytipping "but punishing less".

After bringing a motion in July the issue went under the spotlight at the latest meeting of the council's stronger communities and neighbourhood services scrutiny board.

The figures showed the council has so far this year cleared 1,344 fly-tips compared to 2,913 in 2025.

But Cllr Samantha Gethen, leader of the Reform UK group on the authority, highlighted that in the 2024/25 financial year there were three prosecutions and seven fixed penalty notices (FPN) handed out, but in the last financial year – which concluded in March – there were no prosecutions and five FPNs given out.

"We are investigating more but punishing less," she said.

"If someone dumps waste on our streets the outcome can't be a letter and no further action.

"Residents don't want to hear we investigated something, they want to know someone was actually made to pay for it."

Officer Alison McGrory said: "This is an ongoing challenge for us. We prosecute wherever we can. It is still our intention to prosecute if the evidence is there.

"Successfully prosecuting someone and publicising it, is the best deterrent we can have."

The officer added they were looking at new offences and new fines.

In the debate Cllr Richard Holt highlighted in 2025/26 period, as well as the five FPNs, there were also 23 different Environmental Protection Act notices handed out.

Cllr Holt said: "So in other words there has been far more activity in the year – why is that?"

Officer Louise Baggott replied: "We have got a bit smarter in how we work.

"We are trying to expand what we have got in our toolkit to be able to address every situation that comes."

Cllr Keith Green raised that side waste – household rubbish or recycling placed loose outside bins out for collection was recorded as flytipping within the numbers.

"My interpretation of fly tipping is large sites that have been illegally dumped," he said.

Cllr Laura McCarthy said: "With the move to fortnightly waste collections, there will be a bit of a gap there where the service moves from weekly to fortnightly but residents have to have a waste diary to demonstrate how they are recycling and maximising their waste disposal before they can get a larger bin.

"What are we doing to look at that in-between stage so that it doesn't present as an increase in side waste or flytipping (at an incident site)?"

The officer replied: "When we make changes we have to accept there will be a lag.

"I will take that away but I'd like to think we can be flexible in that interim period."

The officer added in future figures presented to councillors would specify how many were recorded big fly tip incidents and how many were side wastes, so that councillors could get a clearer picture.

Cllr Alan Feeney, chairman of the board, replied: "I think that would be helpful because if we say 3,000 fly tips people want to see 3,000 prosecutions for it."

The meeting was held at the Civic Suite on September 16.