Residential area dubbed ‘Northampton’s rubbish tip’ has seen significant increase in fly-tipping council admits

A councillor has called out the authority for the state of the streets in Semilong, and says the fly-tipping is 'planned criminal activity'.

Jul 30, 2026

By Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter

Flytipping on streets in the Semilong area. Credit: Cllr Farzana Aldridge.

A residential area of Northampton dubbed the town’s ‘rubbish tip’ has seen a significant increase in fly tipping, the local council has admitted.

West Northamptonshire councillor Farzana Aldridge (Lib Dem) spoke out about the illegal waste dumping issue in the Semilong ward she represents earlier this week, requesting urgent action from the council. She said rather than local residents being responsible for the situation she said the fly tipping was down to ‘planned criminal activity’ and that the situation was reaching crisis point.

Criticising the council, which uses a private contractor to clean the streets, she said:

“Rotten food is attracting flies and vermin and pedestrians are faced with walking on roads rather than walking on pavements.
“Access for people with disabilities, mobility issues or those with prams is blocked.
“This is worse than I’ve ever seen it. I’m horrified because we have come to a point where we’re genuinely at crisis.
“This level of fly-tipping is not about a very few local residents putting their rubbish out when they should not and a small number of anti-social and selfish tenants and landlords.
“There’s no way in which ten mattresses dumped across two roads are actually from local residents. This is planned criminal activity and needs to be dealt with firmly.”

The ward is littered with discarded items.

In a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) , the authority said fly-tipping in the area has increased significantly and that its contractor, Veolia, regularly attends Semilong to clear reported incidents.

The spokesperson added:

“There is a cleansing crew in the area at least once a week and often more frequently. The location on Baker Street was last cleared on Friday and is scheduled to be attended again.
“Neighbourhood wardens regularly patrol the area and we use reports from residents, councillors and partner organisations to identify locations that require additional attention.
“We use a range of methods to investigate and tackle fly-tipping and will take enforcement action where there is sufficient evidence. This can include surveillance measures where appropriate. CCTV can be considered in areas affected by persistent fly-tipping, but we do not discuss specific locations as this could affect ongoing investigations. We also encourage residents to share any doorbell camera, CCTV or dashcam footage that may help identify offenders.

“We would also ask residents to dispose of waste responsibly. Excess waste can be taken to a household waste recycling centre or collected through the council’s bulky waste service. Anyone paying a company to remove waste should check that it has a valid waste carrier’s licence.”

Currently, the authority has enforcement power to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £1,000 to perpetrators of fly-tipping, and to seize vehicles which have been used in the act.

New government legislation announced in July 2026 has now increased the maximum on-the-spot fine for fly-tipping waste by fivefold to £5,000, however local authorities will retain full control over the level of fine issued in their area.

WNC has said it is currently reviewing the very recently announced changes before deciding whether it will look to will alter to existing fine levels.

Cllr Andrew Last, cabinet member for HR, corporate services and regulatory services, added:

“We would urge everyone to take some pride in their community and it is important that people only put out their rubbish on the morning it is due for collection.
“This kind of fly-tipping is absolutely unacceptable and we will be working to identify the offenders and taking action where we can.”

The issue of fly-tipping in the area is not a new phenomenon and has been plaguing residents in the area for years. In 2024, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by the LDRS found that Semilong Road was the worst street for fly-tipping in the town, receiving 672 fly-tipping reports from residents over a 12 month period – meaning an illegal waste dumping incident was reported more than once a day on average.

Cllr Aldridge told the LDRS that residents are “angry and distraught” at their environment and the constant rubbish piles.

“They’ve either given up, or they’ve got real issues around their mental health and wellbeing. A couple of residents have said they just don’t want to live here anymore and that’s tragic because they are people who care about their environment.
“We want CCTV and we need high visibility wardens walking about and also looking for evidence of the culprits.
“This matter is now urgent. It is simply not acceptable that any resident in West Northamptonshire should be experiencing such degradation and neglect.”

In January this year, WNC announced that it would be trialling the use of an AI CCTV camera tower throughout 2026, with it moving across various hotspot locations in West Northants.

Last month, Crimestoppers launched a new campaign in Semilong to raise awareness of its anonymous reporting service and to encourage residents to speak up about crime affecting their community, including drug-related activity and environmental crime.

People can report litter, street cleaning and grounds maintenance issues on the council’s website here and can apply to WNC’s bulky waste collection service to get rid of large household items.