A new crackdown on cowboy waste operators will tackle soaring fly-tipping and clean up Britain’s streets, lanes and rural areas, the Government has announced.
With new powers, councils will work with the police to identify, seize and crush vehicles of waste criminals. Drones and mobile CCTV cameras will be deployed to identify cars and vans belonging to fly-tippers so they can be destroyed.
Ministers have launched a rapid review to slash red tape blocking councils from seizing and crushing vehicles. Councils currently must bear the significant cost of seizing and storing vehicles but under new plans fly-tippers will cover this cost, saving councils and taxpayers money.
In addition, waste cowboys will now face up to five years in prison for operating illegally.
Any criminals caught transporting and dealing with waste illegally will now face up to five years in prison under new legislation.
Lizzi Collinge Labour Member of Parliament for Morecambe and Lunesdale said:
“I want Morecambe and Lunesdale to be one of the best places to grow up and grow old in, but fly-tipping is a major problem and has been ignored for too long by people who just don’t care.
“I know that residents around here are sick of our streets being plagued by discarded rubbish and waste and it is a disgrace that the Conservatives have done nothing to tackle it. It’s gone unpunished for far too long.
“That’s why I’m standing up for change and welcoming the Labour Government’s fly tipping crack down that will punish waste cowboy and tackle the scourge of waste crime.”
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed said:
“Waste criminals and fly-tippers who blight our towns and villages have gone unpunished for too long.
“That ends today. The Government is calling time on fly-tipping. I will not stand by while this avalanche of rubbish buries our communities.
“Under the Plan for Change, this Government will seize and crush fly-tippers vans’ to clean up Britain’s streets.”
Fly-tipping has skyrocketed by a fifth whilst the number of prosecutions has fallen by the same amount since 2018/19. The failure to punish these criminals has left our high streets, roads and countryside buried under an avalanche of rubbish.
The Environment Agency will also carry out identity and criminal record checks on operators in the sector so there is nowhere to hide for rogue firms. It will be handed more resources as they will now be able to fund the cost of policing the industry through permits, boosting their powers and cutting costs for taxpayers. The reforms will also give them more power to revoke permits, issue enforcement notices and hefty fines.