Fly-tippers could be forced to clear their own rubbish under new crackdown
Fly tipper truckers could soon find themselves subject to “clean-up squads” tasked with cleaning up areas where they dump illegal waste under new government proposals.
The Department for the Environment (Defra) has announced that local councils will have more powers to take direct funding from criminals and use the money to fund essential clean-up operations.
These measures form a central part of the new waste crime action plan to be announced on Friday. The initiative comes as “brazen” acts of illegal waste disposal are increasingly common on streets and public spaces, with the latest figures revealing a 9% increase in fly tipping on public land last year has reached unprecedented levels.
Under the proposed changes, councils will have the power to issue “conditional warnings” to tipper trucks without the need for court proceedings.
This could require offenders to complete up to 20 hours of unpaid work, focusing on cleaning up streets, parks and specific locations where they are caught littering.
Currently, penalties for fly tipping, such as fines, community service, and even imprisonment, can only be imposed upon conviction.
Officials say the new plans aim to significantly step up enforcement, effectively crack down on illegal dumping and restore a sense of pride in communities.
Environment Minister Emma Reynolds said: “If you litter our streets you will join the clean-up crew and pick up the bill, not the taxpayer.
“We are putting pressure on these criminals and ensuring those responsible are cleared and paid.
“This Government gives both the Environment Agency and local authorities the power to step up enforcement for waste crime, impose tougher penalties and tackle illegal waste faster.”
The scheme forms part of the waste crime action plan, which aims to crack down on waste crime, from small-scale fly tipping to large illegal waste sites such as the 150 meter long dump near the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire and the 30,000 tonne pile at Hoads Wood conservation area in Kent.
Councils are being pressured to seize and crush vehicles used to dump waste, while Sinek tippers could also face points on their licenses and the Environment Agency will use “drone teams” to capture more evidence of illegal dumping sites and find software to flag HGVs being used to dump illegally.
The Local Government Association, which represents town halls, has called on the Government and the Sentencing Council to urgently review anti-frivolity sentencing guidelines, as court sentences are on average lower than those imposed directly by local authorities.
Arooj Shah, chairman of the LGA’s neighborhoods committee, said: “Councils want to work with the Government to tackle the scourge of fly tipping and protect our communities from environmental crime.
“New powers such as conditional warnings could provide councils with another tool to deal with offenders, but if councils are to use them in practice they will need to be appropriately resourced and supported.”
However, he added that stronger deterrent measures are also needed.
He said: “Court sentences for fly tipping are on average lower than the sentencing council decision, which weakens enforcement.
“Sentencing guidelines must be reviewed to ensure that sentences accurately reflect the seriousness of the crime and the harm it causes to communities.”
