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 today (Tuesday 29 April). I know this is an issue that plagues our community, which is why I have raised it in Parliament last year and wrote to the Minister for Nature on this issue recently.
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 have to bear the significant cost of seizing and storing vehicles but under new plans, being consider by Ministers, 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.
These measures support the Government’s Plan for Change and will help deliver its key mission of Safer Streets for the public, restoring communities’ faith in efforts to combat anti-social behaviour.
Waste crime is trashing communities across the country. 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.
Afzal Khan MP said:
I am glad to see the Government has made these announcements to stop flytipping in our communities. Residents raise this issue with me regularly, and I know Manchester City Council and the Government will work together to tackle this inconsiderate and disgusting crime. We must clean up our streets and ensure we have pride in our cleaner and greener communities.