The Labour Party government, led by Andy Burnham, has confirmed a crackdown on fly-tipping, with households forced to complete up to 20 hours of unpaid clean-up work and pay for the costs of clearing their mess. The announcement came from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Dame Angela Eagle today.
New powers for councils to issue conditional cautions
Under the plans, councils will receive enhanced powers to issue conditional cautions requiring households guilty of fly-tipping to complete up to 20 hours of unpaid clean-up work. Local authorities will also be able to recover the costs of the clean-up directly from offenders, ensuring taxpayers are not left to foot the bill.
Dame Angela Eagle said: "If you fly-tip it, you should be the one cleaning it up and paying for it. It's that simple. Fly-tippers show a blatant disregard for our communities, leaving residents to live with the mess they create. I want to give councils new powers to make offenders take responsibility for their actions, by helping to clear up the communities they have harmed and covering the cost of putting things right."
Increased fines and vehicle seizure guidance
The enhanced powers build on action announced in July to increase the maximum on-the-spot fines for fly-tipping to £5,000, a 400% uplift from the previous level of £1,000, the government has said. Councils will also get clear instructions on identifying and seizing vehicles involved in fly-tipping with new government guidance, which includes advice on taking cases to court and securing convictions against vehicle owners.
Further measures announced today in the fight against waste crime include a new Tackling Waste Crime Alliance to unite government, regulators, police and councils against waste criminals, and a review into raising the level of Fixed Penalty Notices issued by the Environment Agency for waste crime offences.
