The blight of fly-tipping
The latest column from CLA East Director Cath Crowther
Cath Crowther, Country Land and Business Association (CLA) East Director
It is not uncommon across the East of England to see piles of waste dumped in farmers’ fields, gateways and down farm tracks.
The number of fly-tipping incidents recorded on public land has reached 1.1 million a year in England. The CLA believes the true figure for fly-tipping is far higher though, with the majority of incidents taking place on private land not included in these statistics.
The CLA has welcomed Government plans recently to crackdown on cowboy waste operators in a bid to tackle increasing levels of fly-tipping.
Defra has pledged 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 fly-tippers will cover this cost.
The department has announced drones and mobile CCTV cameras will be deployed to identify cars and vans belonging to fly-tippers so they can be destroyed.
It also said any criminals caught transporting and dealing with waste illegally will now face up to five years in prison under new legislation.
We’re pleased to see, following years of campaigning by the CLA, that progress is being made in the fight against fly-tipping, and this news is welcome.
Rural crime blights the countryside, and action is badly needed. The number of incidents of fly-tipping is rising, but enforcement actions, fixed penalty notices and total number of court fines are all down. This cannot go on.
Some local authorities are already seizing vehicles of fly-tippers, but last year two councils in England accounted for more than 60% of seizures so these powers need to be used much more widely to send a serious message to these environmental criminals.
The CLA is supportive of closer co-operation and information sharing between the police, local authorities and the Environment Agency to help them identify and prosecute fly-tippers.
Tonnes of household and commercial waste is dumped on public and private land in rural areas on a regular basis, including hazardous chemicals and asbestos. This endangers farmers, visitors to the countryside, wildlife, livestock, crops and the environment.
It should not be forgotten that landowners pay the price for being a victim of fly-tipping. If rubbish is dumped in their fields or tracks, they have to pay to get the waste removed or risk of being prosecuted themselves.
Often the clear up costs of such incidents runs into thousands of pounds. Many of our members are repeat victims and it is not uncommon to hear them report to us they are clearing waste multiple times a month.
Time will tell if the latest government announcement to tackle fly-tipping will make a dent on the volume of incidents. We must get to a stage where those undertaking this crime believe there will be meaningful consequences if they are caught. It is clear that there is not currently a significant enough deterrent. It’s time for that to change.