A Government announcement that it will seize and crush fly-tippers’ vans has been welcomed. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says it will make a ‘rapid review’ of arrangements in the way of councils seizing and crushing vehicles. Local government has to pay for seizing and storing vehicles. The Government is considering that fly-tippers should cover that cost.
Defra Secretary of State 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.”
Defra says the Environment Agency will carry out identity and criminal record checks on operators in the sector. The Agency is promised more resources as it will now be able to fund the cost of policing the industry through permits, and have more power to revoke permits, issue enforcement notices and fines.
Comment
Martin Gannon, Leader of Labour-controlled Gateshead Council, said: “Our residents have had enough of the dumpers who pollute their neighbourhoods with rubbish. These new powers will be a welcome addition to our arsenal, reinforcing our zero-tolerance stance on fly-tipping. We’ve already witnessed the positive impact of our focused efforts, and I am determined to use every tool at our disposal, including seizing vehicles, to reclaim our streets.”
Calderdale
In Yorkshire, Calderdale Council says it dealt with over 5000 cases of fly-tipping between 2023 and 2024. It costs the council up to £1m a year to deal with such crime, taking resources away from vital services at a time of significant financial challenges, the Halifax-based council.
Calderdale adds that it’s one of a few councils to issue Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) fines at the maximum amount of £1000 for fly-tipping offences, and has one team working on all aspects of fly-tipping – from lifting and shifting waste to gathering evidence, taking statements, reviewing CCTV footage and prosecuting offenders.
Danielle Durrans, Calderdale’s Cabinet Member for Public Services, said: “Local people tell me time and time again how much of a concern fly-tipping is in their communities. We’re listening and taking action. We have priorities for thriving towns and climate action, so in Calderdale we’ve been really stamping down on fly-tipping for the past few years. It’s not a victimless crime – it costs us all money and blights our beautiful Calderdale environment. We welcome the wider government support and have already seen first-hand how effective vehicle seizures and new technology can be in tackling fly-tipping.”
Solar-powered CCTV
Stoke-on-Trent City Council meanwhile has hailed its deployment of a first solar-powered camera, in a remote area that has been a hot-spot for illegal dumping: Red Hills Road, Milton. Three dumpers of waste last month have each received a fixed-penalty notice of £1,000.
Amjid Wazir, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability for Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “It’s great to see this new technology being put to good use. Fly-tipping is completely unacceptable. It doesn’t just blight local communities – it can also create fire hazards and public health risks.
“Our stance remains crystal-clear: dumping waste illegally will lead to a hefty fine. Stoke-on-Trent has two household waste recycling centres and people can also arrange for a home collection – which is roughly £950 cheaper than a fixed-penalty notice.”
The camera was funded through Stoke’s Environmental Crime Unit, with a contribution from ward councillor Dave Evans. The unit is considering installing further such cameras.
And in Nottinghamshire, Gedling Borough Council called on residents to help tackle the issue by reporting incidents on the council’s website and ensuring anyone removing waste from their property has a valid waste carriers’ licence; after a Mansfield Woodhouse man was fined for failing in his duty of care regarding controlled waste.
London boroughs
In north London, a van that was used in two fly tipping incidents in Picketts Lock Lane and Brookside Road in Edmonton was caught on camera by Enfield Council, and then crushed after it was left unclaimed by the owner. Cabinet Member for Transport and Waste, Rick Jewell, said the council had a zero-tolerance policy towards fly tipping.
In east London, the borough of Havering’s £3m spend on renewing its CCTV, such as a new control room in Romford Town Hall, has included more re-deployable environmental cameras against fly-tippers. As for the funding, most has come from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and the remainder coming from the Community infrastructure Levy (CIL) and the General Fund.
What they say
Ray Morgon, Leader of Havering Council, said: “The work of our CCTV team is so important in helping us and the police in keeping our residents and visitors to our borough, as safe as possible. That is why we have invested in the new facilities and upgraded the CCTV network to modern standards. It will enable us to continue to take action, bring offenders to justice by providing vital evidence and to assure residents and visitors we are doing all we can to help make our borough safe.”
For the Local Government Association (LGA), Adam Hug, environment spokesperson and Labour leader of Westminster Council, said: “Councils are working tirelessly to counter thousands of fly-tipping incidents every year, including by prosecuting criminal gangs, but the burden of proof is high and fines often fail to match the severity of the offence committed.
“We continue to urge the Government to review sentencing guidelines for fly-tipping so that offenders are given bigger fines for more serious offences to act as a deterrent, alongside maximum five-year sentences.
“Manufacturers should also contribute to the costs to councils of clear up, by providing more take-back services so people can hand in sofas, old furniture and mattresses when they buy new ones.”
Photo by Mark Rowe: temporary CCTV near Salisbury to counter fly-tipping.
