Fly-tipping tsar demanded as incidents rise again
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is calling for the appointment of a national “fly-tipping tsar” as latest figures from Defra show the problem has worsened for the fourth year in a row.
Annual figures issued on Thursday (19 October), show there has been another 7% increase in the dumping of waste on roads and public land over the past 12 months, with local authorities in England reporting more than a million cases.
See also: Fly-tipping survey results revealed
According to the data, the most common place for fly-tipping to occur is on the public highway, but about a third of incidents were on footpaths and bridleways.
The most common type of fly-tipping involved household waste (67%), while the most frequent size category is described as “a small van load”.
The total cost of clean-up is put at almost £58m, with another £16m spent on enforcement actions.
Private land
But the Defra figures only cover incidents reported by local authorities and exclude fly-tipping on private land.
This means the figures massively underestimate the true extent of the problem – as well as the cost, which has to be borne by landowners.
“Fly-tipping is just getting worse and worse. It is a national disgrace,” said CLA president Ross Murray. “Prosecutions for this crime are ludicrously low, and have decreased by a further 25%.”
He urged government to take a much more active role in tackling fly-tipping.
“Greater penalties should be imposed and enforced, including seizing fly-tippers’ vehicles, and victims should be better supported,” said Mr Murray.
“We are calling for the appointment of a national fly-tipping tsar to coordinate and oversee a more pro-active effort to get to grips with this national disgrace.”
The blight of fly-tipping prompted Farmers Weekly to launch a “Stop the Blot” campaign earlier this year, aiming to raise the profile of the problem and encourage tougher enforcement.
Survey
A survey, conducted in association with the CLA, showed that almost two-thirds of farmers have been the victims of fly-tipping, with the average clean-up cost put at almost £850.
Respondents blamed council charging householders to dispose of certain types of waste as a major reason for the increase in fly-tipping on farms.
Most report incidents to their local authority, but there is frustration at the lack of follow-up action and the poor rates of prosecution.
According to the latest Defra figures, local authorities carried out 474,000 enforcement actions in England in 2016-17, which was down 20,000 on the year.
But the number of fixed penalty notices increased 56% to 56,000 following a change in the law in May 2016, which gave local authorities more power to take such action.
CLA’s five-point plan for tackling fly-tipping
- Impose and enforce penalties which better reflect the seriousness of the crime
- Enforce fines for home and business owners whose waste is found in fly-tipped locations
- Appoint a national “fly-tipping tsar”
- Develop new ways to clear up and support victims
- Promote education and working in partnership
Stop the Blot
Fly-tippers are ruining our countryside and clean-up costs are crippling farm businesses. That’s why we have launched our Stop the Blot campaign to help raise awareness of the damage caused by fly-tipping and tackle the growing epidemic on farms.