Northants farmers offered £1,500 grant to tackle fly-tipping

Farmers and landowners in Northamptonshire can apply for grants of up to £1,500 to remove fly-tipped rubbish from their land and secure it against future incidents.

The grant scheme is being rolled out by the office of Northamptonshire’s police, fire and crime commissioner (PFCC) Stephen Mold, after a successful pilot in the east Northamptonshire district.

Farmers across the country have become increasingly frustrated by an escalation in fly-tipping incidents, given it is the responsibility of the landowner to clear it up.

See also: What to do if you are victim of rural fly-tipping

According to NFU Mutual’s 2021 rural crime report, fly-tipping in fields, gateways and country lanes reached epidemic proportions last year, with restricted access to waste recycling centres during Covid-19 lockdowns thought to be a key factor.

Under this new scheme, farmers and private landowners can apply for a grant towards the cost of having the fly-tipped waste cleared away and to support them in putting prevention measures in place that will make the land less vulnerable to fly-tippers in the future.

During the pilot scheme, five people received sums ranging from £500 to the maximum £1,500 to help them tackle fly-tipping on their land.

This money paid for the proper disposal of the fly-tipped waste and the installation of gates and other measures to make the affected land less vulnerable.

For more details and information on how to apply, visit the Northamptonshire PFCC office website.

Landowners should make their application to their relevant local authority.