WARRINGTON North MP Charlotte Nichols has welcomed a Government crackdown on fly-tipping with the toughest ever Waste Crime Action Plan.
The Government launched its new Waste Crime Action Plan – the toughest ever crackdown on illegal waste – backed by an additional £45 million for the Environment Agency to pursue fly-tippers and organised criminal gangs across England.
- Under new plans, waste criminals face up to 20 hours of unpaid work in ‘clean-up squads’ clearing the streets and parks they have blighted
- Fly-tippers also face driving licence penalty points and prosecution
- Orford residents have raised concerns about illegal dumping on Grasmere Avenue, Greenwood Crescent and Quebec Road. Warrington Borough Council’s environmental crime officers are working with Torus to clear historic waste and investigate the illegal dumping of rubbish.
- Warrington Borough Council’s environmental crime team have recently been shortlisted as a finalist in the Best Council Services Team category at the MJ Achievement Awards for its waste improvement work and approach to dealing with fly tipping.
Ms Nichols is asking if anyone has a persistent problem with fly tipping in their area to get in touch with her: charlotte.nichols.mp@parliament.uk
The MP for Warrington North said:‘’Warrington residents should not have to put up with fly-tipping and this plan is a real step forward. Warrington Borough Council’s environmental crime team have already been focused on this issue and the results speak for themselves. They have so far achieved a 55% reduction in fly‑tipping complaints, 33% reduction in Contact Centre demand, 69% fewer referrals to Street Services for waste removal, and 100% increase in evidence recovery rates.’’
‘’This new plan from the Government should help our local authority make further progress on this issue. Fly-tippers now know that if they dump their waste in Warrington, there will be real consequences, and I will be watching closely to make sure those powers are used.’’
‘’I am delighted that the council’s environmental crime team have recently been shortlisted as a finalist in the Best Council Services Team category at the MJ Achievement Awards. This shows that their hard work on this issue is having real results.’’
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds said: “Waste criminals have been damaging our communities, countryside, environment and economy for too long. This Action Plan sends a clear message: dump illegally and you will face the full consequences.’’
“Waste criminals will be forced to join clean up squads and made to pay for the clearing of illegal waste sites. We will give enforcement officers new police-style powers to bring offenders to justice.”
Waste crime costs the economy £1 billion every year, with nearly 1.3 million incidents of fly tipping recorded last year alone. Labour’s new Waste Crime Action Plan sets out a zero-tolerance approach, with action to prevent waste crime at its source by closing loopholes and equipping regulators with the tools they need to stop waste criminals.
Under the plans, the Government will ramp up efforts to punish offenders committing waste crime. This could see them ordered to complete up to 20 hours of unpaid work cleaning streets and parks as part of new “clean-up squads” and required to repay the cost of clearing the waste they illegally dumped.
The Government will also work with the insurance industry to create more comprehensive policies and remove any existing barriers, helping farmers, businesses and landowners to be covered for the cost of clearing illegally dumped waste from their land.
The Environment Agency will also gain new police-style powers to search premises, seize assets and make arrests, and will create a new Operational Waste Intelligence Unit to go after criminal networks using aerial surveillance and financial data.
