Government review announced to step up fight against fly tipping

Defra Secretary Michael Gove has announced a review to beef up the government’s approach to tackling fly tipping and waste crime.

A Call for Evidence launched on Sunday (10 June) will enable a wide group of people to have their say on ways to crack-down further on Organised Crime Groups (OCGs), who profit from waste crime.

The review, to be completed by September 2018, will consider the types of crimes being committed and organised crime groups involved, the environmental, community and economic impacts of serious waste crime and look at how the Environment Agency and other organisations can work together to tackle the threat.

The announcement builds on a range of new measures to tackle waste crime, including new powers for the Environment Agency to lock the gates to problem waste sites to prevent waste illegally building up and powers to force operators to clear all the waste at problem sites.

With effect from April 2018, landfill tax will be extended to include material disposed of at illegal waste sites.

Mr Gove said: “Organised criminals running illegal waste dumps and fly-tipping are blighting local communities. They cost our economy vast amounts of money, pollute our environment and harm our wildlife.

“We must crack-down on these criminals who have no regard for the impact they have on peoples’ lives. The time is right for us to look at how we can best tackle these antisocial and inexcusable crimes.”

Illegal siteS

More than 850 new illegal waste sites were discovered by the Environment Agency in 2016-17.

While an average of two illegal waste sites are shut down every day, they continue to create severe problems for farmers and rural businesses.

A study by the Home Office suggests that criminals may also use waste management activities such as operating illegal waste sites as a cover for crimes such as theft, human trafficking, fraud, drugs supply, firearms supply and money laundering.

Since 2014, the Environment Agency has received an extra £60 million towards enforcement work to tackle waste crime.

The consultation follows survey results which reveal that almost two thirds of farmers and landowners have been affected by fly-tipping, and over half agree it is a significant issue in their area.

Neil Parish MP, Chair of the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee, said “fly tipping is not a victimless crime” and said that “the onus should not be on landowners and farmers” who are innocent and yet face a legal obligation to deal with waste on private land.

Fly tippers and waste criminals cost the English economy more than £600 million in 2015.