Waste criminals, fly-tippers and cowboy waste operators to have vehicles seized and crushed
New technology such as drones and mobile CCTV will be used to identify fly-tip vehicles
Waste cowboys face up to five years in prison under new legislation
Hertsmere Borough Council will work with the police to identify, seize and crush vehicles of waste criminals under new plans to crackdown on cowboy waste operators just announced by the Labour Government.
Drones and mobile CCTV cameras are set to be deployed to identify cars and vans belonging to fly-tippers across the country so they can be destroyed. In addition, ministers have launched a rapid review to slash red tape blocking councils from seizing and crushing vehicles. Councils currently have to bear the significant cost of seizing and storing vehicles but under new plans fly-tippers will cover this cost, saving councils and taxpayers money.
Criminals caught transporting and dealing with waste illegally will now face up to five years in prison under new legislation.
In Hertsmere, we’ve introduced a new team of Community Enforcement Officers to tackle low-level antisocial behaviour and fly-tipping. Since their introduction, we’ve been able to clear fly-tipping on Hertsmere-owned land much more quickly, while also carrying out forensic checks on dumped waste to trace its source. This work has already led to dozens of prosecutions that would not have been possible without this new initiative.
The additional powers announced by the government today will further strengthen Hertsmere Borough Council’s ability to take swift and effective action—helping us stop offenders in their tracks.
Welcoming the news, Labour’s Cllr Chris Myers, HBC’s Cabinet Member for Street Scene said,
“Working people in Hertsmere have had enough of the criminal dumpers who pollute our neighbourhoods with rubbish – and these new powers will help reinforce our zero-tolerance approach.
“Our message to waste criminals is clear – Hertsmere will not accept fly-tipping, we are actively looking to catch those who trash our communities, and when we find you, vehicles will be seized and crushed to protect our residents, and perpetrators will face up to five years in prison.
“Across the country and right here in Hertsmere Labour is taking action to deliver the change people voted for. It won’t happen overnight, but Labour’s Plan for Change is on the right track and after years of chaos and incompetence Britain is finally moving in the right direction.”
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed MP 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.
“Under the Plan for Change, this Government will seize and crush fly-tippers vans’ to clean up Britain’s streets.”
These measures support the Government’s Plan for Change and will help deliver its key mission of Safer Streets for the public, restoring communities’ faith in efforts to combat anti-social behaviour.
Waste crime is trashing communities across the country. Fly-tipping has skyrocketed by a fifth whilst the number of prosecutions has fallen by the same amount since 2018/19. The failure to punish these criminals has left our high streets, roads and countryside buried under an avalanche of rubbish.
The Environment Agency will also carry out identity and criminal record checks on operators in the sector so there is nowhere to hide for rogue firms.
It will be handed more resources as they will now be able to fund the cost of policing the industry through permits, boosting their powers and cutting costs for taxpayers. The reforms will also give them more power to revoke permits, issue enforcement notices and hefty fines.
The Government is making available £69 billion to council budgets across England – a 6.8% cash terms increase – and bringing forward the first multi-year funding settlement in a decade, to help fund key responsibilities like tackling fly-tipping.