It follows calls from local Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) for criminals, not taxpayers, to be made to pay to clean up the mess.
In February, Gloucestershire PCC Chris Nelson, along with the PCCs for Avon and Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon and Cornwall, wrote to then Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, Therese Coffey, calling for tougher sanctions to tackle the ‘growing menace’ of fly-tipping.
They identified five proposals they believe would reduce fly-tipping. These included increasing the maximum fixed penalty notices for small scale offences to £1,000 and imposing a minimum fine of £50,000 for repeat, large scale offenders.
The letter stated that whilst the group welcomed measures such as digital waste tracking, fixed penalty notices and the increased use of CCTV in fly-tipping hot spots, more needed to be done to deter fly-tipping which they described as ‘the anti-social behaviour of the countryside’.
In response, Environment Minster Rebecca Pow has promised the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) will consider their concerns and ‘Explore the effectiveness of the different enforcement options available to local authorities, including fixed penalties, and the barriers they face in using them’.
It also coincides with today’s announcement by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of a new crackdown on antisocial behaviour (ASB) in which perpetrators will face swift and visible justice, increased fines, and enhanced drug testing.
Under the new Immediate Justice scheme, people found committing anti-social behaviour will be made to repair the damage they have inflicted on victims and communities, with an ambition for them to start work as soon as 48 hours after their offence so victims know antisocial behaviour is treated seriously and with urgency.
Under the zero-tolerance approach, Nitrous oxide or “laughing gas” will also banned to send a clear message to intimidating gangs, that hang around high streets and children’s parks and litter them with empty canisters.
