Red tape hampering council enforcement against fly-tipping to be cut, Defra says

The Government has promised a fresh crackdown on "cowboy waste operators" to tackle fly-tipping, alongside plans to "slash red tape" blocking councils from seizing and crushing vehicles involved in offences.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Environment Agency (Defra) said ministers had launched a review of rules that require councils to bear the cost of seizing and storing vehicles.

It said it aimed to change the rules so that fly-tippers would cover this cost.

Harsher sentences could also be implemented that would see criminals caught transporting and dealing with waste illegally handed prison sentences of up to five years.

In addition, Defra said that new enforcement measures will see councils work with the police to identify, seize, and crush vehicles of waste criminals.

Drones and mobile CCTV cameras will also be deployed to identify cars and vans belonging to fly-tippers so they can be destroyed, the Department said.

The Government also plans to bolster funding for the Environment Agency by allowing the agency to fund the cost of policing the industry through permits.

Reforms will also hand the the Environment Agency more power to revoke permits, issue enforcement notices, and hand out  fines. 

Alongside this, the Environment Agency will carry out identity and criminal record checks on operators in the sector "so there is nowhere to hide for rogue firms", Defra's statement said.

Commenting on the plans, Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said: "These new powers will be a welcome addition to our arsenal, reinforcing our zero-tolerance stance on fly-tipping.

"We've already witnessed the positive impact of our focused efforts, and I am determined to use every tool at our disposal, including seizing vehicles, to reclaim our streets."

Adam Carey