‘Constituents across Spen Valley have had to put up with fly-tipping for too long’: MP welcomes toughest ever crackdown on illegal waste
Kim Leadbeater has welcomed a crackdown on fly-tipping saying the people of Spen Valley have had to put up with waste crime for “too long”.
The Government has recently 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.
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.
Kim, the MP for Spen Valley, said: “Constituents across Spen Valley have had to put up with fly-tipping for too long, so this plan is a real step forward. Fly-tippers now know that if they dump their waste in our communities, there will be real consequences.
“Like many of my constituents I was very disappointed about the closure of the Nab Lane tip in Birstall, having campaigned to keep it open. However, while the closure of the local tip has caused understandable frustration, it does not take away from people’s personal responsibility to dispose of waste properly.
“I’m pleased the Government is taking action against those who refuse to take responsibility for their rubbish.”
She added: “I will continue campaigning for accessible recycling centres locally, but there is never an excuse for fly-tipping. Spen Valley is a place people are rightly proud of, and I see the best of that community spirit at events like the Great British Spring Clean litter picks I’ve joined throughout March in Birstall, East Bierley, Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton, Scholes, Roberttown and Mirfield.
“Residents work incredibly hard to look after the places they call home, and it’s only right that those who damage our environment are held accountable.”
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.
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds added: “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.”