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New fines may not stem rising tide of dumped
rubbish, warns CLA
THE CLA in the North has welcomed new
fixed penalty notices for fly tipping, which have come into force, but fears
they may not be enough to stem the rising tide of refuse dumped in rural areas.
Since 9 May 2016 local authorities will be able to issue fines for small scale
fly tipping of up to £400, as an alternative to prosecution, following the
introduction of new government regulations on the unauthorised deposit of waste.
According to figures from Defra, 900,000 fly tipping incidents were dealt with
by local authorities in England during 2014/15. The CLA, which represents
landowners, farmers and rural businesses, says these figures exclude much of the
waste dumped on farmland and other private land where it poses risks to local
wildlife, farm animals and the environment. Landowners are liable for any waste
that is fly tipped on their land and can be prosecuted if they do not clear it
away, often at considerable cost to their business. CLA North Regional Director
Dorothy Fairburn said:- "According to government figures, there were less
than 2,000 prosecutions for fly tipping in 2015, which is why more effective
action is urgently needed. The problem seems to have worsened recently in some
areas, possibly as a result of local authorities making changes to their
household recycling operations, and the CLA has been calling for offenders to be
dealt with more robustly. Fixed penalty notices alone will not solve the problem
as they only work if the offender is caught in the act. Farmers and rural
landowners need to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the
Police." |
