Fly-tippers and Waste Cowboys Face New Crackdown in Weston

A major new crackdown on waste criminals and fly-tippers is being launched to clean up the streets, lanes and countryside around Weston-super-Mare, the Government announced. The new draft of measures includes;

Vehicles to be seized and crushed under tough new legislation

• Drones and mobile CCTV to track down illegal waste dumping

• Rogue waste operators face up to five years in prison

• Councils empowered to seize and destroy vehicles – with costs recovered from offenders

Dan Aldridge MP

Dan Aldridge, Labour Member of Parliament for Weston-super-Mare, said; “I want to make Weston-super-Mare one of the best places to grow up and grow old in, but fly-tipping is a major problem and has been ignored for too long by people who just don’t care. Residents here are sick of our streets being plagued by discarded rubbish and waste. It’s a disgrace that the Conservatives have failed to act. That’s why I’m standing up for change and welcoming the Labour Government’s crackdown on waste crime – punishing those who disrespect our area and cleaning up our community for good.”

Councils will now have greater powers to work with police to identify, seize, and crush vehicles used in fly-tipping. The deployment of drones and mobile CCTV cameras will play a key role in tracking offenders and gathering evidence.

PA News Agency

The move comes as part of the Labour Government’s new Plan for Change, designed to deliver safer, cleaner streets and tackle anti-social behaviour.

A rapid review will also remove red tape that has made it difficult for councils to take action. Currently, councils face high costs for seizing and storing vehicles. Under the new plan, offenders will bear these costs, saving money for taxpayers.

Waste operators found acting illegally now face up to five years in prison, sending a clear message that waste crime will no longer go unpunished.

Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 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 will support communities like Weston-super-Mare, where residents are fed up with rubbish-strewn streets and a lack of enforcement.

Fly-tipping has risen by 20% since 2018/19, while prosecutions have fallen sharply. In response, the Environment Agency will now conduct identity and criminal checks on waste operators, increase permit enforcement, and issue tough new penalties – all funded through industry permits, not the public purse.