UK to Let Councils Crush Fly-Tippers' Vehicles, Use Drones; Offenders Face 5 Years Prison Amid 1.15M Incidents
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The UK government has announced new measures to tackle fly-tipping, including proposed legislation that would allow councils to seize and crush vehicles used in illegal waste dumping. Offenders could face up to five years in prison, and would be required to cover the costs of seizing and storing their vehicles. No new funding will be provided to councils, with ministers stating that the recent seven percent budget increase should be used for these initiatives.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed said councils will be expected to use drones and mobile CCTV to identify, track, and seize vehicles involved in fly-tipping. The Environment Agency will receive increased powers and resources to carry out identity and criminal record checks on waste operators, revoke permits, and issue fines.
Official figures show that local authorities in England dealt with a record 1.15 million fly-tipping incidents in 2023/24, a 20% increase from 2018/19. Only two councils accounted for more than 60% of vehicle seizures last year. The government attributes the rise in incidents to insufficient enforcement under the previous Conservative administration, while the opposition claims Labour-run councils are failing to manage waste effectively. Of the 50 worst local areas for fly-tipping, 72% are Labour controlled.
The crackdown coincides with ongoing refuse collection disputes, notably in Birmingham, where a seven-week bin strike over pay has left 20,000 tonnes of rubbish uncollected. The city council has called in the army to help address the backlog, and there are growing concerns about public health and pest infestations.
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🤦🏼♂️The only thing Labour has delivered since the general election are rats the size of cats.
🥀The hardworking taxpayer always foots the bill for Labour’s chaos and waste in our local councils. https://t.co/utoiRLNFFI
The man brought in to sort Birmingham City Council's finances says refuse collection "has not been a good service", as the city-wide bin strike continues.
Background: https://t.co/rgoPZQnIAq https://t.co/ijNF6wDf1N
