Prime Minister Andy Burnham has launched a major crackdown on waste criminals who dump 'mountains of rubbish' in communities across the UK, with fines set to rise by 16 times from £300 to £5,000.
On Thursday, Burnham will unveil plans to put more officers on the frontline to seize criminals' cash, cars and houses to stop them making money from illegal dumping. Drones will also be better used to root out criminal gangs running illegal waste sites.
Asset Seizures and Fines
Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued by the Environment Agency for waste offences are set to rise from £300 to £5,000. Offences could include the unauthorised disposal of waste or failing to treat it correctly.
Burnham, who entered Downing Street last month after standing down as Greater Manchester Mayor, said: 'These toxic dumps have blighted communities for too long. I said we would clean them up – and that's exactly what we're announcing today.'
'The days of making easy money out of waste are over. We're giving authorities the powers to hunt down the people responsible. We will seize their assets and shut their operations down.'
Regional Approach and Clean-Up
Burnham will also empower mayors and council leaders to lead efforts in their local areas, with a reformed partnership between national and regional agencies. West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester will be the first areas with new region-led approaches to waste crime.
Alongside the enforcement package, the government is funding the clean-up of three more of the country's most serious illegal waste sites. They are expected to include Power Station Road, Isle of Sheppey, Kent; Aymer Close, Runnymede, Surrey; and Midland Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire.
Together, the sites contain around 22,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste and are harming an estimated 2,900 families. Sites were prioritised on scale, risk to nearby communities, environmental damage, and links to persistent non-compliance and organised waste crime.
Government Response
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: 'This isn't just about people dumping rubbish. Large-scale waste sites are fuelled by serious, organised crime, and we need to use the full force of the law to tackle it and root it out at source.'
'Communities have been subjected to horrendous conditions and denied the pride they deserve in the places they call home. This ends now.'
Under the previous administration of Keir Starmer, new legislation was introduced to increase the maximum fine issued by local councils for fly-tipping to £5,000, as well as an enhanced 33-strong drone squad to track down illegal dumps from the air.
