LONDON, March 19 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
Waste criminals across England facetheir toughestevercrackdown, as the government and Environment Agency unveilasweepingpackage ofmeasures targetingillegal dumping.
ThenewWaste Crime Action Plansets out azero-tolerance approach,with action to preventwastecrime at its source byclosing loopholes and equipping regulators with the tools they need tostop waste criminals.
Under the plans,the government willramp up efforts topunishoffenderscommittingwaste crime. This couldseethemordered tocomplete up to 20 hours of unpaid work cleaning streets and parksas part of new "clean-up squads"andrequiredtorepay the cost of clearing the waste theyillegallydumped.
Expanding enforcement activity is key, and the Environment Agency will alsoincreaseits on-the-ground activityagainst waste criminals-intervening earlier on larger sites.Backedby anadditional£45 millionfromthe governmentoverthenext three years, this willstrengthenenforcementactivityand ensurewaste criminals face the consequences of their actions.This represents a significant uplift of the Environment Agency's enforcementbudget,which stood at £10 million in 2024/25.
The government will directly fund the clean-up ofsome oftheworstillegal waste sitesin the country including inWigan,Sheffieldand Lancashire- where a combined 48,000 tonnes of waste has been illegally dumped.The Environment Agency has already conducted preliminary assessments of these sites, withfurther clean-up assessments to come.
Thegovernment is forcing fly-tippers to pay to clean up illegal waste sites, itwillalso introducea Landfill Tax rebate for local authoritiesthat step up to clearsites,easing financial pressuresonauthorities.
For too many communities across England, criminalshave left them living in the shadow - and the smell - of illegal waste sites-butthis government will not put up withit.
Secretary of State for the Environment,Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds said:
Waste criminals have been damaging our communities, countryside,environmentand economy for too long. This Action Plan sends a clear message: dump illegally and you will face the full consequences.
Waste criminals will be forced to join clean up squads andmade topayfor theclearingofillegal waste sites. We will give enforcement officers new police-style powers to bring offenders to justice."
As part of a new 10 Point Plan, the Environment Agency has set out how it will act earlier to address illegal activity and deliver more consistent enforcement action. This includes making greater use of restriction notices - powers that can shut down an illegal waste operationimmediately, with no warning. Any operator who ignores a restriction notice faces up to 51 weeks in prison.
Whereevidenceshows that carriers or operators are handling waste illegally, the Environment Agency will also act decisively - suspending or revoking their permits and deregistering authorisations that will shut them down.
Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, Philip Duffy said:
Wastecrime is not a new issue, but the threatis evolving and our response needs to move up a gear.
We will act earlier, faster and smarter byshutting down illegal sites before they become established, using our powers decisively to strip rogue operators of their permits, and working with police, HMRC andcouncilsto go after criminal assets.
These measures will ensure we stay one step ahead of waste criminalsand protectthe communities,businessesand environment thattheyblight.
But we can't fight this battle on ourown andwill need the public's eyes and ears to reportillegal dumpingthrough Crimestoppers or our incident hotline."
The measures announced today represent a fundamental step up in tackling waste crime, targeting the problem at its root to prevent illegal sites from ever taking hold. Measures include:
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New enforcement powers:Defra and the Home Office will arm Environment Agency officers with new police-style powers to intervene earlier, bring more criminals tojusticeand hit organised gangs where it hurts by disrupting their finances.
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Boosted enforcement budget:Anadditional£45 million for the Environment Agency to spend on waste crime enforcement over the next threefinancial years, on top of the £5.6 million increase for thisfinancial yearannounced previously.
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New Intelligence Unit toidentifyrisks earlier: The Environment Agency will create a new Operational Waste Intelligence and Analysis Unit to hunt down waste criminals using every tool available - from aerial surveillance to financial data - and ensure enforcement is faster and smarter.
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Penalty points on driving licences: Defra and the Department for Transport will give courts the power to award penalty points on driving licences for fly-tipping offences.Litter loutsresponsible for the most serious cases could facelosing their licence altogether. This will make it harder for repeat offenders to continue dumping illegally.
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Naming illegal waste operators: For the first time, illegal waste operators will be named and shamed by the Environment Agency. Information will be shared across the waste sector to put waste criminals on notice and ensure waste is not put in the wrong hands.
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Supporting landowners:Defra will work with the insurance industry to create more comprehensive policies and remove any existing barriers, helping farmers,businessesand landowners to be covered for the cost of clearing illegally dumped waste from their land.
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Clean up the worst illegal waste sites: the government is now committing to clearing upsome ofthemostegregious sites and will start on-sitefeasibilityassessmentsfor the following sites as soon as possible:
* Bolton House RoadinWigan where 18,000 tonnes of waste was dumped
* A stretch of landinHyndburn where 10,000 tonnes of waste was dumped
* An industrial site inSheffield where 20,000 tonnes of waste was dumped
* ALandfillTax rebate scheme for local authorities:The government is aware of concerns that Landfill Tax can be a blocker to clearance ofhigh-riskillegal waste sites. We will therefore develop with local authorities a rebate scheme for landfill tax to tackle this issue.
Waste crime costs the English economy £1 billion every year, with anestimated20% of all waste illegally managed. The criminal networks behind it are becoming increasingly sophisticated, causing serious harm to communities and the environment, undercutting legitimatebusinessesand depriving the public purse of millions in lost tax revenue.
The Action Plan builds onwork already underwayin the government's war on waste crime. Since coming intopower, thisgovernment's work to tackle waste crime, includesbolstering the Joint Unit for Waste Crime to 20 specialist officers.
Successes include aserial waste crook being forced to pay over £1.4million forwidespread illegal dumping, as well asmore arrests being made as part of an investigation into illegal tipping at a site in Kidlington.
Two arrests were also made in February in relation towaste dumped in a field near Romford, with a lorry seized and mobile phones and a laptop recovered as evidence.
Chair of the Environmental Services Association (ESA) and Executive Vice President UK, SUEZ Group, John Scanlon, said:
The scourge of waste crime blights communities, damages the natural environment and undermines investment in Britain's circular economy. Factoring in all types of waste crime, including landfill tax fraud, we believe the cost to the UK economy now exceeds a billion pounds a year.
ESA members therefore welcome Government'scommitment to increase funding for waste crime enforcement and to deliver earlier, faster and more effectiveinterventions to deter, disrupt and stop illegal activities before they become environmental and financial disasters. Legitimate industry will play its part, in partnership with regulators, by sharing intelligence to help catch criminals, and by continuing to campaign for legislative change to ensure regulators and enforcement agencies have the power and resources they need to effectively deter criminals from waste activities.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
