Haringey Labour has launched a new campaign calling for councils to have more powers to deal with Fly-tippers and people dumping rubbish on streets. Fly-tipping is a blight on our community, with recent research highlighting that fly-tipping incidents have risen by nearly 40 per cent across England since 2012. Although council’s have the power to issue £400 fines, often these barely cover the cost of clean-ups and don’t cover the costs of enforcement officers.

Sign our petition calling on the Government to give councils like Haringey more powers to take on Fly-tippers, by increasing the fine Local Authorities can give to £2,000 plus the cost of clearing fly-tips. It also calls for masures such as providing-fenced funding to Local Authorities to investigate and prosecute fly-tippers, making it compulsory that Local Authorities are reimbursed for clearing costs, as well as legal costs from fines issued in court and reviewing guidance to courts to ensure offenders face tougher sentences.

Cllr Seema Chandwani, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said:
“Councils are only able to fine fly-tippers £400, less than a price of a skip. It makes a complete mockery of our enforcement efforts. It is illogical that council’s are spending more to issue a fine than the fine is worth.

Since 2012, fly-tipping has risen nearly 40% across the UK, it is now time for the Government to take action and give Councils powers that seriously address this issue and give statutory funding to Local Authorities which tackles this growing problem blighting our communities.

To:
Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP: Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP: Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government

In 2014 new guidelines were issued which gave powers to courts to give a maximum fine of £50,000 or 12 months in prison. In 2016 the Government gave Local Authorities the power to issue £400 fines to those caught fly-tipping.

However, 2019 Local Government Association research highlights that fly-tipping incidents have risen by 39.6% across England since 2012.

We believe that:

• £400 fines are not enough and, in many cases, barely cover the clean-up of the fly-tips and certainly do not cover the costs of Enforcement officers.
• Councils are facing huge pressures on their budgets and money to exercise this discretionary power is becoming harder to find.
• No one has yet been given the maximum fine of £50,000 or been given a 12-month prison sentence.

We call on the Government to:

• Increase the fine Local Authorities can give to £2,000 plus the cost of clearing fly-tips.
• Provide ring-fenced funding to Local Authorities to investigate and prosecute fly-tippers.
• Make it compulsory that Local Authorities are reimbursed for clearing costs and investigation time as well as legal costs from fines issued in court.
• Review guidance to courts to ensure offenders face tougher sentences.