Newcastle City Council has welcomed new measures to target the blight of fly-tippers operating in the city.
The Government has unveiled plans to give councils across the country greater powers to seize and destroy vehicles used by criminals dumping waste in a renewed attempt to clampdown on the scourge.
The new push to target waste crime has been welcomed in Newcastle, with Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Alex Hay, saying it will hit repeat offenders the hardest.
Cllr Hay, who holds responsibility for Neighbourhood Services, said: “For too long, fly-tippers have acted with complete disregard for the law, the environment, and the communities their criminal actions impact. They’ve operated with a false sense of impunity, building large operations that cost taxpayers dearly and I’m delighted we’ll have extra powers to put that to a stop.
“These new measures will make it easier for us to cripple their illegal operations by seizing the vehicles they use to carry out their crimes, destroy them at their expense, and tackle head on their capabilities to commit further offences.
“We have always taken a firm stance towards tackling fly-tippers, and I’m really pleased it will soon be easier to go even further in breaking down these illegal operations and take another step towards providing the cleaner and safer streets our communities deserve to live in.”
The plans to introduce extended powers were announced on Wednesday 30 April by Steve Reed MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
He 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.”
The plans announced also include the use of additional CCTV cameras and drones to identify cars and vans belonging to fly-tippers so they can be destroyed.
Ministers have launched a rapid review to slash red tape blocking councils from seizing and crushing vehicles. Councils currently have to bear the significant cost of seizing and storing vehicles but under new plans, being consider by Ministers, fly-tippers will cover this cost, saving councils and taxpayers money.
Fly-tipping is a criminal offence and the council regularly prosecutes perpetrators, with those convicted liable to receive an unlimited fine as well as a possible custodial sentence, depending on the severity of the case.
Earlier in April, two men – Colin Brown, 67, and Mark Creed, 57 – pleaded guilty to three counts of disposing of waste without a permit, one offence of carrying out a scrap metal business without a licence and a further waste offence when they appeared at Newcastle Magistrates Court following a council investigation. They will be sentenced in the coming weeks.
Instances of fly-tipping can be reported through the council’s website.