04 August 2006
Town halls have called on ministers to strengthen their powers after the government drew attention to the blight and costs of fly-tipping.
The Local Government Association said councils should be able to charge households directly for their waste, while producers and consumers should be obliged to recompense councils for the costs of disposing of packaging, electrical equipment and batteries.
The LGA's four-point 'mini-manifesto' on waste was launched this week in the face of new government figures which showed that the monthly costs of clearing up small-scale tips now tops £2.5m.
Jim Harker, vice-chair of the LGA's environment board, said: 'Local authorities must be given discretionary powers to help encourage people to take more responsibility for the way they throw their rubbish away and produce less waste in the first place.
'Councils need to be given new powers to charge households directly for the waste they throw away, and the government should take a firmer line with producers to ensure waste packaging is kept to a minimum.'
The LGA also called for tough action on single-use items – such as disposable nappies – and proper funding to enable councils to meet the waste disposal obligations set out under European directives.
According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 81% of the costs involved in fly-tipping are spent on clearance, with prevention and enforcement accounting for just 7% and 12%.
Ministers urged councils to develop an understanding of what encourages fly-tipping, adding that residents were often ignorant of the services available to them.
Research commissioned by Defra from the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science showed that while a few people dump waste on a commercial scale for big profits, there were a far greater number of occasional offenders.
Environment minister Ben Bradshaw said: 'Simple actions, such as better collection services or longer opening times at local tips are often shown to make a real difference.
'This can be combined with further discouragement through CCTV and publicising the potential fines for fly-tipping, which have been increased through the recent Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act.'
The department has published a good practice guide to help councils address the problem.
PFaug2006
