The Government has today stepped up its war on waste crime, with the Prime Minister ordering a coordinated crackdown on the criminal gangs profiting from illegal dumping. A new Ministerial Tackling Waste Crime Alliance, chaired by Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle, will unite government, regulators, police, the National Crime Agency and mayors against waste criminals.
Only yesterday, Amanda was out in Anchorage Park reporting fly-tipping and overflowing recycling bins, so she knows first-hand the frustration this causes for local residents. People should not have to put up with rubbish being dumped or left to build up in their neighbourhoods. Amanda Martin MP welcomes the Government’s action to tackle waste crime and give councils and enforcement agencies the tools they need to deal with those responsible and keep our communities clean.
New powers will scrap the two-year time limit on confiscating cash, cars, houses and other assets bought with the proceeds of waste crime, and Fixed Penalty Notices issued by the Environment Agency for waste will rise from £300 to £5,000.
Under the plans, mayors and council leaders will be given a leading role in tackling waste crime through new regional multi-agency partnerships, with West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester the first areas to pilot the approach from autumn 2026.
A new consultation has also been launched on ‘clean-up squads’, which would give councils stronger powers to issue conditional cautions requiring fly-tippers to complete up to 20 hours of unpaid clean-up work, while recovering the cost of clearing the mess directly from offenders so taxpayers are not left to foot the bill.
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. We are cleaning up sites, but we are also stopping the cycle, driving faster prevention and disruption, better intelligence, and stronger coordination across the system.”
Portsmouth North MP Amanda Martin said: “Fly-tipping is a big issue in my postbag, and I hear regularly from residents right across Portsmouth, from Hilsea to Paulsgrove and from North End to Drayton, who are rightly frustrated by the blight that illegal dumping causes in their communities.
“This is not just an eyesore fly-tipping can damage our environment, cost taxpayers and councils millions and is often driven by organised criminal gangs who think they can get away with it.
“That is why I welcome the Government’s decision to step up the fight against waste crime. Bringing together government, regulators, police, the National Crime Agency and mayors will help us tackle these criminals at source and make sure those responsible are held to account.
“Residents in Portsmouth deserve clean, safe neighbourhoods, and I will continue to push for stronger action against fly-tipping wherever it occurs.”
