Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

Fly-tipping: Penalties

01 October 2020 · 2 other contributors

Opened by Paul Bristow Con Peterborough

Environment

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Paul Bristow raised concerns about fly-tipping: penalties in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • MP highlighted fly-tipping as a significant issue affecting various areas of Peterborough, noting specific hotspots like the junction of Norwood Lane and Newborough Road.
  • The cost burden on Peterborough City Council is substantial, with tens of thousands of pounds spent annually on clean-up efforts.
  • The Minister committed to tackling fly-tipping through measures such as fixed penalty notices and a 500,000 budget allocation for innovative approaches.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Paul Bristow Con Peterborough

The MP highlighted fly-tipping as a significant issue affecting communities across Peterborough, from urban to rural areas. He cited specific instances such as the junction of Norwood Lane and Newborough Road being a notorious hotspot for fly-tipped waste. The cost burden on Peterborough City Council is substantial with tens of thousands of pounds spent annually in clean-up efforts. Bristow emphasised the negative psychological impact this has had, especially during lockdowns, noting that people's mental health was affected by seeing accumulated waste around them. He advocated for stricter fines and a zero-tolerance approach to tackle fly-tipping more effectively.

Other contributors (2)
  • Kieran Mullan Con Crewe and Nantwich

    Mullan highlighted the financial cost of £600 million annually for the UK economy due to fly-tipping. He also noted that over half of all incidents in his constituency occurred in Crewe, which led to significant taxpayer costs for clean-up efforts.

  • Matt Vickers Con Thornaby

    Vickers emphasised the need for a zero-tolerance approach and tougher penalties, including the use of higher fines up to £50,000 as allowed by law. He stressed the importance of supporting local councils in enforcing these measures.

Government Response

Rebecca Pow

The Minister acknowledged the severity of fly-tipping and committed to tackling this issue comprehensively. She highlighted several existing measures such as fixed penalty notices, enhanced powers for local authorities, and mandatory electronic tracking of waste proposed in the Environment Bill. The Minister also announced a £500,000 budget allocation to support innovative approaches like mobile apps for recording fly-tipping incidents on private land. She outlined ongoing efforts to reform the waste carrier regime and improve data collection methods. Additionally, she emphasised that local authorities are being supported to present robust cases in court to ensure appropriate fines are imposed.

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