Defra launches consultation at Fly-tipping Summit

27 July 2012

Lord Taylor of Holbeach hosted Defra's Fly-tipping Summit yesterday attended by about 50 stakeholders representing the full spectrum of interests engaged in preventing or responding to fly-tipping.

The Summit was used to announce the launch of a 2 month informal consultation on a new draft Fly-tipping Partnership Framework [Fly-tipping Partnership Framework]. The Framework sets out "a combination of principles and options around best practice that may be used directly or adapted by local groups and partnerships to tackle fly-tipping in a way that suits local circumstances".

Defra is keen to encourage local authorities working in partnership with landowners and land managers (and others) to pilot the options in the Framework that best suit their local circumstances. To this end, Defra is looking to support, including through some limited funding, a small number of local authorities who are developing innovative and partnership approaches to tackling the problem. The consultation closes on 23rd September.

CIWM will deliver member comment on and input to the draft Framework and will seek to highlight and support good performance under it in future. Yesterday's summit also presented case studies from existing good practice, including the work done through Boston Borough Council and the North West Environmental Crime Forum - both of which we intend to cover in the CIWM magazine later this year.

The new Framework has been developed through the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group (www.tacklingfly-tipping.com), a broadly based working group comprised of landowners regulators, industry representatives from farming to waste management, environmental groups etc. The group has taken a lead on various elements of the Government's Fly-tipping Strategy from 2005, including the production of a guide for landowners on tackling fly-tipping (A guide for landowners and land managers)

CIWM recognises that direct action to prevent, report / investigate and clear fly-tipping needs strong and effective co-ordination between a range of parties at a local level - and that this framework will help to achieve that. CIWM also recognises that locally co-ordinated action must also be supported through measures that only Government can provide. This includes:

• more efficient enforcement powers for local authorities, proportionate to the scale and cost of fly-tipping, including specific fixed penalty notices;
• clear advice and support to magistrates through the Sentencing Council to ensure that penalties imposed by courts reflect damage done and profits made through fly-tipping; and
• enhanced waste carrier registration controls and vehicle seizure procedures as included in the Defra 2011 Waste Policy Review.

CIWM is also keen to see progress on these proposals both through Defra and co-ordinated action with other government departments - most notably DCLG whose support for local authorities and others should be broader than just support for weekly household waste collection.

Defra confirmed they wish to focus future thinking and proposals for action on fly-tipping through the NFTPG. CIWM will work through its Waste Collection and Cleansing Special Interest Group (chaired by S Robinson) to put new ideas forwards - ranging from incident reporting through powers to respond and broader preventative mechanisms such as end of life levies for problem materials such as tyres and mattresses for example - and to develop and support best practice and skills. Partnership working and Government action is needed to support all parties engaged in delivering safer, cleaner and greener communities.

For more information contact Tina Benfield on 01604 620426 or tina.benfield@ciwm.co.uk

ENDS