Buckinghamshire Council calls for harsher penalties for fly-tipping
The council is standing up to fly-tipping, and is pushing for more action
Buckinghamshire Council wants to deter people from fly-tipping, which has worsened during the pandemic.
They have worked with over 150 local authorities to ask the Sentencing Council to impose tougher sentences against people fly-tipping in the area.
The 30% increase on fly-tipping in Buckinghamshire is what has prompted their demands for tougher action, with the aim of deterring people from doing it in the first place.
What is fly tipping?
Fly-tipping means dumping waste illegally on unauthorized property.
It could be smaller objects, or involve a larger household item such as a mattress.
Why is it a problem?
Concerns about the impact it is having on the countryside have been raised, and the aim is to get offenders to understand the seriousness of the crime.
As well as being an eyesore, fly-tipping also poses a threat to the environment as it can contribute to issues such as pollution if they catch fire.
Where is it coming from?
People are reportedly travelling into Buckinghamshire from outside areas to leave their rubbish.
Councillor Peter Strachan said:
"To our frustration, something like 70% of fly-tipping is imported from outside the county into us.
"The problem is that the money we get back from the courts doesn’t really cover the costs of cleaning up after fly-tippers.
"We’d like to see stiffer penalties imposed.
"Maybe community service penalties would be appropriate.
"At the end of the day, it’s not that we want to blindly prosecute people.
"But the punishment has to be a deterrent.
"It’s not just social mischief, it’s criminal activity."
The Sentencing Council have issued a statement saying:
"The Sentencing Council has received a letter on behalf of a number of interested bodies including waste partnerships, local authorities and professional bodies regarding potential changes to the council’s guidelines relating to ‘fly tipping’.
"The letter raises a number of detailed suggestions as to potential amendments and we are currently giving careful consideration to the points raised."