MPs warn of rubbish crisis as Somerset faces recycling centre closures

Pile of rubbish left at the side of a rural road

Fly Tipping is becoming an increasing problem for farmers, and MPs have said it will only worsen by closing Somerset’s waste facilities.

Sarah Dyke, MP for Somerset and Frome spoke of the need to do more to protect rural areas at a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday, February 6.

Sarah Jones, Labour MP for Croydon Central, who secured the debate, said that fly-tipping causes “great distress” to many of her constituents and called for a “constructive discussion” about how to bring about change.

She was supported by Sarah Dyke, Lib Dem MP who said that fly-tipping is a “massive” problem for farmers, who often have to bear the cost and environmental impact of removing rubbish from their land.

She said: “Owing to the financial difficulties facing many authorities across the country, Somerset Council is considering closing up to five household waste recycling centres across the county, including one at Dimmer in my constituency, which will increase the likelihood of fly-tipping in what is an incredibly rural area.

“We need to urgently give local authorities the funding required to keep important recycling centres open, particularly in rural areas, reducing the cost burden on our local authorities and also on our environment.”

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Robbie Moore, said that fly-tipping is an “absolute disgrace” that harms the environment, blights communities and burdens the economy.

He said that the Government is committed to driving down fly-tipping through tough enforcement and regulation, better education and improved infrastructure.

He explained: “In recent years, we have given councils tougher powers and grants to tackle fly-tipping hotspots, and have worked with stakeholders to co-design a fly-tipping toolkit to help landowners, councils and businesses to tackle common issues. The latest statistics may show that the tide is beginning to turn, with fly-tipping on public land down for the second year running, but we know that there is much more to do.”

He said that the Government has increased the maximum penalty councils can issue for fly-tipping from £400 to £1,000, and the penalty for householders who give waste to a fly-tipper from £400 to £600.

He also said that the Government is working with the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group, which includes organisations such as the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Environment Agency, to identify issues and create tools to tackle this issue.

He continued: “We work with stakeholders such as the National Farmers Union and the Country Land and Business Association to promote and disseminate good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land. However, we recognise that there is much more to do, which is why we committed in our “Unleashing rural opportunity” paper to fund a post within the National Rural Crime Unit to explore how the role of the police in tackling fly-tipping can be optimised, with a focus specifically on rural areas. That will include training for police officers and work on intelligence sharing across borders.”

He said that the Government is educating households and businesses about the importance of using registered waste carriers, and is introducing mandatory digital waste tracking and new requirements for waste carriers to place their permit number on advertising.

He concluded: “The Government are committed to continuing to drive down fly-tipping on our streets and in our countryside. Through tough enforcement and regulation, better education and improved infrastructure, we will put a stop to waste criminals.”