Rural economy hit by increase in fly-tipping

Rural economy hit by increase in fly-tipping

Farmers and landowners are counting the cost of increased fly-tipping after the Bank Holiday weekend.

Rural areas face a surge in illegally dumped waste following public holidays and because private landowners are liable for the clean-up process they are spending on average £844 per incident.

According to a recent survey by Farmers Weekly in association with CLA Insurance almost two thirds of farmers and landowners have been affected by fly-tipping with most victims saying they are targeted around two to three times per month.

The CLA which represents landowners, farmers and rural businesses has warned the rural economy is already facing significant uncertainty in the run up to the UK leaving the EU and extra costs for clearing illegally dumped waste are adding to the burden. It has proposed an action plan designed to tackle the anti-social behaviour and ensure farmers and landowners are not unfairly out of pocket.

CLA President Ross Murray said: “Private landowners usually find a spike in incidents after every public holiday, during the May and August Bank Holidays it is often DIY rubbish, around Christmas there are more electrical and other household items.

“However, building waste and general littering is pretty constant throughout the year with rural land nearest to the big cities most affected. Waste attracts more waste so once there is a fly-tipping hot spot more usually follows.

“Fly-tipping is not a victimless crime. Private landowners are fed up of clearing away other people’s rubbish and paying for the privilege. If they don’t act, they risk prosecution for illegal storage of waste which is simply not fair.

"We are calling on the Government to remove landowner liability to clear up waste on private land and for local councils to introduce a scheme which would allow any private landowner to dispose of fly-tipped rubbish at a waste disposal site free of charge.”

The CLA’s action plan also advocates seizing vehicles to act as a deterrent, enforcing fines for home and business owners whose waste is found in fly-tipped locations, appointing a fly-tipping co-ordinater to liaise with national agencies on the scale of the crime as well as educating the public and working in partnership to help reduce waste crime through best practice.