‘Old Trafford is hot spot for fly-tippers’: MP hails van crushing move

An MP for an area plagued by fly-tippers has welcomed Government plans to crack down on people who illegally dump their waste, allowing offenders’ vans to be crushed.

Stretford and Urmston MP Andrew Western has responded after it was announced that the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) would slashing red-tape blocking the destruction of the vehicles.

DEFRA has proposed that offenders themselves will be forced to cover the cost of the council seizing and crushing their vehicles – creating a new deterrent and saving local authorities thousands.

In addition, waste cowboys will now face up to five years in prison for operating illegally.

Welcoming the move, Mr Western said: “Fly-tipping skyrocketed under the Tories, and I know from my casework that residents in our area are sick of their streets being plagued with foul-smelling rubbish.

“Old Trafford has been a particular hot spot for fly-tippers, and I am pleased that our Government is helping councils and local communities get tough.

“These new powers will help Trafford council to clamp down on those committing waste crime.

“Waste crime not only makes our communities dirtier – but also diverts thousands from cash-strapped council budgets which could be better spent helping those who need it”.

Fly-tipping has skyrocketed by a fifth whilst the number of prosecutions has fallen by the same amount since 2018/19.

The Environment Agency will also carry out identity and criminal record checks on operators in the sector so there is nowhere to hide for rogue firms.

It will be handed more resources as they will now be able to fund the cost of policing the industry through permits, boosting their powers and cutting costs for taxpayers. The reforms will also give them more power to revoke permits, issue enforcement notices and hefty fines.

Environment Secretary, Steve Reed, said: “Waste criminals and fly-tippers who blight our towns and villages have gone unpunished for too long.

“That ends today. The Government is calling time on fly-tipping. I will not stand by while this avalanche of rubbish buries our communities. “