Labour taking action on fly-tipping as Conservative motion criticised
Labour in Swindon says it is already taking decisive action to tackle fly-tipping, following a Conservative motion which the administration says fails to reflect the work already underway.
Since taking office, Labour has significantly expanded the council’s enforcement capacity, rebuilding a team that previously consisted of just one officer.
The enforcement service now includes four fully warranted officers, an Enforcement Manager, and a further four officers due to be in post by the end of February.
The expanded team has increased investigations, reduced a large backlog of cases and is modernising how enforcement is carried out, including reviewing higher fines and new technology to issue penalties more efficiently.
Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, Cllr Chris Watt, said the improvements show real progress is already being delivered.
“We’ve rebuilt a team from one to eight officers, slashed our backlog by 80%, and are already exploring £1,000 fines and instant enforcement tools."
"That’s real progress, while the Conservative motion ignores this hard work, offering only soundbites when we’re delivering results.”
Labour says fly-tipping remains a priority, with further work planned to strengthen enforcement, improve reporting and maintain public confidence that incidents are being taken seriously.