Portsmouth labour welcomes new powers to seize and crush fly-tipping vehicles
Portsmouth Labour has welcomed proposed government measures to seize and crush vehicles used in fly-tipping, as incidents reach record levels in the city.
Under new plans revealed on Tuesday (29 April), councils will be able to work with police to identify, seize, and crush vehicles used for fly-tipping. Drones and mobile CCTV cameras will be used to track down the cars and vans involved.
A new review will also remove red tape that currently makes it hard for councils to take action. Right now, local authorities often have to pay to seize and store these vehicles. Under the new rules, those costs will be covered by the fly-tippers themselves, saving money for councils and taxpayers.
Anyone caught dealing with or transporting waste illegally could face up to five years in prison although this would require a change in law.
The Environment Agency will be allowed to carry out identity and criminal record checks, take away waste licences, issue fines, and use money raised from permits to fund enforcement efforts.
Amanda Martin, Labour MP for Portsmouth North, said: “I want to make Portsmouth one of the best places to grow up and grow old in, but fly-tipping is a major problem and has been ignored for too long by people who just don’t care.
“Residents around here are sick of our streets being plagued by discarded rubbish and waste and it is a disgrace that the Lib Dems have done nothing to tackle it. It’s gone unpunished for far too long.
“That’s why I’m standing up for change and welcoming the Labour Government’s fly-tipping crackdown that will punish waste cowboys, tackle the scourge of waste crime, and tell those who disrespect our area where to go.”
Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan welcomed the changes and encouraged residents to take part in Portsmouth Labour’s local survey on street cleanliness.
“Portsmouth residents frequently tell me they are sick of seeing litter, fly-tipping, graffiti and dog mess blighting our streets,” he said. “As shown by our survey of local people, nowhere near enough is being done locally to tackle this issue.”
Labour group leader and Central Southsea Councillor Charlotte Gerada said Portsmouth Labour councillors had been raising concerns about the “scourge of fly-tipping and unclean streets” for over a year.
“So many of you are telling us the council just isn’t getting the basics right and how run down some parts of our city are looking. I’ve tried to make councillors from other parties aware of the dire situation people are experiencing—particularly in areas like Fratton—only to be told residents are ‘staging’ the pictures or we’re exaggerating the problem. These new measures announced today will go a long way in tackling this problem and I can’t wait to see them in action.”
Recent figures from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs show 1,092 fly-tipping incidents were reported in Portsmouth in the year to March 2024 – up from 751 the year before. It was the highest level since comparable local records began in 2019-20.
Residents can view the full plan and take part in the local survey via Portsmouth Labour’s website.