Fly-tippers could lose their driving licence if they are caught blighting streets or the countryside with waste now that powerful legislation is set to come into force giving the courts new powers.
The measures are part of the Policing and Crime Act and mean that those who repeatedly break the law and accumulate 12 or more points within a three-year period will be at risk of disqualification from driving altogether, acting as a tough deterrent against dumping waste illegally. In some instances, offenders may get 9 points for a single incident.
The move is a central part of the government’s Waste Crime Action Plan, which sets out a wide-ranging crackdown on waste criminals, from those dumping rubbish on high streets and roadsides to operators running large illegal waste sites. With most fly-tips being around the same size as the back of a small van, the government is determined to target the vehicles — and the licences — that enable this offending.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said
Fly-tipping is a disgrace that blights our communities, harms our environment and damages our economy.
Courts will soon be able to strip repeat fly-tippers of their driving licences, hitting offenders where it hurts and helping to clean up our streets. This is just one measure from our Waste Crime Action Plan to crack down on criminals.
Our message is simple if you dump waste illegally, you will face the consequences.
The courts already have a range of powers available when sentencing fly-tippers, including the ability to issue heavy fines, impose community sentences or hand down prison sentences. The new penalty points measure adds a further tool, giving courts the ability to restrict offenders’ freedom to drive as part of any conviction for fly-tipping.
The new Waste Crime Action Plan sets out a zero-tolerance approach, with action to prevent waste crime at its source by closing loopholes and equipping regulators with the tools they need to stop waste criminals. Changes in the plan include ordering offenders to complete up to 20 hours of unpaid work cleaning streets and parks as part of new clean-up squads to restore pride in our towns, requiring them to pay the cost of clearing the waste they illegally dumped and naming and shaming illegal waste operators.
The government is also making around £78 billion available to council budgets in England this year as part of the first multi-year funding settlement in over a decade. This funding will help local authorities fulfil key responsibilities, including tackling fly-tipping and pursuing prosecutions, and underlines the government’s commitment to giving councils the resources they need to keep communities clean and safe.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- Driving licence holders can be disqualified from driving if they build up 12 or more penalty points within a period of three years.
- Convicted fly-tippers can already face heavy fines, community sentences or prison under existing legislation.