Stephen Morgan MP has said the new Labour Government crackdown on cowboy waste operators will tackle soaring fly-tipping and clean up Portsmouth’s streets.
Under new plans waste criminals, fly-tippers and cowboy waste operators will have their vehicles seized and crushed.
Mr Morgan made the comments at a public meeting in the city following figures which showed Portsmouth dealt with a record number of fly-tipping incidents last year.
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.
The Defra figures showed a slight drop in the number of enforcement actions, with fixed-penalty notices falling by 5% to 63,300 fines last year. This includes 17 notices issued in Portsmouth.
Ministers have launched a rapid review to slash red tape blocking councils from seizing and crushing vehicles.
Councils will work with the police to identify, seize and crush vehicles of waste criminals. Drones and mobile CCTV cameras will be deployed to identify cars and vans belonging to fly-tippers so they can be destroyed.
Under new plans fly-tippers will cover the cost of seizing and storing vehicles rather than councils, saving taxpayers money.
In addition, any criminals caught transporting and dealing with waste illegally will now face up to five years in prison under new legislation.
Fly-tipping has skyrocketed by a fifth whilst the number of prosecutions has fallen by the same amount since 2018/19.
Commenting, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan 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.
“The latest figures show fly-tipping incidents have been increasing in Portsmouth in recent years, whilst the number of enforcement actions has dropped with just 17 notices issued last year.
“That’s why I brought together Portsmouth people to hear their views and share what the Government is doing to crackdown on fly-tipping.
“This includes new powers to seize and crush the vehicles of waste criminals and fly-tippers to punish those who dump waste, tackling the scourge of waste crime and making our streets cleaner.”
Mr Morgan has encouraged local people to fill in Portsmouth Labour’s survey on street cleanliness and rubbish in the city. You can fill in the survey here.
