Tim Farron has been speaking out about fly-tipping; specifically the fact that only 1 in 500 incidents last year led to prosecution. He claims that it has been “effectively legalised”.
He says:
The fact that fly-tipping is going unpunished is simply appalling. If people aren’t being fined, it’s no wonder that they think they can dump their rubbish on the streets without consequence.
Brits do the right thing with their waste, but a badly behaved minority is spoiling our environment.
The lack of action on this issue from the Government sends out the message that they do not take it seriously enough. They have effectively legalised littering through their inaction.
The Lib Dems take more action against fly-tippers by increasing the cost of the fine and using the profits to crackdown on fly-tippers.
With local elections around the corner, communities must vote to clean up the mess that the current government has created.
Fly-tipping is a good issue for campaigners in the current local elections, because it is visible and no one (apart from the culprits) likes it.
I’m sorry, though, that he didn’t mention some of the innovative solutions that are being used where Lib Dems are in control. It’s not simply a matter of increasing fines – it has to be about identifying and chasing the perpetrators. We learnt about one approach in a recent post from Cllr John Sweeney in Kingston upon Thames, who has a portfolio that includes waste and recycling. “Beyond potholes … addressing fly-tipping is an issue LibDems can campaign on in cities everywhere“.
John explains here:
Note that he refers to a partnership with Vodaphone. For over 20 years Kingston has worked with commercial organisations as partners, not as contractors. This has been highly successful. A longer term commitment means that a company can afford to invest more into the arrangement. This is coupled with open book accounting, retention of staff and jointly agreed targets.
By all means let’s attack the Government for ignoring the problem, but at the same time we can point to Lib Dem successes when they are given a chance.
* Mary Reid is a contributing editor on Lib Dem Voice. She was a councillor in Kingston upon Thames, where she is still very active with the local party, and is the Hon President of Kingston Lib Dems.
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3 Comments
Might water companies be fly tipping human waste?
Might it be a submerged policy of the (current) government to under-provide the human and financial resources needed to support the management needed to maintain and advance the health and quality of our society?
Might one of their deeper unstated policies be one of weakening our society and so lessening coherent opposition to their basic policy of polarising our society?
Steve Trevethan.This is quite possible.You destroy the structures of a society to divide and conquer. To create division, insecurity etc.You then say we need reorganising and people go for it desperate for security.
The solution to flytipping is to make it easy for people to dispose of their waste legally. Closing tips for financial reasons and thus forcing people to travel further to get rid of their waste is a proven way to increase fly tipping. Council collections of bulky items should be free.