The vast majority of local authority waste officers think their local authority does not have enough resources and capacity to effectively tackle waste crimes such as fly-tipping, a new poll has revealed.
The Government has set a target to eliminate waste crime by 2043 and recently announced an additional £775,000 additional grant funding for a number of councils to tackle fly-tipping.
However, a new poll by LARAC (Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee) has revealed that 91% of waste officers think their council does not have enough resources and capacity to deal with waste crime effectively.
Carried out in partnership with FCC Environment, the poll of over 100 officers also found that 77% think their local authority will fail to deliver on the Government’s 2043 pledge.
Nearly all (95%) said they think the Environment Agency has insufficient enforcement funding to tackle waste crime and is not taking enough enforcement action.
Cathy Cook, chair of LARAC, added: ‘It is clear that our members are committed to tackling waste crime in their local authority areas, but we know more funding and resources are needed to fully address the issue.
‘Waste crime hampers our environmental objectives and can be a blight on our landscapes. Our members believe this matter is a high priority and we would like to see it treated as such.’
A Defra spokesperson said: 'We have strengthened regulators' powers, are tightening the law and have increased the Environment Agency's budget by £10m per year to make it harder for rogue operators to find work in the sector and easier for regulators to take action against criminals.'
