'Not a victimless crime' - Blackpool MP Chris Webb on major crackdown on £1bn waste crime business
“Whether it's a back street, a patch of open land, or somewhere that should be a green space for families to enjoy, illegal dumping drags down whole neighbourhoods and far too often, it's honest residents and hard-pressed councils left to pick up the bill and the mess.
The government has announced a national crackdown on fly-tipping after new figures found that the UK economy loses £1 billion a year on illegal waste management.
Blackpool South MP Chris Webb has welcomed the national crackdown, pledging to ensure the new powers are used effectively to tackle fly-tipping across the town.
One in five tonnes of waste in England is illegally disposed of, with 1.6 million incidents reported nationwide.
In Blackpool, fly-tipping has become an increasingly important issue. More than 5,000 reports of illegal waste were flagged in 2024, with Blackpool Council spending more than £300,000 per year to help tackle the issue.
In response to the ongoing national crisis, the government has announced that fly-tipping fines issued by the Environment Agency are rising from £300 to £5000.
The news will be welcomed across Blackpool at a time when the town is working hard to improve its image ahead of the 2029 City of Culture Bid. Blackpool is attempting to transform its town centre into a modern hub of culture, with plans for Blackpool Central and a new Arena still very much in the pipeline.
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Chris Webb MP said: “Fly-tipping isn't a victimless crime. It costs our council money that should be going into services people rely on. It damages the environment. And it chips away at the pride residents feel in their own neighbourhoods, something that is so important to us in Blackpool, who are already fighting the toxic rhetoric that our town is a dumping ground.
“Whether it's a back street, a patch of open land, or somewhere that should be a green space for families to enjoy, illegal dumping drags down whole neighbourhoods and far too often, it's honest residents and hard-pressed councils left to pick up the bill and the mess.
“Enveco Blackpool do a great job of clearing it up rapidly once alerted to it, but time and more appears in the same dumping hot spots. It’s an endless cycle, and a waste of our resources and time.
“Now the government announced its toughest crackdown yet on waste crime and it's exactly the action Blackpool needs. As your MP, I'll be pushing to make sure these new powers are used here in Blackpool and holding local agencies to account to ensure real, visible action follows.”
A nationwide consultation is underway to help shape tougher punishments for fly-tippers and those who illegally dispose of waste in the years ahead. Additionally, Blackpool Council runs a live report page which allows residents to flag fly-tipping at any time.