(Image: T&A)
BRADFORD Council has welcomed a Government crackdown on waste dumping linked to organised crime.
The council issued its statement after Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced plans to target illegal waste sites and those behind them.
A 2,000-tonne dumping site on Midland Road, Bradford, has been identified for a possible clean-up under a national scheme.
The Government is funding the clearance of three of the country’s worst illegal waste sites, including Midland Road, subject to a feasibility assessment.
The announcement forms part of a wider enforcement package.
Authorities will get more power to track down waste criminals, while Midland Road is assessed before work starts.
The illegal waste site on Midland Road
(Image: Environment Agency)
What Bradford Council leader has said
Cllr Stephen Place, leader of Bradford Council, said: “Giving local leaders a greater role in tackling waste crime means decisions can be driven by those who understand the challenges on the ground.
“Communities deserve to feel proud of the places they live, and waste criminals have no place in our neighbourhoods."
Bradford Council said closer partnerships, better intelligence sharing and targeted enforcement would drive the crackdown.
The aim is to stop individuals and organised crime groups profiting from illegal dumping, the council said.
Council Leader Stephen Place
(Image: T&A)
'Nowhere to hide'
Cllr Place said: “Our message is clear – there will be nowhere to hide for those who blight our communities for personal gain."
Cllr Ian Walker, the council’s Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Communities, said: “This is positive news for local residents.
"We welcome the Government’s announcement that it will pay for the clearance of the illegal fly-tipping site on Midland Road, which has blighted the neighbourhood for months.
"It is vital that work now begins as soon as possible to remove the site and improve the area for the local community.”
Mayor backs PM's plea
The site has blighted the Midland Road neighbourhood for months.
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin also backed the crackdown on waste crime.
She said: “Fly tipping is completely unacceptable.”
“Hard-working people should not have to live with the consequences and foot the bill while individuals and organised crime groups dump waste in their communities.”
What the Government is doing
The national scheme is intended to address sites where waste has been dumped for profit.
It also gives local authorities a greater role in deciding how enforcement should be carried out.
Bradford Council said local leaders understood their communities and could direct action to protect neighbourhoods and improve affected areas.
The Government’s proposed clean-up of Midland Road remains subject to the assessment.
Further details about the timetable and enforcement action are expected after that process is completed.
The package will also increase fines for waste offences from £300 to £5,000 and use drones, more police involvement and additional Environment Agency officers to target criminal gangs.