(Image: T&A)
THE Country Land and Business Association has welcomed Andy Burnham’s pledge to crack down on organised waste gangs, while warning that farmers are still being left to pay when criminals dump rubbish on private land.
Burnham announced the proposed policy measures in Bradford this week, with plans including stronger police involvement, improved intelligence-sharing and the seizure of vehicles and assets used by organised waste criminals.
Harriet Ranson, Regional Director of CLA North, said the measures were a positive step, but insisted they must result in visible enforcement.
“We have argued for years that organised waste gangs should be treated like organised criminals, so stronger police involvement, better intelligence sharing and seizing the vehicles and assets they rely on are all steps in the right direction,” she said.
However, Ms Ranson said landowners had heard similar promises before and would judge the plans by results, including prosecutions, vehicle seizures and the confiscation of criminal assets.
She added that a “glaring injustice” remained for farmers who discover large quantities of illegally dumped waste on their land.
“Innocent landowners should not be left carrying that cost,” she said.
The CLA said penalties and additional powers would only deter offenders if they believed there was a genuine prospect of being caught and punished.