'Urgent action is needed to tackle fly-tipping around Frindsbury and Upnor' - say Medway Liberal Democrats

* Image by Alan Wells

Medway Liberal Democrats are calling on the council to take action to tackle the increasing problem of fly-tipping around Frindsbury, Wainscott and Upnor. We have seen for ourselves huge mounds of construction and commercial waste illegally dumped on an industrial-scale in the area, which is affecting the immediate environment. In recent months there has been numerous fly-tipping incidents around the area. This type of waste crime has been reported to the council and now has to be a key priority.

The sites targeted (amongst others) that we know of are:

Land located off Berwick Way/Upnor Road towards Medway City Estate

Land located between Hasted Road and Islingham Farm Road approaching (Wainscott bypass)

Medway City Estate/Anthony's Way MacDonalds/Co-op area.

To crack down on the problem, the council could install CCTV at the fly-tipping hotspots and introduce a 'Caught on Camera' campaign across Medway to deter and identify fly-tippers. This approach has proven successful elsewhere, with a 'Wall of Shame' campaign, where video and images of fly-tipping are published, and asking residents to help identify the perpetrators, with the locations of the cameras based on fly-tipping complaints. The council should also undertake a joint operation with the police, to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, with stop-and-search exercises to ensure that the right waste goes to the right place.

Alan Wells, spokesperson for Medway Liberal Democrats said, "Fly-tipping has a detrimental effect on the look and feel of our area and the dumpers, must of made multiple visits, to the sites in Frindsbury and Upnor. Fly-tippers don't care about the environment or our communities, with rural paths and views blocked by lorry loads of commercial and industrial waste.

As reported on KM Online, Medway has the highest amount of fly tipping in Kent, with 5,141 reported incidents, 2019/20,(https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/revealed-the-fly-tipping-capital-of-kent-247392/), with residents and landowners forced to deal with the potential health and environmental hazards the rubbish represents. The council, farmers and other private landowners need to secure their property to deter environmental crime. Fly-tipping will not be tolerated, and our green spaces should be there to be enjoyed by the whole community."

Actions to reduce such environmental crime and pollution have a positive effect on those blighted by the menace of fly-tipping. Prompt reporting will not only get rubbish cleared up quicker, it will also make it easier to catch the perpetrators. If you have any information around serious and organised waste crime, this can be reported to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. The register of waste carriers can be checked on the Environment Agency website. If found guilty of fly tipping, individuals can face fines of up to £50,000 or imprisonment of up to a year. Vehicles used for fly tipping can also be seized.

ENDS

Additional information for Editors:

It's crucial that police, government agencies and local authorities work more closely together to tackle the problem by sharing information to ensure more offenders are being prosecuted

Fly-tipping is a crime which blights communities, poses a risk to public health and the environment, and costs up to £392 million a year. Local authorities dealt with 1.13 million fly-tipping incidents in 2020/21, up by 16% from 2019/20.

There were over 60,000 fly-tipping incidents with construction, demolition and excavation material in 2020/21, an increase of 18% from 2019/20.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-announces-new-crackdown-on-fly-tipping

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fly-tipping-council-responsibilities

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/revealed-the-fly-tipping-capital-of-kent-247392/

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/shock-as-500-tons-of-waste-is-flytipped-256195/