Thousands of signatures against fly-tipping presented to Minister Dan Norris by CLA

The CLA have today presented Dan Norris MP, Minister for Rural Affairs and Environment, with a petition with more than 2,000 signatures - calling for action on fly-tipping.

The petition was presented by CLA President Henry Aubrey-Fletcher and CLA Deputy President William Worsley at Defra’s Nobel House, central London.

The CLA President said: "We hope our petition will drive home to the Minister how strongly people feel about this issue, and that there needs to be more action taken by the Government and local authorities on the problem of fly-tipping.

"The petition says that the law is unfair and needs to be changed, and that more vigorous pursuit of fly-tipping offenders is needed, and local tips should readily accept fly-tipped waste from local farmers and land managers."

The CLA Deputy President said: "A survey earlier this year by the Environment Agency indicated that fly-tipped waste on private land costs property owners £100 million to £150 million a year in clear-up fees. If it is toxic waste that can leak into the water table, it can cost a landowner thousands of pounds to put right.

"Since the introduction of the Landfill Tax, more fly-tipping has been taking place. Processes need to be created to ensure waste is recycled more easily. The Government needs to consider the unintended consequences of the Landfill Tax and make changes to the system to compensate."

The CLA campaign is moving into second phase – with the onus on fighting Environmental Crime.