Renewed focus on litter and fly-tipping is welcome, says CIWM, but Government response misses the mark
Commenting on the Governments response to the CLG Select Committees report on Litter and Fly-tipping in England issued this week, CIWM has welcomed the renewed focus on litter and fly-tipping and the governments renewed engagement on LEQ issues. However, the Institution also says that the response ignores some of the real challenges.
“Of course we welcome the Government’s intention to tackle these issues through the creation of a Litter Strategy Advisory Group and their support for the development of a National Litter Strategy,” says CIWM chief executive Steve Lee. “However, the response fails to acknowledge the significant impact of public spending cuts on both street cleansing services and communications related to littering and fly-tipping. A joint research project by CIWM and Ricardo-AEA earlier this year into the impact of austerity on waste services found that street cleansing was one of the first areas to be hit by budget cuts, and central funding for key organisations such as Keep Britain Tidy has been axed.
“On data, the Government’s position is unclear, and could undermine the prospect of an effective national strategy. While agreeing that better data is essential, the response leaves a question mark over future funding for the LEQSE survey, which the Committee had said provides valuable data and should continue to be used to inform policy making. There are also mixed messages on enforcement; additional enforcement options and the proposal to consult on higher FPN fines are welcome but the response glosses over the fact that local authority powers to tackle bad behaviour related to waste were curbed by the last Government.
“Ultimately, the onus to tackle litter cannot continue to rest solely on local government and a few responsible community groups, retailers and brands. In seeking to avoid “an additional regulatory burden” on business and promote voluntary approaches, the Government is leaving the public sector to shoulder the cost of cleaning up items such as gum, cigarettes and fast food litter at a time when council services are and will continue to be under extreme pressure.”
The Government’s response can be found here.
