The government must focus on making existing enforcement powers work on the ground if it is to tackle organised waste crime and protect farmers and landowners from this scourge on our countryside.

The Countryside Alliance has welcomed the formation of a new government Waste Crime Crackdown Group, but says its success will depend on whether it delivers meaningful action against the criminals responsible for illegal waste dumping.

Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle announced the group today (4 November). It brings together police, regulators, Mayors and local authorities to strengthen the response to criminal gangs behind large-scale illegal waste dumping.

The government says the group will improve intelligence sharing, identify weaknesses in the waste system and remove barriers to enforcement. The announcement follows 36 arrests since April, alongside investigations, prosecutions and raids across the country.

The Alliance has long highlighted the impact of waste crime on rural communities. Farmers and private landowners can face substantial bills to clear waste dumped on their land without their knowledge or permission, while those responsible continue to operate.

Enforcement must work on the ground

The government has also announced plans to give the Environment Agency greater powers to seize cash, vehicles, property and other assets linked to the proceeds of waste crime. The Alliance supports action to disrupt criminal operations and remove the financial incentives behind illegal dumping.

However, the challenge is not simply a lack of enforcement powers. Increasing fines or giving regulators additional tools will achieve little if illegal dumping goes undetected and investigations fail to result in prosecutions.

What is needed is properly resourced enforcement agencies, better cooperation between police and regulators, and the local knowledge to identify suspicious activity and build cases against those responsible. The new group must help turn intelligence into action and ensure existing powers are used effectively.

The Alliance also wants to ensure that changes to Waste Permit Exemptions do not place unnecessary burdens on legitimate agricultural activities. Measures designed to close loopholes exploited by criminals must not create additional bureaucracy for law-abiding farmers.

Innocent landowners must not pay the price

For farmers and landowners, the consequences of fly-tipping and large-scale illegal dumping can be severe. They can face the cost of removing and disposing of waste they did not put there, as well as damage to their land and disruption to their businesses.

The Alliance believes this is an injustice that the government must address. Those who are victims of waste crime should not be left to foot the bill for clearing it up.

Sarah Lee, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the Countryside Alliance said:

"The formation of this group is welcome, but the real test is whether it leads to more effective enforcement. We do not necessarily need more powers. We need to make sure the powers already available are being used effectively, that the agencies responsible have the resources to act and that criminals are brought to justice.

"Farmers and landowners who have waste dumped on their property through no fault of their own should not be left facing substantial bills to clear it up. They are the victims of these crimes, not the people responsible for them.

"Rural communities need to see a real difference. That means making it harder for waste criminals to operate and ensuring those responsible are held to account."

A rural reset must mean action for rural communities

Waste crime is another example of why the relationship between government and rural Britain needs to change.

Through its Campaign for the Countryside, the Countryside Alliance is calling for a rural reset that recognises the contribution of rural communities and addresses the challenges they face. That means listening to those who live and work in the countryside and delivering practical solutions to the problems affecting them.

The government must work with the countryside, not against it. Tackling waste crime effectively is an important part of delivering that change.

Make your voice heard today and email the Prime Minister asking for him to reset the government’s relationship with the countryside and deliver a better deal for rural Britain.