Northumberland will benefit from £33,025 in new funding from the Conservative Government to crackdown on fly tipping hotspots.
The investment will support projects nationwide, including extra CCTV, fencing, and small-scale redevelopment – as well as the ‘target hardening’ of fly tipping hotspots.
The second round of funding from the Fly Tipping Intervention Grant Scheme will provide £775,000 to 21 local councils, building on the success of the first round of grants.
Councils will have six months to deliver their projects and the grants of between £25,000 and £50,000, will support projects including CCTV, fencing, and small-scale redevelopment, and successful projects will be scaled up and adopted by other local councils.
Projects funded in the first round by the Conservative Government included a ‘no bags on the street’ policy and artificial intelligence enabled CCTV. The integration of CCTV enforcement and a digital fly tipping education tool in Durham led to an almost 65 per cent reduction in fly tipping.
This builds on the Conservative Government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, which introduces more severe punishments for those who graffiti, litter, or fly tip, with fines of up to £500 and £1,000.
It is also developing a fly tipping toolkit with National Fly Tipping Prevention Group to help spread best practice among local authorities on tackling the issue.
Commenting, Northumberland County Council Cabinet Member for Roads and Highways, Cllr John Riddle said:
“Fly tipping is unacceptable. It deters people from spending time in their local area and erodes a sense of community. Tackling this sort of crime is key to levelling up and restoring pride in local communities.
“That is why I welcome the Conservative Government’s investment of £33,025 for Northumberland to crackdown on fly tipping as part of the second round of grants from the Fly Tipping Intervention Grant Scheme, funding new CCTV, fencing, and small scale development across the country.
“This is central to our efforts to level up opportunity and grow the economy – because for people to realise their talents, businesses to succeed, or communities to flourish, people need to feel pride in the place they call home.”
Commenting, Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said:
“Fly tipping is a cynical crime which blights communities and the environment.
“Our first round of grants over the last year were a big success – which is why we are expanding this scheme to help more local authorities around the country take the fight to waste criminals.”