Dr Neil Hudson, Shadow DEFRA Minister and Epping Forest MP, has pushed the Government to crack down on the blight of fly-tipping and ensure offenders feel the full extent of the law, during a Parliamentary debate on this matter.
Speaking from the front bench, Dr Hudson outlined the scale of the problem of fly-tipping, with data demonstrating that English Councils dealt with 1.26 million incidents of fly-tipping in 2024-2025, among the highest number of incidents in a single recorded year.
At the heart of his speech was the real harm fly-tipping causes to affected communities, including anxiety and distress, environmental harm, and to public health from vermin being attracted to waste and contamination of nearby water and soil. He also highlighted statistics from a Country, Land and Business Association survey, alarmingly showing that three-quarters of those who said they had been affected by fly-tipping had also experienced financial impacts.
These financial impacts particularly affect private landowners such as farmers who are targeted, who are left to foot the bill for cleaning up and shockingly can face landfill tax liabilities despite being the victims.
In both debates, Dr Hudson took time to raise the fact that Epping Forest itself and its residents are sadly not immune from this criminal activity and harms its biodiversity and wildlife. He also pushed the Government to address the discarding of nitrous oxide canisters used for illegal drug use that all too often are left to the law-abiding public to clear up.
He also, however, got to pay tribute to the ‘unsung heroes’ across the constituency who work to clear up their communities from fly-tipping, including the Waltham Abbey Community Group and Theydon Bois Parish Council, who Neil has joined first-hand while undertaking their litter picks. He likewise got to celebrate the work of the Loughton Wombles, a litter picking initiative of Loughton Town Council.
This was the second time that Dr Hudson held the Government to account on this matter in a week, pushing for action on fly-tipping during a debate on the Government’s reforms to digital waste tracking.
As Dr Hudson speech demonstrated, the Conservatives have a strong track record on getting to grips with fly-tipping and those who commit it.
As the Official Opposition, they forced the Government to adopt its amendment to the Crime and Policing Act during its Parliamentary passage, which allows offenders to have points added to their driving licences.
In Government, the Conservatives also strengthened the law and enforcement of it, raising the upper limit for fixed penalty notices to £1000 and establishing the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, a taskforce bringing law and enforcement agencies together to share intelligence and prioritise resources, supporting hundreds of operations and subsequent arrests.
The Conservatives also directly funded projects to communities most affected, such as portable CCTV cameras and anti-climb fencing.
Dr Hudson pushed for the Government to build on this record to tackle fly-tipping, and continues to champion communities in Epping Forest in the fight against this crime.
Following the debate, Dr Hudson said:
“Fly-tipping is not harmless- it is reckless, irresponsible and criminal. It causes anxiety and distress and harms the precious environment we are so privileged to enjoy here in Epping Forest.
Selfless community leaders from groups like Waltham Abbey Community Group, Theydon Bois Parish Council and the Loughton Wombles are stepping up to fix the mess shameless criminals leave behind, including the absolutely alarming nitrous oxide canisters carelessly dumped by our streets.
The Government owe it to them, and to all of us, to build on the work of the previous Conservative Government so we live in communities free of this shameless, dangerous and damaging crime.”
