Murdo Fraser MSP has launched a final proposal for his Member’s Bill on Fly-tipping now has 28 days to attract cross-party support, and – should it do so – will then be debated at Holyrood.
The proposals, which received overwhelming support during the consultation stage, would update the current legislation on fly-tipping, which dates back to 1990.
The Bill has support from organisations including Scottish Land and Estates and NFU Scotland, and seeks to improve current laws surrounding fly-tipping in four main ways:
- Ensure better data collection and reporting mechanisms to give a clearer picture of the number of fly-tipping incidents.
- Legal liability – to ensure the person on whose land or property waste has been dumped is not responsible in law for its removal.
- Strict liability on the generator of the waste for clearing it up and paying any fines for its disposal, as is the case in England and Wales.
- Increasing and standardising sanctions, including substantially lifting the current fixed-penalty notice threshold of £200.
The consultation, which ran from February until May, showed that 94% of respondents fully or partially supported the bill, with more than 80% backing its proposals to remove liability for disposal from those whose land has waste dumped on it and substantially to increase fines for offenders.
Commenting, Murdo Fraser MSP, who represents the Mid Scotland and Fife region, said: “The selfish, irresponsible and completely unnecessary dumping of refuse and waste at unauthorised locations leaves landowners and public authorities with the substantial costs of cleaning up.
“The current law already provides for both criminal sanctions and civil liabilities against fly-tipping but reported incidents – often carried out by organised crime gangs – are on the increase, and new legislation is required.
“This is not a partisan or party-political bill, but a common-sense piece of legislation to tackle a growing scourge, strengthen the law and toughen the punishments for breaching it.”
