Victims of fly tipping including farmers and landowners can apply for cash grants to clear up the rubbish left behind.
A pilot scheme by David Lloyd, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, is being expanded to help those whose green and open spaces have been contaminated.
Using £20,000 generated by the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) businesses in four local authority areas across the county will be able to apply for financial aid to assist with clean-up operations.
St Albans and Welwyn Hatfield district councils are now joining the scheme alongside existing members Broxbourne and Three Rivers.
Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd said:
“Fly tipping is a serious crime and it has a significant impact on our community. It blights the countryside and causes substantial costs for farmers and landowners to clear the waste and poses a danger to livestock and wildlife.
“I do not believe it is fair that farmers and landowners are left to pick up a bill, which can run in to thousands of pounds, because someone else has fly tipped on their property.
“Our relentless drive to support bringing offenders to justice by funding enforcement measures, making improvements to security and educating the public on responsible waste disposal, saw a 17.9 per cent drop in fly tipping across Hertfordshire
“This pilot allows funds from the proceeds of crime to be used for positive effect to remove fly tipping, target known hot-spots and advise landowners and farmers on improving security.
“As part of my Community Safety and Criminal Justice Plan, I pledged to investigate the potential of using money recovered from criminals to be put to good use in this way.
Duncan Jones, Partnership Development Manager and Chairman of the Hertfordshire Fly Tipping Group, said: “This latest initiative is another good example of how the relevant Hertfordshire agencies such as local authorities and the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner are working together to deliver new initiatives to tackle fly tipping.”
To be eligible for the funding farmers or green space landowners will have to prove they already have a waste disposal contract in place with an authorised collection firm.
The scheme is part of the county wide multi-agency and multi- channel campaign being run by the Herts Fly Tipping Group – #SCRAPflytipping.
Anyone interested in making a claim or finding out more information can contact the Environmental team at one of the four district councils and mention the Police and Crime Commissioner’s private land fly tipping pilot.
For St Albans District contact David Webb on 01727 809 019 and for Welwyn Hatfield contact Christiana Akinbogun 01707 357 000.
The CLA (Country Land and Business Association) represents farmers, landowners and rural businesses across Hertfordshire. CLA East Regional Director Ben Underwood said: “With almost two-thirds of farmers and landowners affected by fly-tipping each year, with some targeted multiple times each month, we need to take stronger action against this serious crime.
“As it stands currently, landowners affected by a fly-tipping incident can be subject to prosecution if they do not remove the waste from their land. It can cost them more than £800 on average to clear each incident so this pilot in Hertfordshire is extremely encouraging and we hope it is successful.”
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