Environment Minister challenged over funding to clear illegal dumping sites

Illegal waste dumping causes significant environmental issues, including visual blight and poor air quality. These can have significant impacts on local communities. In London, for example, there is a long-running issue at Launders Lane in Havering where fires on a site blighted by illegal dumping have been causing significant environmental and health impacts.

The London Assembly Environment Committee has written to the Environment Minister calling for an ongoing programme of Government funding to help clear contaminated land in London caused by illegal dumping of waste.

In a letter to Emma Hardy MP, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Committee highlights evidence that local authorities are often left to bear the costs of remediation, and calls for funding to support urgent clean-up work at the most serious sites.

It also notes that while the Environment Agency monitors the environmental impacts of illegal dumping, provides advice to councils and holds powers to clear sites, it told the Committee it has no resources to remediate sites except where directed to do so by Defra.

Chair of the London Assembly Environment Committee, Gareth Roberts AM, said:

“While preventing waste crime and prosecuting offenders must remain a priority, for existing cases it is important that further Government funding is available to support the urgent remediation of the most serious sites, with costs to be recouped from those responsible for causing it wherever possible.

“We are asking the Minister to make ongoing funding available, either through local authorities or the Environment Agency, to help tackle contaminated land caused by illegal dumping and address its most serious environmental and community impacts.”