For years councils across Scotland have been fighting a losing battle against the scourge of fly-tipping and council tax payers have had to pick up the tab.
This is no truer than in Lanarkshire where last year there were 6,400 instances of fly tipping recorded. I fear this figure could be even higher by the end of 2023.
It beggars belief that so many selfish and irresponsible people still drive out to our pristine rural areas to dump their waste when facilities are provided for them.
I read with interest an article in the East Kilbride News recently about the work South Lanarkshire Council have been doing to educate people in the town on how to legally dispose of their rubbish.
This is welcome news but clearly many people still believe that the rules don’t apply to them and that they can dump litter and rubbish wherever they like.
As a result, council’s time and money – which is already being stretched to breaking point by the SNP – is being diverted away from crucial services like education, social care and public transport.
That’s why we need real powers of prevention.
Currently, the penalty for dropping litter in Scotland is just £80. Those caught fly-tipping by the council can be fined £200 – an inconsequential amount compared to the clean up costs.
There are some positive signs that change is coming.
My good friend Murdo Fraser has already proposed a bill which seeks to increase sanctions for fly-tipping, including by lifting the current fixed-penalty notice of £200.
He is also proposing a stricter liability laws, which would mean the generator of the waste would be responsible for clearing it up and paying any fines.
There’s some local groups doing great work like the East Kilbride litter pickers – who I’ve been pleased to meet and help out on a number of occasions.
Clearly residents have a part to play in this. The vast majority of people have never fly-tipped their waste but as a community we have a responsibility to work together to improve things.
We need everyone to pull together on this and Murdo Fraser’s bill is a great start.
Councils cannot tackle this problem alone. The Scottish Government must back them with additional investment and real powers.
Until they do, it will be the taxpayer who picks up the pieces.
