news story

20th June 2008

Local MP Backs "Stop the Drop" Litter Campaign

Bill Bryson and Steve Webb at the launch of the Stop the Drop campaign in Parliament

South Gloucestershire residents have told local MP Steve Webb in a recent survey that their number one concern about the local environment is litter. In response to these concerns, Steve Webb this week helped to launch Stop the Drop, a new campaign against countryside litter and fly-tipping by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). The campaign is fronted by the charity’s President, author Bill Bryson.

Stop the Drop highlights the growing problems of litter and fly-tipping in England’s countryside. Government figures show that litter is five times worse than it was in the 1960s, and that the problem is worse in rural areas, where litter is often left lying around for much longer than in towns and cities.

Steve Webb said:

“I am delighted to support Bill Bryson and CPRE in this important campaign. Litter and fly-tipping are an unsightly and unnecessary blight on our countryside, and we need to see more action from responsible bodies to clean up our towns and countryside. I will also be adding my support to a House of Commons motion backing the campaign.”

Bill Bryson said:

“I welcome the support of Steve Webb for our Stop the Drop campaign. We need the backing of as many MPs as possible to persuade people to stop dropping litter, and to prevail on those with the powers to do so to clean it up. Litter is becoming the default condition of the countryside, and it is time that we – all of us – did something about this. The landscape is too lovely to trash.”

He added:

“Littering is not a crime that has anyone quaking for fear of the consequences because, by and large, there are no consequences. If we want the cleaner, tidier countryside that we all deserve, we need firm action and leadership at both national and local level, to show that dropping litter and fly-tipping will not continue to be consequence-free crimes.”

The campaign also calls for the reintroduction of schemes such as deposits on glass bottles which work very effectively in many other countries to help reduce litter. Steve Webb is pressing DEFRA ministers to bring in such a scheme as a matter of urgency.

Notes:


1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is highlighting the need for stronger leadership from central Government to tackle litter and fly-tipping, and better enforcement of existing laws by local authorities and others. Keep Britain Tidy’s 2006/07 survey did not rate a single local council as ‘good’ on litter, even though, collectively, councils spend more than £600 million a year clearing litter up – a bill that is ultimately met by taxpayers. Local authorities can hand out fixed penalty notices to people dropping litter, but in 2006/07 just 25 of the 354 English local authorities gave out 62% of the fines, and 72 issued none at all.

There are similar enforcement problems with fly-tipping. Of the 2.6 million incidents dealt with by local authorities in 2006/07, just 1,796 were successfully prosecuted, working out at a roughly one in 1,450 chance of being brought to book.

2. The Highways Agency found that litter problems are much worse than in the 1960s –

3. CPRE is working in partnership with CleanupUK on the www.litteraction.org.uk  website. The website links together volunteer groups and individuals across England, enabling them to work together to tackle problems of litter locally, and giving them support with best practice, guidance and links to campaigning advice. CleanupUK is a charity dedicated to supporting the work of volunteer Litter collecting groups and individuals around the UK and to encouraging the formation of new volunteer groups.