Extra powers could be coming in to help tackle the blight of fly tipping across “streets and beautiful green spaces”.
Bolton Conservative group leader Cllr Nadim Muslim said that this was brought about after a key amendment to the government’s Crime and Policing Bill.
This change will need the Secretary of State to consult on establishing a system for those who fly-tip or leave litter to receive penalty points on their driving licence.
Cllr Muslim said: “Fly-tipping continues to blight our communities.
“Residents in Bolton are fed up with seeing rubbish dumped on our streets or in our beautiful green spaces.
“I welcome the government’s U-turn to put points on the licenses of fly-tippers and will continue to hold their feet to the fire on extra powers for the police to seize vehicles.
“Our local Labour council must now get a grip of this issue and start punishing fly-tippers.”
The government announced in March this year that fly tippers could be facing points on their licences.
But Cllr Muslim says this was months after the Conservative amendment was proposed.
He says that the government failed to support another amendment to give police the powers to seize fly tippers vehicles.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp MP said: “Fly-tippers are turning our towns and countryside into dumping grounds. Fly-tipping is a scourge on our communities.
“I am pleased to see that the Government have finally u-turned due to pressure by the Conservative Party and decided to implement our measures to put points on the licenses of fly-tippers and seize their vehicles.
“However, this U-turn shows Labour are out of ideas and only the Conservative Party have a plan to protect the public and bring pride back to our communities.”
But the government has said that its waste crime action plan, set to be published soon, will include a range of measures aimed at tackling fly tippers and other criminals.
The Environment Secretary, Labour’s Emma Reynolds MP, said: “Fly-tipping damages our communities and the environment and we are taking action to stop it.
“Litter louts who repeatedly break the law will see points added to their licence and risk losing it for good if they continue to offend.
“We are empowering local authorities to deal with fly-tipping, like seizing and crushing vehicles, and are urging them to make use of the whole range of measures available to them.”
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