Reform has vowed to make Britain beautiful again by cracking down on litter and fly-tipping.
In a major new policy drive, the party has pledged to introduce tougher fines for people found guilty of large-scale illegal dumping of waste in the countryside as well as seizing their vans.
Fast food restaurants and takeaways will also be forced through the planning system to do more to stop their customers discarding their burger wrappers and drinks cups in the street, if Reform wins the general election.
But as well as enforcement and regulation, Nigel Farage’s party also wants to rekindle the public’s sense of civic pride and will institute a National Action Day to tackle rubbish on which politicians from all parties will lead local clean-ups.
It comes amid growing concern at huge fly-tipping sites as well as worsening litter on the streets.
A ‘toxic’ dumping ground where a fire raged for a week last summer has become a key issue in the crucial Makerfield by-election while a months-long operation is under way to clear a giant illegal tip in Oxfordshire. Even a mountain in Wales has been hit by a ‘river of rubbish’.
Reform UK’s Deputy Leader Richard Tice said: ‘The state of our streets, parks and countryside is one of the clearest signs of Britain’s decline under successive Conservative and Labour governments.
‘Too many communities are being left to deal with litter and fly-tipping which has become socially acceptable, while those responsible face little consequence for their actions. Littering is completely socially unacceptable.’
An illegal waste dump in Bickershaw that has become a key issue in the Makerfield by-election
The Boston and Skegness MP, who will set out details of the plan at a press conference on Wednesday, went on: ‘Reform UK believes people have a basic right to live in clean, safe and decent areas. We want to make it part of our culture to build a cleaner, smarter Britain, which means getting tougher on offenders, holding councils properly to account, and rebuilding a sense of pride.
‘If we restore personal responsibility and respect for the places we all share, we can begin to reverse decades of decline and make Britain beautiful once again.’
Reform will begin by increasing fines and enforcement action in the 24 councils it controls in England.
If Nigel Farage becomes Prime Minister, his Government will then increase the maximum Fixed Penalty Notices local authorities can issue for fly-tipping from £1,000 to £5,000.
It will make vehicle seizure the default for second offences and create a new aggravated offence of large-scale commercial fly-tipping with a minimum fine of £20,000 and vehicle seizure on conviction.
Councils failing to tackle the scourge will also be named and shamed in online dashboards, while signage and bins will be added to the planning requirements for fast food restaurants.
John Read Managing Director of Clean Up Britain, said: ‘Britain’s litter problem has been allowed to spiral out of control. Too many roads, towns and green spaces are being blighted by rubbish, while those responsible face little deterrent and too many organisations pass the blame.
‘Tackling this issue means changing behaviour, holding polluters to account and ensuring councils and public bodies do their job properly. Reform UK is determined to take practical action at both local and national level to clean up Britain for good and give communities the cleaner environment they deserve.’
