Stuart Anderson MP has helped to secure a major concession from the government, which he has called a “victory for the countryside” in South Shropshire and beyond.
The government has agreed to Conservative Party plans to equip the Police with new powers to punish fly-tippers who treat towns and villages as “dumping grounds”, with penalty points added onto their driving licences.
- Stuart has successfully supported measures to put penalty points on fly-tippers driving licences.
- Despite opposition from Labour backbenchers, the government caved into Conservative campaigning.
- The Conservative will continue to push for more police powers to seize vehicles used for fly-tipping.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"Residents in rural communities like ours in South Shropshire take huge pride in keeping our towns and villages safe, clean, and tidy. So, it is shocking that more than 1.2 million cases of fly-tipping were reported across the country last year. After sustained pressure from myself and fellow Conservatives in Parliament, I am glad that the government has finally listened and agreed to punish fly-tippers by placing penalty points on their driving licence. We have secured this major concession despite opposition from Labour backbenchers, who had previously voted down our amendment to the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill to introduce this plan. It is a major victory for those of us who care about our keeping precious countryside thriving for future generations. My colleagues and I are now pushing the government to go even further by giving police the power to seize and crush vehicles used to dump waste."
Stuart launched his campaign in August 2025 after being contacted by a significant number of residents who raised concerns about the level of fly-tipping and litter in towns and villages across South Shropshire. In response to his Shop Local Survey, many residents highlighted the number of abandoned shops, badly kept pavements, and level of litter as discouraging factors. Stuart urged the government to ensure greater consistency in the enforcement of litter laws, which were tightened by the previous Conservative government.
Stuart also backed the Conservative Party's Plan to tackle rural crime - including adding penalty points on to the driving licences of those convicted of fly-tipping and littering from vehicles. The Conservatives additionally pledged to give the Police the power to issue community sentences – such as cleaning graffiti and tidying parks – for offences including criminal damage, harassment without violence and first-time drug possession without going to court.
In Parliament, the Conservative Party tabled an amendment to the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill to enforce this plan. The amendment requires the Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds MP to consult on creating a system for those who fly-tip or leave litter to receive penalty points on their driving licence. However, Labour MPs previously voted against the measure when the legislation reached Committee Stage in the House of Commons.
In a major climbdown, the government has now conceded to Conservative pressure to implement the measure. On 30th April 2026, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) confirmed that fly-tippers could lose their driving licence if they are caught blighting the streets or the countryside with waste. The concession is accompanied by other changes to the government’s Waste Crime Action Plan, including ordering offenders to complete up to 20 hours of unpaid work cleaning streets and parks as part of new clean-up squads.
The Conservative Party also tabled an amendment to give police powers to seize vehicles used for fly-tipping. However, the Labour Government has failed to support this plan. Instead, they have introduced guidance for local authorities on how to ‘seize and crush’ vehicles used to dump waste. Stuart does not believe that this measure is strong enough, so will continue to campaign for more police powers to seize vehicles.
