03/03/2005 - The Environment
Agency has, with the help of Stoke-on–Trent
North MP Joan Walley, secured funding from
the Government’s BREW fund to help fight the
illegal waste-dumping, or fly-tipping, in
the city and surrounding area.
BREW is the Defra Business Resource Efficiency
and Waste Programme. This programme provides
a welcome boost to the support available to
businesses on resource efficiency and should
deliver substantial financial savings for
business as well as significant environmental
benefits. The Environment Agency is one of
the delivery bodies of this programme, receiving
funding to help tackle waste crime issues.
In all, the Environment Agency has secured
£2m from the fund. The money will be
used to finance targeted programmes in three
parts of England and Wales, Stoke-on-Trent
being one of them.
Speaking about the news, Area Manager for
the Upper Trent Area, Steve Morley, says:
"Fly-tipping is a crime which affects
everybody in many different ways. It affects
the environment, threatens health and creates
an eyesore. The securing of the BREW funding
is great news for the area.
"The programme provides an exciting
opportunity for us to tackle this growing
scourge in Stoke-on-Trent. We look forward
to drawing up and implementing the initiatives
which will help make Stoke-on-Trent become
a better place."
Joan Walley MP says: 'I want us to tackle
fly-tipping here in Stoke-on-Trent North.
Nothing short of a full clean up followed
by joint action plan to stop people fly tipping
and maintain the cleanliness of our public
open spaces will do. This requires a concerted
approach from the Council, Police, courts
and constituents and I welcome the Ministers’
announcement today that he has responded to
my call for action. I hope that we can lead
the way here in Stoke-on-Trent to make our
communities clean and safe.'
Notes:
BREW is the Department of Fisheries Environment
and the Regions (Defra) ‘Business Resource
Efficiency and Waste programme’. The Environment
Agency is one of the delivery bodies of this
programme, receiving funding to help tackle
waste crime issues.
Defra was allocated £284 million (£43
million for 2005/6, £95 million for
2006/7 and £146 million for 2007/8)
to fulfil the commitment to return the additional
Landfill Tax revenue to business. It is distributing
this money through the Business Resource Efficiency
and Waste (BREW) programme.
The BREW programme will support businesses
in becoming more resource efficient (using
resources, water and energy more efficiently
as well as reducing business waste) and help
them to reduce the amount of waste they send
to landfill.
The main objectives of BREW are:
To return additional Landfill Tax receipts,
from April 2005, to business in a way that
supports businesses in improving their resource
efficiency and waste management.
Support sustainable development by assisting
businesses in minimising the impact on the
environment through improved resource efficiency,
while increasing their competitiveness.
Assist business resource efficiency through
a variety of means including: advice and support,
direct incentives, removing barriers, and
support for the development and use of innovative
technologies.
The Environment Agency is one of a number
of organisations responsible for delivering
BREW. It has been awarded £2m in 2005/6
to enhance our efforts in tackling waste crime
such as flytipping and illegal dumping, and
provide more support to business to achieve
lawful and sustainable waste management.
