Farms at risk of fly-tipping liability
Fly-tipping is a serious issue affecting almost two-thirds of farmers according to a survey carried out by Farmers Weekly and can lead to them not only having to clear it up themselves but also puts them at risk of being held responsible for any environmental damage caused.
Fly-tipping encompasses the illegal dumping of refuse on land that doesn’t own a licence to accept it, the cost of which was a massive £58 million for British councils in 2016/17 – and this doesn’t even include that carried out on private land!
Under current legislation, if refuse is dumped on your private land then you are still responsible for cleaning it up. As farms are often in largely uninhabited areas and encompass a lot of land, fly-tipping has become a massive problem for farmers, leading to costly clear-up operations of on average £1,000, and pricey security systems just to deter this behaviour.
However, not only do farmers have the clean-up operation to deal with, but they must also abide by the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Under this regulation, farmers are held liable for the failure to dispose of waste properly and for any environmental damage caused on their land, so ignoring the problem is simply not an option, the alternative being a fine in the tens and thousands!
If you are a farmer, it is therefore essential that you have a farm insurance policy, including Environmental Liability Insurance, that covers you against incidents of fly-tipping and the potential costs of proper waste disposal. We are experts in providing unrivalled farm insurance policies to meet your requirements. For more information, contact us on 01202 754900.