To incentivise van drivers to make the cleanest choices, we are publishing a consultation on reforming Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for new vans. Van VED is currently charged at a flat rate, no matter the vehicle’s emissions. The consultation explores creating a graduated first year rate for new vans, as is already in place for cars.

People living in our towns and cities have a fundamental right to breathe clean air, Exchequer Secretary Robert Jenrick said today (15 May 2018), as he unveiled further plans to clamp down on pollution in urban areas.

The government has launched a consultation on vehicle excise duty for vans so drivers can be incentivised to go green. Less than one in every two hundred vans (0.4%) bought in 2016/17 was an ultra-low emission model. Therefore, ministers are seeking views on reforms to vehicle excise duty, currently charged at a flat rate of £250 for all vans, to make it more affordable to buy greener models.

A separate call for evidence is looking at whether the reduced duty rate for red diesel is holding back the use of cleaner fuels by non-road vehicles and machinery in towns and cities – for example cranes or generators used on construction sites. Red diesel, which accounts for 15% of all diesel consumption in the UK, currently benefits from a reduced rate of 11.14p per litre compared to the standard charge of 57.95p. The call for evidence excludes red diesel used for agricultural purposes and for fishing vessels.

These measures follow up on the Chancellor, Philip Hammond’s recent Budget announcements – including the £220 million Clean Air Fund – which are aimed at improving air quality in the UK. They also form part of the government’s 25-year Environment Plan.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Robert Jenrick, said:

We want to be the first government to leave the environment in a better state that we found it. One of the ways we can do this is by using the tax system to help drivers afford greener choices.

We want to help ‘white van man’ go green. We appreciate that buying a new van is a major investment for small businessmen and women and want to help make environmentally friendly choices more affordable.

Public health is at risk due to the use of red diesel in towns and cities. So we are looking at how we can level the playing field on red diesel and exploring how we can encourage users to ditch it.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said:

Air pollution remains a significant threat to public health and everyone must play their part tackling its causes.

We will shortly build on our £3.5 billion plan to tackle roadside emissions, publishing a comprehensive Clean Air Strategy setting out a wide range of actions to reduce pollution from all sources.

Businesses have a crucial role in this. That’s why today we are setting out plans to make low emission vans more affordable and asking businesses how we can help them break down the barriers to the use of lower emission machinery.

Further information:

• Currently vehicle excise duty for vans remains at a flat rate of £250 no matter what type of vehicle. This consultation will look at changing this duty to encourage drivers to choose cleaner vans when purchasing a new van.
• It will explore creating a graduated first year rate for vans, as is already in place for cars. Most van purchases would pay less tax in the first year as a result of the change.
• Around 75% of vans purchased in 2016-2017 emitted over 150g/km of CO2, while only 0.4% of vans purchased that same year were ultra-low emission vehicles.
• Red diesel contributes to air pollution by producing nitrogen dioxide, a toxic gas that inflames the lining of the lungs. It is particularly harmful for the most vulnerable in our society, such as children with asthma, who live in urban areas where it is used by non-road vehicles and machinery.
• The reduced rate costs around £2.4 billion a year in revenue compared to if duty was charged at the main rate and today’s call for evidence is seeking information on whether this tax relief discourages the use of cleaner alternatives by non-road vehicles and machinery.
• Red diesel for agricultural use, fishing vessels, home-heating and other static generators, will be out of scope.

The Environment Agency publish permits that they issue under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).

This decision includes the permit and decision document for:

• Operator name: Mr Ian Howson
• Installation name: Kearsley Farm Poultry Unit
• Permit number: EPR/VP3539FN/V004

This is to comply with the Land Drainage Act and Statutory Orders process, there is a statutory legal duty to inform the general public.

Copies of the draft Orders and schemes are available for public inspection during normal office working hours for a period of thirty days after the date of publication of this Notice at:

Environment Agency (EA)

Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Flood Risk Management Team

Any objection to the draft Orders should be made in writing to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, quoting reference number LDC 2508 and 2509. Objections should be sent by 12 June 2018.

Mr Bruce had pleaded guilty to these offences on an earlier occasion, and was referred to Worcester Crown Court for sentencing.

Mr Bruce received an immediate custodial sentence of 26 months. No order for costs was made at this stage, pending the outcome of confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, which will be resolved in due course.

The charges were brought by the Environment Agency under Regulations 38(1)(a) and 12(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010; Section 33(1)(c) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990; Section 161D (1) of the Water Resources Act 1991; and Regulation 10 of the Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agriculture Fuel Oil) (England) Regulations 2010.

Mr Bruce ran a waste disposal operation centred on a site at Ridgeway Park Farm, Throckmorton Airfield, near Pershore, for 3 and a half years, between 2011 and 2014 without any permit. He brought waste onto the site and either dumped it, buried it or burned it.

Responding to complaints from local residents, Environment Agency officers met with Mr Bruce on a number of occasions, conducting site inspections and enforcing environmental regulations. Warnings were issued following evidence that burning had been taking place on the site.

Throughout March and April 2013, Mr Bruce treated and disposed of waste by burning large quantities of it at Ridgeway Park Farm. For several weeks fires were continually burning at the site causing misery for local residents, endangering health and polluting the air in the area. There was a major impact on the quality of life for local residents, as Mr Bruce burnt a large amount of plastic waste, causing plumes of putrid black smoke across the nearby village.

In April 2013, a fire at the site was attended by Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service and the Environment Agency, yet Mr Bruce repeatedly ignored the interventions of the Environment Agency and the Fire Service.

The waste on site consisted mainly of construction and demolition waste, some of which included aluminium waste products, which is classified as a hazardous waste. In total, approximately 26,000 cubic metres of waste was brought onto the site by Mr Bruce during the offending period.

Mr Bruce kept his herd of cattle on site grazing amongst the waste and in conditions where polluting effluent was not contained. Environment Agency officers also noticed that waste gypsum powder was being used as animal bedding and advised Bruce that this practice was unlawful. They also noted that the cattle bedding also contained mixed waste, electric cables, drink cans and plumbing parts.

Brown liquid was seen seeping from storage areas, pooling and flowing in the direction of a small watercourse, approximately 100m away. Officers reported evidence of hazardous waste buried and the potential for discharge substances to enter the groundwater and the Piddle Brook.

In sentencing, the Judge commented that this was serious environmental offending and that there was a clear need for a deterrent sentence. Mr Bruce was given some credit by way of a discount on his sentence as he had pleaded guilty and avoided the need for a trial.

Speaking after the case, an Environment Agency officer in charge of the investigation said:

Waste crime is a serious offence with tough penalties. It can damage the environment, blight local communities and undermine those who operate legally.

Mr Bruce has shown a blatant disregard for the environment and local community, subjecting local residents to months of misery by bringing on large quantities of waste and burning it on the site.

Everyone who disposes of waste has a duty of care to ensure their waste is handled correctly. Whether you are a business, local authority or householder you must make sure you know where your waste goes so it doesn’t end up in the hands of illegal operators.

You can help disrupt and prevent waste crime activity by reporting. The Environment Agency urges people to report waste crime on their incident hotline 0800 80 70 60 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.