'We take it seriously' - Council chiefs approve hike in fines for fly-tippers with new maximum of £1,000

It is hoped the fines, alongside behavioural change, will help tackle environmental crime. Pending full council approval, the local authority will see its current fines for environmental disruption including both commercial and household fly-tipping increase.

The new proposed fines are as follows: 

- Fly tipping connected with the operation of a business: £1,000

- Littering connected with the operation of a business: £500

- Flytipping connected with housing: £500 1st offence, £1,000 subsequent offences 

- Littering connected with housing: £200 1st offence, £500 subsequent offences 

- Household Duty of Care £600

- Failure to produce waste documents £300

- Waste & Fly Tipping Failure to comply with a waste receptacles Notice £100

-  Failure to produce authority to transport waste £300

- Failure to comply with a Community Protection Notice £100

- Caught Graffitiing £500 

- Caught Flyposting £500

Cabinet member for environment and transport, Coun John McElroy said: “I think it is important to stress how seriously the council does take these crimes against our environment. Having said that I think it’s been great to see the clean-up days across the borough which demonstrate the extra investment we’ve put in to clean our local environment

“You have to take this into the context of the seriousness and the stepping up of the fines for people who seriously abuse those things to the obvious detriment of our environment. So I welcome this and I thank the people who take part in the clean-up days.” 

In July this year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke to the council’s refuse and environment team during a clean-up operation on Howe Street. The issue with fly-tipping was described as a “day to day” scourge, committed by a minority of residents, which heavily distracted from other council work.