Cash from perpetrators will help communities beat littering and fly-tipping
2nd April 2024
New rules have just been introduced to reinvest money raised from fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping and littering. The funds are going to be spent on local clean-up activities.
The legislation, announced by recycling minister Robbie Moore, came into force on Monday 1st April. The changes deliver another key commitment in the Prime Minister’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan.
Fixed penalty notice receipts for certain environmental anti-social behaviour offences must now be reinvested locally in clean-up and enforcement. This means that cash from perpetrators will help communities beat the blight of fly-tipping and litter.
This would see the money paid by criminals go directly back into repairing the damage from these crimes. The money could also fund enforcement efforts to prevent similar incidents from happening including additional enforcement officers to crack down on litter and fly-tipping.
More enforcement and help to clear up mess
Recycling minister Robbie Moore said: “Litter louts and career waste criminals need to know we are cracking down hard. Their inexcusable crimes spoil communities, create dangers for children and threaten wildlife.
“We’ve already increased the maximum fines for these damaging crimes, and now money raised from bringing them to justice will ensure more enforcement and help to clear up their sickening mess.”
Country Land and Business Association president Victoria Vyvyan said that with one million incidents on public land alone last year, fly-tipping blights communities and the landscape, damaging the environment, risking public health and costing taxpayers thousands to clear up.
She added: “As well as incidents on public land, farmers are also victims of fly-tipping and have to pay to have dumped waste removed from their land, only adding to the injustice.
“Therefore, fixed penalty notice receipts must be used to help clear up incidents on both public and private land.”
Robust approach to litter and fly-tipping enforcement
The Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan sets out the government’s approach to tackling antisocial behaviour.
The changes that come into effect this week, along with other measures, will encourage councils to take a more robust approach to litter and fly-tipping enforcement – and deliver further action to tackle antisocial behaviour.
The government encourages councils to take a much tougher approach to this type of anti-social behaviour. Taking proportionate and effective enforcement action against people who intentionally or carelessly damage their environment is a practical step local authorities can take to change behaviour and deter others from offending.
The changes build on wider actions to give local authorities a range of powers to tackle fly-tipping. Councils can issue on-the-spot fines to fly-tippers and can stop, search, and seize vehicles suspected of being used for fly-tipping.
Increased penalty
To help councils clamp down on waste crime, the government has laid a statutory instrument increasing the upper limits for various fixed penalty notices (FPNs) which means:
- The maximum amount those caught fly-tipping could be fined increases from £400 to £1,000
- The maximum amount those who litter or graffiti could be fined increases from £150 to £500
- The maximum amount those who breach their household waste duty of care could be fined increases from £400 to £600
In recent years, the government has granted funding of almost £1.2 million to help more than 30 councils combat fly-tipping. A further £1 million is to be awarded in the spring.
READ MORE: Two fly-tippers captured by West Midlands villagers
READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson had to pay £250 after stranger dumped ‘mountain of waste’ on his farm
See more rural crime news.
