Fenland fly-tipping fines skyrocket in bid to prevent rubbish being dumped

Flytippers will be facing tougher penalties for dumping their waste as fines are set to increase in Fenland.

The new penalties will be enforced on littering, flyposting, fly-tipping and handing waste to unauthorised carriers who dump it.

Fenland District Council’s cabinet agreed on Monday to use new powers to increase, and, in some cases, more than double, the penalties it can impose for environmental crimes.

It also introduced a new fixed penalty for graffitiing and fly-posting.

A report before Monday’s cabinet said: “Littering, graffiti, fly-posting and fly-tipping blight communities, impose avoidable costs on the public purse and can harm the environment, with fly-tipping being aggravated by householders giving waste to unauthorised carriers.

“Fixed penalty notices provide the council as an enforcing authority with an effective and visible way of responding to these environmental crimes.”

It was agreed to introduce fixed penalty notices of £300 for graffiti and fly-posting.

Fly-tippers were previously fined £400. They will now by fined £600 for low level offences and £1,000 for larger scale offences.

People who litter were facing a fine of £150, they will now be fined £300.

There will also be an increase to the penalty people face if they carelessly employ someone to take away their rubbish and it ends up being fly-tipped.

The penalty for failing to exercise the duty of care for household waste goes to £600 from £400.

The Environmental Offences Regulations 2023 increased the upper limit for the fixed penalties that can be issued for these offences.

The report before cabinet said introducing these recommended changes provides the council with a more up-to-date reflection of the cost to the public of these offences, is in keeping with neighbouring councils and operates as a deterrent.

In accordance with legislation, income from fixed penalty notices must be spent on cleansing and environmental functions.

Fixed penalties are an alternative to prosecution. If someone refuses or fails to pay the fixed penalty they can be taken to court and prosecuted instead.

Fixed penalties are not appropriate for repeat offenders or those responsible for large-scale environmental issues.

From 2018 to 2023, the council issued 87 fixed penalty notices.

After the meeting Cllr Pete Murphy, portfolio holder for environment, said: “I’m delighted to see these increased deterrents for actions that blight our communities and cause distress to residents and harm our environment.”

You can report fly-tipping, graffiti and other environmental acts online.

Got a story? Email: news@fenlancitizen.co.uk