Councils across England have been given clear
direction and stronger legal powers to
clamp down on serious and
persistent litter louts.
The updated guidance
on how to deal with littering published today (Tuesday 3
March) has been put on a statutory
footing, meaning local authorities now have a legal duty to
follow it.
Under the rules, councils have the power to issue on-the-spot
fines of up to £500 for littering, including when litter is
thrown from a vehicle. Unpaid fines double after 28 days,
and if the offender can't be identified, the owner
of the vehicle will be held to account.
This will lead to a more consistent and
tougher approach to tackling litterers across the country,
freeing up councils to concentrate on the
worst offenders and support them in tidying up
towns and restoring pride in our communities.
The announcement comes ahead of this year's Great
British Spring Clean, the UK's largest annual litter pick,
organised by the charity Keep Britain Tidy.
Circular Economy Minister said:
Once again, hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the
county will be setting off to their local
parks, streets and beaches for the Great British
Spring Clean next week – and they deserve our
thanks for looking after our community spaces.
But we must stop litter louts from spoiling them in the
first place, which is why we are giving local authorities
clear legal powers to take action.
Councils across the country will now take the same
tough approach on litterers and ensure they are being
brought to justice.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of
environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, said:
As we gear up for this year's Great British Spring Clean, we are
delighted that the government has recognised the importance of
‘turning off the tap' of litter that blights communities up and
down the country and pollutes our environment.
Local councils are responsible for keeping their public
land clear of litter and refuse. The new
statutory litter enforcement
guidance will make sure all councils apply the
same rules.
The guidance is clear that enforcement action should be
proportionate, so that councils can focus their
resources on the worst offenders rather than
pursuing cases where someone
has accidentally dropped litter. If there is reason to
believe someone littered on purpose, it is up to the council
to decide if they think they have enough evidence to issue a
penalty that could potentially be challenged in court
Councils must now follow the guidance by law, which
will deter them from entering contracts with
private enforcement companies that treat litter fines
as a way of raising revenue. Anyone who
believes they've been unfairly fined can refer to
the guidance in court and challenge whether the
penalty was proportionate.
The Government has already given councils further
powers to clean up Britain's streets, with new
guidance on how to seize vehicles used to dump
waste published last week.
Councils will also work more closely with the police
to identify, seize and crush vehicles – utilising new
technology, such as drones and mobile CCTV cameras, to ensure
cars and vans belonging to fly-tippers are identified and
destroyed.
This Government is also bearing down on
the most cynical waste criminals – by increasing
the Environment Agency's enforcement budget by over 50% to £15.6
million, bolstering the Joint Unit for Waste Crime and hiring
more former police officers, and introducing tougher checks and
strong penalties.
Waste cowboys caught transporting and dealing with waste
illegally will face up to five years in prison under new
legislation.
Notes for editors:
The changes refer to two forms of guidance:
