Responding to DEFRA’s announcement extending litter-tackling
powers for councils, Cllr Martin Tett, the Local Government
Association’s Environment spokesman said;
“The LGA has long called for councils to have greater powers to
tackle litter, which is a blight on the communities we serve, and
these measures are a hugely positive step in the right direction.
“Councils being able to issue increased fines to litter louts,
who show no consideration for the community they live in, will
send a strong message to those who think their laziness is more
important than the environment in which they live.
“Allowing councils to fine the owners of vehicles which litter is
thrown from, rather than expecting councils to prove who exactly
in the vehicle had thrown litter, is also something that the LGA
has long called for. It is great that from April, councils will
be able to get tough with the anti-social minority who think our
roads are a repository for rubbish.
“We now need to see more detail in the forthcoming government
guidance. Whilst recognising that any action must be
proportionate, it must also be robust to deter abuse of the local
environment. It is frequently the more deprived communities that
suffer most from litter louting and where the demand for more
enforcement is loudly heard. Local authorities are keen to get on
with the job of tackling anti-social litter louts, and delivering
local environments that our residents can be proud of.”
