Local authority leaders have called for the introduction of tougher sentences to help in the fight against fly tipping.
Fly-tippers prosecuted in court for the worst waste dumping offences were handed an average fine of just £335 in 2020/21, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).
The LGA’s analysis found that the average fines issued by courts following criminal proceedings averaged at £65 less than the £400 fixed penalty notice councils can issue as a civil action.
The association insisted that tougher sentences were needed to deter fly-tipping, which costs councils more than £50m a year to clear up.
‘Fly-tipping is criminal activity and is a blight on our public spaces. The individuals responsible for it must be held accountable and prosecuted,’ said Cllr David Renard, environment spokesperson at the LGA.
‘We support the Government’s investment in CCTV in fly-tipping hotspots, but without higher fines for the worst-kind of offences, criminals will remain undeterred.
‘Magistrates need new sentencing guidelines for fly-tipping, to make court action more worthwhile for councils and in turn, reduce fly-tipping in our communities.’
For the 2020/21 year, local authorities in England dealt with 1.13 million fly-tipping incidents, an increase of 16% from the 980,000 reported in 2019/20.
