Fines for littering to be almost doubled
The maximum on-the-spot fine for littering and graffiti almost doubles from £80 to £150 from today.
For the first time, local authorities can also use these littering penalties against vehicle owners if it can be proved litter was thrown from their car.
Keeping the country’s streets clean cost local councils almost £700 million last year. Much of this is avoidable litter, and money that could be better spent in the community.
The Government is clear however that councils must not abuse the power to impose penalties. Councils should take into account local circumstances, like local ability to pay, when setting the level for these penalties. Government guidance is available to ensure the new powers are used in a fair and proportionate way by local authorities.
Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said:
"These new fines will tackle antisocial behaviour by hitting litter louts in the pocket, whether it’s litter that is thrown from a vehicle or dropped in the street.
"Littering is a scourge on our environment and we waste taxpayers’ money cleaning it up – funds which could be better spent in the community.
"We want to be the first generation to leave our environment in a better state than we found it, and I encourage everyone to take responsibility for their litter and recycle more."
Published: by Radio NewsHub