Almost 400 fines for environment crimes in three months
Our enforcement officers have issued almost 400 fines for a range of environmental offences including littering and fly-tipping in the last three months.
Despite lockdown and Covid-19, our officers have been clamping down as much as possible on a range of environmental crimes to ensure we have a cleaner and tidier city.
We’ve issued 191 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) at £150 each for littering, including on the beach and seafront, and 84 for fly-tipping at £400.
Even rubbish left by the bins can end up in our oceans, harming marine life and spoiling our seafront for others who want to enjoy a day out.
We have also fined businesses who dump their rubbish unlawfully: including 49 so-called waste disposal companies who operate illegally by not having the correct licence to dispose of waste, with fines of £300.
Cost of clear-up
The total of fines issued so far since the start of the financial year in April totals almost £100,000 from 383 fines.
This money is reinvested directly into the environmental enforcement service, meaning the cost to taxpayers is zero.
Councillor Amy Heley, joint chair of the council’s Environment, Transport & Sustainability committee, said:
“These figures show our enforcement officers work extremely hard trying to make the city a cleaner and better place to live, and will continue to do so by fining those people and businesses who flout the law.
“Littering and fly-tipping not only costs the council and therefore council tax payers thousands of pounds every year to clear up, they also ruin the look and feel of our beautiful city.”
No excuse
Littering includes everything from cigarette butts, chewing gum, food and food wrappers, bottles, cans, used BBQs and anything else deemed litter.
Fly-tipping is leaving any waste or household items on land or the street without permission, even in the hope someone will take them away for free.
Councillor Heley added: “There’s no excuse for littering or fly-tipping, as there are thousands of bins throughout the city.
“The council also operates two household waste recycling sites where people can dispose of their waste.
“If a business wants to collect people’s waste and dispose of it, then you must have the proper licences and do it responsibly and lawfully.”
Environmental fines
The totals for environmental offences where FPNs can be issued are:
- littering (including littering from vehicles) - 191
- unauthorised flyering - two
- fly-posting - one
- graffiti - three
- fly-tipping - 84
- disposing of commercial waste illegally - 52
- failure to produce a waste transfer note - 10
- non-compliance of duty of care certificate - 39
- spitting, urinating or defecating in public – one
