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Councils want courts to hand out bigger fines for fly-tipping
The Local Government Association says average court fines of £539 for fly-tipping are £87 lower than councils' £626 penalties, reducing deterrence and enforcement effectiveness.
- Local Government Association urged the government and Sentencing Council to review sentencing guidelines after average court fines were �539, �87 lower than councils' �626 fixed penalty notices last year.
- Incidents rose 9% in 2024/25 to a record 1.26 million cases as councils in England face growing enforcement burdens requiring lengthy investigations and significant staff time.
- Court examples show fines below fixed penalties: two offenders in York were fined £600 each, a Wiltshire fly-tipper £80, and Chelmsford prosecutions £300.
- The LGA warned lower fines undermine deterrence as larger cases cost councils in England £19.3m to clear up last year, straining local taxpayers and enforcement efforts.
- Defra has been contacted for comment as the LGA highlighted a 150m-long mountain of rubbish near the River Cherwell and said low court fines leave councils out of pocket.
7 Articles
7 Articles
Sky News UK
Great Yorkshire RadioCouncils want courts to hand out bigger fines for fly-tipping
Sparked by cases such as a fly-tipper in Wiltshire who failed to pay a £1,000 fixed penalty and then received an £80 fine when the case came to court, the review comes as figures show illegal dumping on public land in England is up 9% in 2024/25, to a record 1.26 million cases.
LGA calls for urgent sentencing review into fly-tipping court fines
The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling on the UK Government and the Sentencing Council to urgently review sentencing guidelines for fly-tipping. The LGA has called for an urgent review after official statistics showed that fly-tipping offenders prosecuted through the courts are often fined less than the penalties councils issue directly. The latest fly-tipping data showed the average court fine for fly-tipping is £539, which is £87 lo…
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