Fly-tippers face fixed penalty notices
Fly-tippers in Birmingham are to face fixed penalty notices for small scale offences as the council continues to crack down on illegal dumping in the city.
The fixed penalties are being introduced through new powers granted to local authorities under the Unauthorised Deposit of Waste (Fixed Penalties) Regulations 2016 and are designed to reduce the burden of taking a smaller scale matter to court.
Local authorities can set the level of fixed penalty, which the regulations state must be between £150 and £400. Birmingham City Council’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee will decide on a level for the city when it meets on April 20, when it will also consider whether to set a reduced penalty for early payment.
Jacqui Kennedy, Acting Strategic Director for Place at Birmingham City Council, said: “We all have a responsibility to ensure we dispose of our waste appropriately. In Birmingham, we take a zero tolerance approach to fly-tipping, which blights communities, takes up valuable resources and places a financial burden on the taxpayer.
“These new fixed penalty notices will enable us to target offenders without the need to take certain cases to court, while also sending out a clear message that such inconsiderate behaviour will not be tolerated in our city. We will not hesitate to take action against those who believe they are above the law, including pursuing prosecution where necessary and where there is compelling evidence.”
Penalty notices will be payable within 14 days of issue. Failure to pay will result in prosecution for the original offence. Serious cases will continue to be prosecuted.
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