5 days ago
'No excuse' warning to litter louts as fines up to £1,000 planned
Litter louts have been warned 'there's no excuse for ruining our streets' as penalties of up to £1,000 could be introduced for environmental offences. Liverpool Council's cabinet is to consider plans to hike up fines for those caught littering, fly-tipping and leaving graffiti when they meet next week.
With more than £12m spent each year on cleaning litter and fly-tipping across the city, the local authority is also expected to sign off on a plan to contract a firm to crackdown on environmental crime. Subject to agreement, a three year deal could be agreed with an as yet unnamed company to punish those who fail to keep the city clean.
Additionally, the amount that litter louts pay for their offences is also poised to increase significantly. Ahead of that key decision, Laura Robertson-Collins, cabinet member for communities, neighbourhoods and streetscene, has fired a message to those who think it's acceptable to leave their rubbish behind.
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Between February 2024 and January this year, Liverpool Council received 3,608 requests for street cleansing and 16,683 requests to remove fly tipping, including 3,521 reports of dumped black refuse bags, 3,124 pieces of furniture, 531 shopping trollies and 1016 fridge/freezers.
More than 100 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued in an eight month period generated £10,000 in fines from offenders. These will now be increased to reflect the city's new approach.
Penalties are proposed to increase for litter and graffiti with a tiered approach towards fly-tipping offences. Breaches of public space protection orders (PSPO) will also be subject to harsher penalties.
Should senior councillors agree, the charge for dropping litter will increase to £150, up from £80, with an early payment option of £100 if paid within 14 days. Unwelcome graffiti and fly-posting is also facing sterner punishment, doubling to £200.
A tiered approach is being considered which seeks to acknowledge the seriousness of the offence and the estimated cost of removing fly tipped waste. New levels of penalty will be based on a criteria identified by investigating officers, with the dumping of up to three bags equating to a £500 fine.
More than three bags but less than a van load would cost £750 while a load equivalent to a light commercial van like a Ford Transit or 'clear evidence of waste being commercial, or business waste transported by an unlicensed waste carrier' would land those responsible with a £1,000 penalty.
Anyone who fails to pick up after their dog will also face sterner punishment, with the penalty for not picking up dog mess increasing to £100. A PSPO was introduced across the city in November 2022 to protect Liverpool's green spaces.
Cllr Robertson-Collins said: 'Residents have told us that tackling environmental offences must be a priority, and we are committed to taking action. Fly-tipping, littering and dog fouling are a blight on our city and there's no excuse for ruining our streets.
'These tougher penalties send a strong message that it will not be tolerated. Liverpool is a fantastic city that we should be proud to call home, and we all need to do our part in looking after it.'
An additional £1.5m was approved during March's budget council meeting to increase environmental enforcement. The council said high levels of litter, fly tipping, poorly managed household and commercial waste make communities 'feel unloved and forgotten.'
Cabinet documents outlined how the £80 fine level had not changed for a number of years and fixed penalty levels in Liverpool have remained static during that time. The report added: 'The evidence suggests, particularly for the offence of fly tipping, which is increasing year on year, the level does not act as an effective deterrent to committing the offence.'
