Those caught littering and fly-tipping in South Staffordshire will now face higher fines than ever in a council crackdown on offenders.
South Staffordshire Council has increased its fees for fixed penalty notices. Fines for fly-tipping have increased from £400 to £1,000, fines for littering have increased from £75 to £500, and fines for those found guilty of a Household Duty of Care offence have risen from £200 to £600.
The new charges will be implemented with immediate effect.
A Household Duty of Care offence is when a householder fails to carry out the necessary checks to ensure those taking away waste from their home have the appropriate licenses and evidence of disposing of said waste appropriately.
In 2022, clearing fly-tipping cost South Staffordshire taxpayers more than £100,000. Litter-picking in the district cost more than £60,000.
The district council’s move to increase the fines follows a decision by central government to increase the maximum amount that local authorities can charge for these penalties.
Fixed penalty notices for fly-posting offences will currently remain at £75.
Any council revenue generated through the payment of fixed penalty notices for environmental offences will support future environmental crime initiatives in the district and outreach work.
Councillor Rita Heseltine, cabinet member for regulatory services, said: “We are taking a zero-tolerance approach to those who have blatant disregard for our district’s environmental beauty.
“We are very proud of our district as an idyllic location to live, work and visit - and will not allow a small minority of people to negatively impact our communities and blight our landscape by dumping rubbish or dropping litter.”
Leader of South Staffordshire Council, Cllr Roger Lees, added: “Where we have evidence of wrongdoing, we will always take positive action by issuing a fixed penalty notice or taking the offender to court.
“It is hoped that the increases in our penalty notices will act as a strong deterrent to would-be offenders and result in a reduction in all environmental crime offences. This should, in turn, bring reductions in council expenditure on clearance costs.”