Telford & Wrekin Council to increase fly-tipping fines
An increase in fines for those committing environmental offences in Telford and Wrekin will come into effect on 1 August.
The raft of increases includes fly-tipping which will increase from £400 to £1,000, littering from £80 to £150 and graffiti and flyposting will rise from £75 to £500. Businesses and households that fail to have a duty of care for their waste will also see the existing fine of £300 increase to £600.
The council has welcomed the new powers which came about due to new legislation announced by the Government in July to tackle anti-social behaviour. Previously in Telford and Wrekin rates of fly-tipping had reduced by 40%, but since June 2022, this started to rise again.
Despite increased investigations, more fines issued year on year increased use of CCTV and Telford and Wrekin Watch – a campaign that appeals for public help with identifying perpetrators caught on CCTV – the current rate of fly-tipping stands at an increase of 14%.
Councillor Richard Overton, deputy leader and cabinet member for homes and enforcement said:
“These new fines are in line with our zero-tolerance stance on environmental crime and increases the deterrent for fly-tipping which continues to blight our communities.
“We had reduced the rate of fly-tipping by 40%, but in the last year it’s going up again, despite numerous schemes to help people dispose of waste cheaply – including further discounts for people in receipt of benefits. It has cost the council more than £200,000 in clean-up costs – money that could be better spent supporting front line services .
“People who fly-tip are disrespectful to all of us and despite our best efforts, some of the worst offenders have walked away with minimal fines.
“We take a balanced approach – not everyone is issued a fine, sometimes a preventative approach is used though education, but these higher fines and court action gives us greater powers to drive down the rate of fly-tipping when needed.”
The council also urges those with unpaid fines, to settle amounts owing before the deadline. Where payment within the 28-day time frame has not been received, in line with new legislation, these cases will be progressed to court where fines can be unlimited or even end in imprisonment for cases heard at Crown Court.
To report fly-tips in your area, the MyTelford app allows the exact location to be logged for clean-up crews to attend.
