Householders and waste criminals in England face much steeper penalties for illegal dumping after the government announced plans to raise the maximum fixed-penalty fine for fly-tipping from £1,000 to £5,000, a 400% increase. Littering fines would also rise to a maximum of £750, according to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).
Local councils retain full discretion over the size of any fine they issue, with amounts set according to the severity of the offence. The changes sit within the government's Waste Crime Action Plan, which additionally covers a digital waste tracking service, the potential loss of a driving licence for fly-tippers, and tougher checks on waste carriers.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds described fly-tipping and littering as a "disgrace" that "blights local communities". The previous £1,000 ceiling had only been in place since 2023, itself an increase from an earlier limit of £400.
Source: Circular Online