Litter louts face recent punishment underneath shake-up of native council guidelines
Local authorities in England will now be required by law to follow new statutory litter enforcement guidance to ensure people who accidentally litter are not punished
If the offender can’t be identified, the owner of the vehicle will be held to account(Image: Getty Images)
Councils have been given clearer legal powers to clamp down on serious and persistent littering and end a postcode lottery of action across the country.
Local authorities in England will now be required by law to follow new statutory litter enforcement guidance to ensure people who accidentally litter are not punished.
Currently rules on littering are advisory, which has resulted in councils across England applying inconsistent rules. Under the statutory guidance, councils have the power to issue on-the-spot fines of up to £500 for littering, including when litter is thrown from a vehicle.
Unpaid fines double after 28 days and if the offender can’t be identified, the owner of the vehicle will be held to account.
READ MORE: LIVE: Keir Starmer slaps down Donald Trump and launches fiery attack on Tories over Iran
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the statutory guidance will help free up councils to concentrate on the worst offenders rather than pursuing cases where someone has accidentally dropped litter.
If there is reason to believe someone littered on purpose, it is up to the council to decide if they think they have enough evidence to issue a penalty that could potentially be challenged in court
Councils must now follow the guidance by law, which Defra hopes will deter them from entering contracts with private enforcement companies that treat litter fines as a way of raising revenue.
Anyone who believes they’ve been unfairly fined can refer to the guidance in court and challenge whether the penalty was proportionate.
The announcement comes ahead of this year’s Great British Spring Clean, the UK’s largest annual litter pick, organised by the charity Keep Britain Tidy.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, said: “As we gear up for this year’s Great British Spring Clean, we are delighted that the government has recognised the importance of ‘turning off the tap’ of litter that blights communities up and down the country and pollutes our environment.”
Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said: “Once again, hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the county will be setting off to their local parks, streets and beaches for the Great British Spring Clean next week – and they deserve our thanks for looking after our community spaces.
“But we must stop litter louts from spoiling them in the first place, which is why we are giving local authorities clear legal powers to take action.
“Councils across the country will now take the same tough approach on litterers and ensure they are being brought to justice.”
