Council significantly increases fines for offenders caught fly-tipping in Buckinghamshire

Bucks Council has announced harsher penalties for people caught fly-tipping in the county.

People caught dumping rubbish will now face paying a higher penalty for their crime following changes to the law which have been adopted by the council.

Earlier this year the Government increased the maximum Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for fly-tipping from £400 to £1,000. Also, the penalty for Failure in Householder Duty of Care, has also been raised from £400 to a maximum of £600.

This penalty relates to people who have waste removed by a third-party waste carrier. By law householders have a duty to check that the carrier they are using is legally authorised to remove the waste and will do so carefully and responsibly.

Buckinghamshire Council’s cabinet voted in favour of adopting the harsher penalties.

Councillor Gareth Williams said: “Where previously we have only been able to impose a Fixed Penalty Notice of £400, we can now increase that figure to £1,000. That is a lot of money to most people, and we hope it will act as a greater deterrent against fly-tipping. This further illustrates our zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping in Buckinghamshire.”

FPNs are generally used for smaller scale offences and avoid court proceedings and a criminal record. However Bucks Council states it will always seek to impose the maximum penalty and for larger scale or more serious offences the defendant may be summoned to court where fines are set by magistrates and can result in custodial sentences and costs totalling thousands of pounds.

The changes came into effect yesterday (18 December).

Councillor Williams added: “I would urge all householders to fully check the credentials of any waste carrier they employ to dispose of waste on their behalf. The best way to do this is to use a traceable method of payment for the service and never, ever pay cash. Make sure you use a waste carrier properly registered with the Environment Agency and pay traceably online – if that isn’t an option, find a different waste carrier.

“Rogue waste carriers almost always want cash, and if they take an online payment, it is much easier for us to detect them and seek to prosecute.”