Durham County Council drops fly-tipping early fine payment discounts

Councillor Mark Wilkes (left) said the authority was exploring increasing fines for environmental crimes

Early payment discounts on fines issued for fly-tipping, litter dropping and dog fouling have been scrapped to show such offences will not be "tolerated".

Durham County Council said "tough enforcement" was needed rather than rebates which previously saw fines for fly-tipping reduced from £400 to £180.

All environmental offences are subject to fixed penalty notices (FPNs), which could soon be increased.

The council said it sent out a "firm message" to offenders.

Councillor Mark Wilkes, the council's cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change, said: "We do try to educate and engage wherever possible, but it's important to back that up with tough enforcement.

"We know our communities care very deeply about these issues and that they expect us to pursue offenders and take firm action against them."

Mr Wilkes added the latest figures showed fly-tipping in the county was at its "lowest level ever" while the number of fines issued had increased.

He said scrapping early payments "strengthened" the authority's hand.

In 2022-23, the council issued almost 2,000 FPNs for environmental offences.

Offences include abandoning vehicles, which carries a FPN of £200, and ignoring notices to clear waste from properties, failure to produce a valid licence to transport waste and failure to produce documents, which carry a £300 FPN.

Shildon residents were left upset earlier this year when rubbish was fly-tipped across a road

In April the council had to clear a main road, after rubble, glass and other debris was strewn along Eldon Lane, near Shildon, closing it for several hours.

The government has announced maximum on-the-spot fines for litter, graffiti and fly-tipping can be increased under the prime minister's Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan.

It gives local authorities the power to increase the fly-tipping maximum from £400 to £1,000 and littering from £150 to £500.

Mr Wilkes said this was something the council was "very much interested in exploring as we continue to tackle the minority who blight our communities".