Swindon Council leader calls for fly-tipping fines to rise

According to a councillor it costs taxpayers almost £50 million a year to clear up

Fines for fly-tippers should be increased to "significant" levels, a council leader has told the government.

David Renard, leader of Swindon Borough Council, said the activity was "inexcusable" and those responsible must be "held accountable".

It costs taxpayers in England almost £50m a year to clear up which could be better spent on other vital services.

In 2020, fly-tipping incidents across the country hit nearly one million and the number of fines rose dramatically.

However, Mr Renard said the fines issued by courts did not always cover council costs, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported.

'Blight public spaces'

He said: "Fly-tipping is inexcusable. It is not only an eyesore for residents, but a serious public health risk, creating pollution and attracting rats and other vermin.

"With 20,000 incidents of fly-tipping a week, it is time the government looks at its sentencing guidelines to ensure that those caught and prosecuted for fly-tipping receive significant fines that are recovered quickly to deter them from spoiling our parks, highways and verges again, and to help offset the huge costs to councils."

"Fly-tipping is a criminal activity and is a blight on our public spaces. The individuals responsible for it must be held accountable and prosecuted," he added.

The Local Government Association (LGA) said while the government allows unlicensed disposal firms to be fined up to £5,000, those prosecuted for the worst dumping offences were handed an average fine of just £335 in 2020/21.

The LGA reported an incident of a man in Weymouth who refused to pay his £400 council-issued fine, but after being prosecuted and found guilty he was fined just £150.