Fly-tipping fines increased to £3,000 by council

A council has increased fines for the most serious fly-tipping offences to £3,000.

The changes were agreed by St Albans City and District Council's Public Realm Committee at a meeting on Thursday.

In July, the government announced that local authorities could increase these fixed penalty notices up to £5,000.

Liberal Democrat councillor Edgar Hill, the committee's vice-chairman and lead member for fly-tipping, said: "The increase in fines shows our determination to crack down on the scourge of fly-tipping in both urban and rural areas."

For cases where households or businesses fail to ensure their rubbish is disposed of properly by a registered waste carrier, the maximum fine will rise from £600 to £1,000.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs argued raising fines to £5,000 would act as a "stronger deterrent" and help reduce incidents of littering and fly-tipping.

The council said it chose not to raise fines to that level because it believed offenders would be more likely to refuse paying, and more likely to contest it in court.

This process was "time-consuming", the local authority said, and fines imposed by judges "vary significantly".

The council said it operated a sliding scale of fines, with only the most serious offences receiving the maximum penalty.

Decisions on the level of the fine depend on the size of the fly-tip, the environmental harm it causes and the cost of clearing it up.

Hill added: "Fly-tips are not only a criminal offence, but also an eyesore, a potential health hazard and can be very costly to clear up."

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