Councils able to double on-the-spot fines for litter

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey has announced that councils will be given the power to almost double on-the-spot fines for litter louts, from £80 to £150.

For the first time, local authorities can also use littering penalties against vehicle owners if it can be proved litter was thrown from their car, as it has been highlighted that street cleaning cost local councils almost £700 million last year.

Clear that councils would not abuse their new powers, the government has said that authorities should take into account local circumstances, like local ability to pay, when setting the level for these penalties.

Coffey said: “These new fines will tackle antisocial behaviour by hitting litter louts in the pocket, whether it’s litter that is thrown from a vehicle or dropped in the street. Littering is a scourge on our environment and we waste taxpayers’ money cleaning it up – funds which could be better spent in the community. We want to be the first generation to leave our environment in a better state than we found it, and I encourage everyone to take responsibility for their litter and recycle more.”