Litter Louts Face £150 On The Spot Fines

Council to increase the maximum fine for littering from £100 to £150 to deter offenders

Wandsworth Council is cracking down on litterbugs with an increase in fines for anyone caught not clearing up after themselves. Increasing the maximum fine is aimed at sending a clear message that dropping any litter, whether it’s a crisp packet, cigarette butt or sweet wrapper is unacceptable.

The move, which comes into effect from 1 November, is part of the council’s zero tolerance approach to littering, taking advantage of powers that came into force earlier this year, allowing councils to increase the fine for small-scale fly-tipping offences, where a prosecution may be considered to be excessive.

Those caught are able to pay a reduced fee if paid within 10 days of issue.

This new enforcement measure forms part of our #KeepWandsworthClean education campaign , and follows a successful 18-month pilot which saw council contractor NSL work alongside the in-house team, issuing more than 4,000 fines during the course of the trial. This brings the total number of fines issued, between April 2017 and August 2018, up to 6,286.

Council officers will continue to support this work with our #KeepWandsworthClean education campaign, working with schools, landlords and businesses; highlighting how residents can dispose of rubbish responsibly and encourages people to change their behaviour.

Earlier this year Cllr Steffi Sutters, Wandsworth Council's environment spokesperson, explained why the council sees tackling flytipping and littering as a priority.

This week Cllr Sutters said: “We work hard to keep the borough clean and tidy, but all too often council taxpayers foot the bill to pick up other people’s rubbish.Litter louts shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this behaviour. Increasing on the spot fines to £150 make them think twice about their actions. More serious fly-tipping offences will continue to be dealt with by prosecution, as will anyone who fails to pay a fixed penalty.”

Residents can dispose of rubbish responsibly and get involved in the #KeepWandsworthClean campaign:

October 16, 2018