Overview
- - The Local Government Association is seeking an urgent review of sentencing after analysis showed average court fines of £539 sit below the £626 councils typically issue via fixed penalty notices.
- - England logged a record 1.26 million fly‑tipping incidents in 2024/25, with councils estimating more than £19.3 million in clean‑up costs.
- - Coventry and Blackburn with Darwen backed the LGA call, citing rising caseloads (6,428 and 3,828 incidents respectively) and saying court prosecutions are resource‑heavy with limited cost recovery.
- - Government guidance issued on March 3 expanded tools for councils, including £65–£500 fixed penalties for littering, owner liability for litter from cars when the offender is not identified, advice on seizing and disposing of vehicles, and intelligence‑sharing with enforcement bodies.
- - Local measures are tightening: Bradford lifted its fly‑tipping FPN maximum to £1,000 and has issued the first such fines, Wiltshire issued a £1,000 FPN in a Salisbury case, and BCP Council welcomed the new powers.