Fines for fly-tipping in Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough and Rushden could increase to £1,000

North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) receives between 4,500 to 5,000 reports of fly-tipping each year.

People who illegally drop litter, dump items or commit any other environmental crimes could now face harsher charges which are more than double the current penalties.

In 2023/24 a total of 28 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) were issued amounting to fines worth more than £13,500.

The current charges include £150 for graffiti, flyposting and littering, £300 for household waste duty of care and £400 for fly-tipping.

Under new regulations, the local authority will have the choice to raise fines to new maximum levels:

• Graffiti - £500
• Flyposting - £500
• Littering - £500
• Household waste duty of care - £600
• Fly-tipping - £1,000

Waste services manager at NNC, Charlotte Tompkins told the council’s sustainable communities meeting: “We feel it’s a proportional response to quite a large amount of environmental crime.

“It shouldn’t be seen as a cash cow, that’s not what we’re looking to do here, but it’s just to support that vital service. Everybody finds it frustrating, everybody wants to do more.

“We feel that issuing FPNs has a positive impact on communities adversely affected by the presence of persistent environmental crime, certainly in the areas where they are experiencing being a hotspot.”

In February this year, NNC’s counterpart in the west of the county decided to impose the increases - making the maximum fly-tipping fine £1,000 and increasing their littering fine to £500.

Offenders are currently offered the opportunity to pay the fine with a 25 per cent discount if it is completed within 10 days.

The period is proposed to be extended to 14 days if the larger penalties are put in place.

Where FPNs are not paid, offenders will be referred to the magistrate for prosecution.

The increased penalties must go to NNC’s executive for approval before changes to the FPNs are made.