Fine increase from Sunday
Written by karen on 26 June 2018
New fine increase for litter from Sunday 1st July
Anyone caught dropping litter, leaving graffiti or fly-posting in Swale will be fined £150 from 1 July.
Swale Borough Council agreed to raise the maximum fixed penalty notice (FPN) for the offences from their current £80 to £150 after new regulations came into force allowing council’s to increase the fines.
The existing £80 level has been in place since 2006, with 1,633 FPN’s issued in 2017/18, and more than 100 people taken to court for non-payment.
Any money left over after paying for the costs of the scheme is ring-fenced for environmental projects such as new litter bins, educational programmes and events to deter environmental crime.
Cllr David Simmons, cabinet member for environment and rural affairs at the council, said:
“The existing level has been in place for more than a decade, and doesn’t reflect the costs – socially or economically – that these kinds of offences create.
“It doesn’t just cost council tax payers money to clean up the mess, itcan make an area feel less welcoming and attractive for local people.
“In the last few years we’ve put in a lot of effort to increase the amount of litter enforcement with extra patrols being carried out.
These are making a difference, but there is still a minority who believe they can get away with leaving a mess for others to clear up.
“We hope that this increase acts as an appropriate deterrent and that people decide to do the right thing with their rubbish rather than
litter it on our streets.”
“Through our local engagement sessions and surveys we know that residents support these ‘on the spot fines’ for anyone caught dropping
litter.”
The increase was approved by the full council at a meeting on Wednesday 13th June.
Reader's opinions
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Terry Skol Saunders On 26 June 2018 at 18:13
Josh Saunders
Diane Gordon On 27 June 2018 at 11:30
We sat in Sittingbourne McDonald’s car park whilst my daughter went in and got a drink, and the car parked opposite, the driver got out and put his rubbish in the bin whilst the passenger chucked her rubbish out of her window! Then the car reversed to near us and I shouted for her to pick her rubbish up and all I got was abuse and they drove off
Tony Burns On 27 June 2018 at 17:45
Quote “Through our local engagement sessions and surveys we know that residents support these ‘on the spot fines’ for anyone caught dropping litter.” I wonder who will actually police this?