Purpose

Strategy on how to take litter enforcement
forward - options paper.

Content

The report related to updates
needed to Buckinghamshire Council’s Littering Enforcement
Policy (adopted in 2022) and introduced a new Litter Enforcement
Strategy for adoption. The Council adopted the maximum allowable
Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) rate of £150 for littering
offences in 2022. However, on 31st July 2023 the Government
introduced increased upper limits for FPNs for Fly-tipping, Failure
in Household Duty of Care and Littering, The recommendations were
to change the current Littering FPN fine levels to reflect the new
limits. There were two key changes:
 
a) An increase in the Fixed
Penalty Notice (FPN) limit,
b) Adopting a Civil Penalty
procedure for littering from vehicles
 
For all councils, litter was a
constant problem, costing taxpayers in Buckinghamshire over
£3.5 million annually to clean and dispose of littering
waste. Littering took different forms, and the proposed strategy
sought to address both litter thrown from vehicles, and dropped by
pedestrians in towns through targeted enforcement and communication
approaches.
 
RESOLVED –
 

(1)              
That the revised Littering Fixed Penalty Notices
(FPN) upper limit be agreed and adopted to address the recent
Government increase and the Littering Enforcement Policy
amendments, which sets out criteria to issue a FPN to an offender
based on admissions being made.

 

(2)              
That the use of Civic Law Enforcement against
littering from vehicles as set in The Littering from Vehicles
Outside London (Keepers: Civil Penalties) Regulations 2018 be
agreed and adopted.
 

(3)              
That the Littering Enforcement Strategy for
Buckinghamshire be agreed.
 

(4)              
That the provision of additional In-House
enforcement resources to proactively enforce against littering
offices be agreed, namely additional estimated budget costs of
£115k and offset by associated estimated income of
£225k with any surplus income to go to reserves, if
required.
 

(5)              
That the proposed communications campaign
accompanied by a dashcam appeal be agreed, to be piloted for a
period of 3-6 months during 2024.