Litter tossers in Northampton to be hit with increased £120 fines

Anyone throwing away crisp packets or cigarette ends in Northampton could be hit with fines 50 per cent larger than current rates, from next month.
A member of Kingdom Environmental Enforcement TeamA member of Kingdom Environmental Enforcement Team
A member of Kingdom Environmental Enforcement Team

Proposals to be put before councilors next week would see fixed penalty notices for littering increase from £80 (£50 for quick payment) to £120 (£75 for quick payment).

Neighbourhood wardens, park rangers and members of the Kingdom Environmental Enforcement Team will be able to hand out the on-the-spot fines from November 1.

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Also under the proposals, flytippers who pay their fine early would also have to pay an increased charge of £300, up from £250.

Money generated by littering fines has to be spent on environmental services, but money retrieved from flytippers has no such restrictions. Provided the number of penalty notices stays the same, the council expects revenues to increase.

Marion Goodman, head of customers and communities at the Guildhall, said: "Based on the levels of fixed penalty notices issued by NBC staff during the first quarter of 2018/19, the proposed change in levels would have increased income by approximately 40 per cent."

The increased fines will bring Northampton in line with neighbouring councils, a policy that is often used as a deterrent for flytippers tempted to cross local authority boundaries for less risk to their wallets.

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Income gathered by Kingdom will fund its staff, equipment and support systems and more income will have to be spent on enhanced services.

The increase in maximum fines supports the aims both of council's zero tolerance to environmental crime and Keep Britain Tidy's 'Don't be a Tosser!' campaign.