Milton Keynes City Council is set to increase local fines for fly tipping waste in public spaces.
The fees are due to be discussed at a decisions meeting on 13 December, where it’s proposed to increase the cost of Fixed Penalty Notices for dumping waste illegally from £250 to £400, in line with neighbouring councils.
£400 is the maximum amount that councils should charge, as set out in national sentencing guidelines for authorities.
The city council will also consider setting a fixed fee of £300 for commercial businesses who, for example, leave skips on the highway without permits or erect scaffolding without permission.
Street cleansing costs the Council £3.5 million per year. It recently reported that fly tipping in MK had dropped by around a third on top of reductions last year, following the installation of CCTV at known hotspots and other education and enforcement measures.
We take environmental crime seriously as we know it has a negative impact in our communities. Research suggests that by increasing fines and bringing them in line with other nearby areas, we should be able to reduce these crimes even further, which will help us keep MK clean and green - Milton Keynes City Council’s Interim Cabinet Member for the Public Realm, Cllr Paul Trendall