Littering in Plymouth is about to get more expensive.
From Tuesday 1 October, the fixed penalty notice given to people caught dropping litter will rise from £80 to £100.
The move brings the Council in line with new government legislation that sets the amount that local authorities can charge for littering offences.
Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet member for Customer Focus and Community Safety, said: “It is a complete no brainer to increase the amount people have to pay for disrespecting our city and its residents.
“Littering is unacceptable and we will continue with our zero tolerance approach. I welcome this rise and hope that it serves as a deterrent to those who blight our city with their waste.”
Aimed at deterring littering, fly-tipping, fly-posting and dog fouling and control, the move allowed a more flexible approach to keeping our city clean. Plain clothes patrols then hit the streets earlier this summer.
In April 2018, the Environmental Offences (Fixed Penalties) (England) Regulations 2017 came into effect giving local authorities the ability to raise FPNs, from the current maximum level of £80, to a new maximum of £150, for littering offences. The recommended default amount is £100.
The FPN for littering in Plymouth has been at £80 for many years but it has been decided to apply the default amount to reflect the recent change in legislation.
The law around issuing FPN’s dictates how the Council can use any revenue and this has to be on littering and dog control functions.
All of the revenue received will go into paying for the service, with surplus invested into infrastructure and equipment to help keep the city clean.
Find out more about our enforcement officers by visiting our enviromental crime page.