Bucks: Fly-tipping fines introduced to clamp down on waste

People who dump waste on public or private land will now face a £400 fine if they are caught after Buckinghamshire Council adopted new powers to punish fly-tippers.

READ MORE: Supermarket thief who stole cash and vodka caught

The move means the authority can now start to claw back some cash from the £605,000 it is estimated to cost taxpayers every year.

Council leader Martin Tett said: “Everybody hates it — it is dirty, anti-social and one of the most unhygienic things a person can do.

“I think it is important to recognise just what a burden this is on the local area and on taxpayers.

“We want to make criminals aware Buckinghamshire is a no-go zone for fly-tipping.

“There is absolutely no excuse for it — if we find anybody fly-tipping we will prosecute you.”

READ MORE: Six fly-tipping offences captured in Bucks last week

It is now possible for council bosses to fine fly-tippers in the county as the new authority has full powers to do so.

Before the merger, powers were split between bodies and the County Council could only issue cautions.

The County Council issued 38 cautions in 2019 and should those who were caught dumping their waste have been fined, this would have brought in around £12,000 for the authority.

According to Cllr Bill Chapple, one in every 38 fly-tippers are caught in Bucks compared to one in every 638 on average nationally.

Now, those who are caught fly-tipping face a £400 fine reduced to £300 if the penalty charge is paid within 14 days.

READ MORE: Five more coronavirus deaths at Bucks hospitals

Councillors nodded through the new policy at the first-ever meeting of Buckinghamshire Council’s cabinet on Tuesday, April 21.

Cllr Warren Whyte added: “I think this is an excellent tool for our armoury.

“This will help us punish those who want to trash our countryside.”