A new external firm is also being brought in to clamp down on environmental crime
People leaving dog mess behind will be hit with an increased fine
Litter louts, dog foulers and fly-tippers are all in line for harsher penalties as Liverpool Council confirms it will employ a new company to deal with punishing environmental offences. With more than £12m spent each year on cleaning litter and fly-tipping across the city, the local authority has signed off on a plan to contract a firm to crackdown on those who fail to keep our streets clean.
Additionally, the amount that those caught flouting the rules pay for their offences is also going to increase significantly. The charge for dropping litter will increase to £150, up from £80, with an early payment option of £100 if paid within 14 days.
Between February 2024 and January this year, Liverpool Council received 3,608 requests for street cleansing and 16,683 requests to remove fly tipping, including 3,521 reports of dumped black refuse bags, 3,124 pieces of furniture, 531 shopping trollies and 1016 fridge/freezers.
More than 100 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued in an eight month period generated £10,000 in fines from offenders. These will now be increased to reflect the city’s new approach.
Penalties are proposed to increase for litter and graffiti with a tiered approach towards fly-tipping offences. Breaches of public space protection orders (PSPO) will also be subject to harsher penalties.
Unwelcome graffiti and fly-posting is also facing sterner punishment, doubling to £200.
A general image taken by the ECHO of fly tipping near West Derby Road (Image: Liverpool ECHO)
Cllr Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool Council, said: “Unfortunately there’s a small minority of people who don’t play by the rules and it’s frustrating that it blights the lives of other people. It’s not acceptable.”
A tiered approach is being considered which seeks to acknowledge the seriousness of the offence and the estimated cost of removing fly tipped waste. New levels of penalty will be based on a criteria identified by investigating officers, with the dumping of up to three bags equating to a £500 fine.
More than three bags but less than a van load will cost £750 while a load equivalent to a light commercial van like a Ford Transit or “clear evidence of waste being commercial, or business waste transported by an unlicensed waste carrier” will land those responsible with a £1,000 penalty.
Locals have complained about fly-tipping, rats and anti-social behaviour across the city
Anyone who fails to pick up after their dog will also face sterner punishment, with the penalty for not picking up dog mess increasing to £100. A PSPO was introduced across the city in November 2022 to protect Liverpool’s green spaces.
An additional £1.5m was approved during March’s budget council meeting to increase environmental enforcement. The council said high levels of litter, fly tipping, poorly managed household and commercial waste make communities “feel unloved and forgotten.”
Cabinet documents outlined how the £80 fine level had not changed for a number of years and fixed penalty levels in Liverpool have remained static during that time.