31 October 2017

Vehicle owners face fines under government crackdown on littering

New steps are being taken to deal with drivers who throw rubbish from their vehicles, Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey has confirmed.

Cleaning up England’s streets and countryside currently costs taxpayers almost £800 million a year and so maximum on-the-spot fines for dropping litter will almost double from April next year – from the current limit of £80 to £150 – to deter the minority who continue to drop rubbish, the government has said. The minimum fine will increase from £50 to £65, while the default fine will increase from £75 to £100.

In future – and for the first time – councils will also be able to impose fines on the owners of vehicles from which litter is thrown, even if it was discarded by someone else.

Ms Coffey said: ‘Littering blights our communities, spoils our countryside and taxpayers’ money is wasted cleaning it up. Throwing rubbish from a vehicle is just as unacceptable as dropping it in the street and we will tackle this antisocial behaviour by hitting litter louts in the pocket. These new fines will make sure the perpetrators, not the local community, bear the cost of keeping our streets and roads clean.’

Legislation will be introduced by the end of this year and the new fines will be in place by April next year, subject to parliamentary approval.