Fly-tipping penalties in Cheshire East set to rise to £5,000

Cheshire East Council is increasing penalties for fly-tipping and littering, with fixed penalty notices of up to £5,000 available for the most serious fly-tipping offences.

The changes are designed to deter environmental crime, reflect the seriousness of offences and bring Cheshire East more closely into line with neighbouring authorities.

Under the new arrangements:

• Lower-tier fly-tipping offences will be subject to a fixed penalty notice of £500, reduced to £300 if paid within 14 days;
• Higher-tier fly-tipping offences may face a fixed penalty notice of £1,000, reduced to £600 if paid within 14 days;
• The most serious fly-tipping offences could result in a fixed penalty notice of up to £5,000 from 1 September, in line with new legislation;
• Standard littering offences will increase to £150, reduced to £90 if paid within seven days; and
• A higher-level littering offence for incidents involving more than one item will carry a £200 penalty, reduced to £150 if paid within seven days.

Residents are reminded to check that anyone removing waste from their property holds a valid waste carrier licence and is authorised to dispose of waste correctly.

Fly-tipping and littering can harm the environment, spoil communities and create significant clean-up costs for the council and local taxpayers.

Councillor David Jefferay, Cheshire East Council's cabinet member for environment, sustainability and waste management, said:

"Most people take pride in their local area and dispose of their waste responsibly. It is frustrating when a small minority act irresponsibly and leave communities to deal with the consequences.

"These revised penalty levels send a clear message that fly-tipping and littering will not be tolerated in Cheshire East.

"I would urge residents to play their part by checking that anyone removing waste from their property is licensed to do so and will dispose of it legally."

Cheshire East Council's previous fixed penalty notice levels had not been reviewed for several years. The revised penalties reflect the seriousness of environmental offences, support local enforcement priorities and align more closely with approaches taken by neighbouring authorities. 

Residents are encouraged to dispose of waste responsibly, use licensed waste carriers and report incidents of fly-tipping to the council.

For more information about fly-tipping and littering, including how to report offences, visit: 

Street Cleansing, litter and flytipping