2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Tom Burnett)
People who litter face harsher fixed-penalty notices (Image: Ben Birchall/PA Wire) Breaking crime updates and news from the courts More Newsletters Subscribe Please enter a valid email Something went wrong, please try again later. More Newsletters We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you.
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More info × Group 28 Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show Me No thanks, close See our Privacy Notice People dropping litter in an area of Cambridgeshire area face being hit by on the spot fines of £300 - with the penalty set to double. At present people given fixed penalty notices (FPNs) in the Fenland District Council area, which includes Wisbech, face a £150 penalty for littering. Under new proposals however, those caught littering would face an increased FPN of £300.
This would be reduced to £250 if paid within 10 days). People caught creating graffiti or fly-posting are currently not subject to FPNs. However under the new plan they face an on-the-spot penalty of £300 - again reduced to £250 if paid within ten days.
Read More: Sex offender dies at Cambridgeshire prison after 15 years behind bars Read More: Next stage of plans for 80-home development approved Those caught fly-tipping in the area currently face a £400 FPN. Under the new scheme they would face a £600 FPN for 'small, low level offences' and £1,000 for large scale offences, although these could be reduced to £850 or £450 if paid within 10 days. Councils also have the option to prosecute people for offences, where the costs may well be far higher.
Figures from Fenland District Council show it issued 14 FPNs in 2023, with two cancelled and three referred for prosecution. A council report said: "Littering, graffiti, flyposting and fly-tipping blight communities, impose avoidable costs on the public purse and can harm the environment, with fly tipping being aggravated by householders giving waste to unauthorised carriers. Fixed penalty notices provide the Council as an enforcing authority with an effective and visible way of responding to these environmental crimes.
" It added: "Ensuring robust fines will support this ongoing activity and provide appropriate messaging as to the seriousness of these offences. The income from fines is used to support the cost of street cleansing across Fenland." Fenland District Council's Cabinet is set to vote on the increases at its cabinet meeting on Monday, September 30.
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