Council bosses have approved a big hike in fines for littering and fly tipping in the District, but residents have been told “If you play by the rules – we’ll be fair with you.”
On Tuesday morning the Council’s Executive rubber-stamped changes that will see fly tippers fined up to £1,000 and people caught littering given a £150 fine.
The decision follows national changes introduced in 2023 that allow Councils to increase the levels of fines for waste crimes.
Currently Bradford Council issues £400 fines for fly tipping, and £100 fines for littering.
The new rules will see the flat £400 fine replaced by three “tiers” of fly tipping fines.
People dumping hazardous and commercial waste will have to pay £1,000. A car boot full of waste will lead to a £400 fine, and people dumping a single item will be fined £150.
At Tuesday’s meeting Amjad Ishaq, Environmental Services Manager said the rise will be accompanied by measures to make it easier for people to dispose of waste correctly.
This includes an increase in the amount of DIY waste people can take to Council tips.
It is hoped the harsher fines will save the taxpayer from funding costly court cases against fly tippers.
Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Executive for Healthy People and Places, said:
“Fly tipping is a blight on our communities, and is just not acceptable.
“We will still have the ability to take people through the court process, and that is something we’ll still do.
“We will also still continue to crush vehicles found to be fly tipping.
“It isn’t acceptable that the burden of fly tipping falls on Council Tax payers – that is something I’m frequently told by residents.
“People expect us to do everything we can to solve the issue, and this is us doing that.”
The Council will also increase “householder duty of care” fines from £250 to £400.
These fines are for residents who fail to ensure that they hand over their waste to licensed waste handlers. Waste removals done “on the cheap” by unauthorised handlers often lead to the waste being fly tipped and the unexpecting householders fined.
Cllr Ferriby said:
“If someone is saying they can get rid of your waste for next to nowt – it is probably too good to be true. You need to check their permits.”
Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said:
“If you play by the rules we’ll be fair with you – but you need to be fair to the community in which you live.”
Councillor Neil Whitaker (Green, Craven) pointed out that the Council was legally able to increase fly tipping fines from 2023. He added:
“Why are we only doing this now? We’ve had two years.”
Amjad Ishaq, Environmental Services Manager, said changes across the country had been made slowly, adding:
“We’ve been watching to see what other Councils set as their fixed penalties.”
Members voted to approve the changes.
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