The new charge for littering from April 1 will be £100, an increase of £20. There will be a discounted rate of £65 if the offender pays within 10 days.
But the hike is small compared to the new FPN levels in Tunbridge Wells, which will follow the new maximum level of £150 – almost double what it was before – and with no early payment option
The previous Fixed Penalty Charge for littering was set in 2006. The upper limit was £80, to be paid within 14 days, with an early payment level of £50.
In 2017, the Government launched a new Litter Strategy with an ambition to be ‘the first generation to leave the natural environment of England in a better state than it found it’.
It noted that existing FPN levels were not high enough to be an ‘actual deterrent’, and the 2006 fines were adjusted in line with inflation.
Signs warning of FPNs will not necessarily be updated immediately, and the council warns that a challenge against the fines for not having any signage in place, or without updated charges, would not be successful.
It estimates that income for FPNs in 2019-20 will be £6,250, and the Street Scene and Environmental Services Board says: “Whilst revised charges could be seen to generate additional income, the primary purpose is to act as a deterrent and reduce littering.”
