Issue - meetings

Report of Councillor C Cupit, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services.

Key Decision

RESOLVED

(1)            The Cabinet noted the performance of the Environmental Health Service in relation to fly tipping enforcement.

(2)            That the fixed penalty fines be set at the levels specified in the report.

(3)            That the Joint Assistant Director – Environmental Health be authorised to carry out a review on the impact of the changes to the fixed penalty fine levels twelve months after their implementation.

REASONS FOR DECISION - Adjusting the fixed penalty amounts will enable the Council to keep pace with national legislative changes and ensures fixed penalty amounts act as a suitable punishment for the offence, as well as ensuring they are affordable for smaller, less serious offences.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED - The options of not increasing the fixed penalties, or increasing them by a greater amount than recommended, were considered but rejected for the reasons specified in the report.

This is a Key Decision.  The call-in period for the decision will run until Monday 14 March 2022

Members received an update on the work of the Council’s Environmental Health Service in combatting a wide range of offences, including Fly-Tipping, by imposing Fixed Penalty Notices on offenders. Cabinet was recommended to increase these Fixed Penalties, in order to bring them into line with those set by neighbouring authorities. It was explained that this would help to resolve the inconsistencies which had developed, between Fixed Penalties that had not been increased for several years and those which had been introduced for new offences and set at considerably higher levels. 

Cabinet discussed the report and the proposed increase in the Fixed Penalty Notice amounts for Fly-Tipping and other offences. Cabinet heard how the changes would establish parity between Fly-Tipping and Business-Waste ‘Duty of Care’ offences. Members also heard how the fines for householders and smaller, less serious, offences would remain affordable. Members welcomed this. They asked that the revised Fixed Penalties be reviewed after 12 months in order to determine their impact.

RESOLVED

(1)             The Cabinet noted the performance of the Environmental Health Service in relation to fly tipping enforcement.

(2)             That the fixed penalty fines be set at the levels specified in the report.

(3)             That the Joint Assistant Director – Environmental Health be authorised to carry out a review on the impact of the changes to the fixed penalty fine levels twelve months after their implementation.

REASONS FOR DECISION - Adjusting the fixed penalty amounts will enable the Council to keep pace with national legislative changes and ensures fixed penalty amounts act as a suitable punishment for the offence, as well as ensuring they are affordable for smaller, less serious offences.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED - The options of not increasing the fixed penalties, or increasing them by a greater amount than recommended, were considered but rejected for the reasons specified in the report.