Flytipping fines could more than double under new plans

The Scottish Government is consulting on increasing fines to at least £500.

The proposed new strategy aims to tackle litter and flytipping (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

Flytipping fines could be more than doubled to £500, with Scottish Government plans to tackle concerns that the coronavirus pandemic has “exacerbated” the problem.

Current fines are £200, but the Government is consulting on raising this to the current legal maximum of £500.

The proposed change is part of a consultation on a new national litter and flytipping strategy which began on Monday.

The consultation also asks if fines should be raised beyond this cap.

We want a Scotland that is free of the blight of litter and flytipping

Circular economy minister Lorna Slater

The consultation paper says the Covid-19 pandemic has “posed a number of new challenges in regards to litter and flytipping”, adding there are “concerns that many of these existing issues had been exacerbated by the pandemic”.

A national campaign to change behaviour, new research on why people litter and more, better use of data to find and target litter and flytipping hotspots, are also proposed.

Further plans include setting up a national flytipping forum.

Launching the consultation, circular economy minister Lorna Slater said: “We want a Scotland that is free of the blight of litter and flytipping.

“That’s why we’re asking for views on a bold set of measures that could help make our streets, parks and public spaces free of rubbish.

“Litter and flytipping are not just a blight on local communities, they also cost millions of pounds every year in clean-up costs. We need to send a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

“We also need to understand why anti-litter measures are still not reaching some people. To address that, we are proposing not just a one-off campaign, but a sustained push, backed by new research into why people litter.

“We also want to make better use of data to clamp down on illegal dumping. By understanding more about where and when flytipping takes place, we can be more effective in targeting interventions to stop it.”

Terry A’Hearn, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) chief executive said information from the consultation could lead to better sharing of flytipping data between Sepa and other agencies, “helping us manage our responses better”.

He added: “Fly-tipping is not only immoral, it is illegal and waste crime poses a risk not only to human health and the environment, but also to urban and rural businesses, and communities.

“Waste dumped illegally in laybys, rural locations or holes in the ground, instead of being disposed of in the correct manner, means criminals are avoiding having to pay the costs a legal operator has to pay.”

The consultation runs until March 31 2022.