Low court fines “fail to act as a deterrent” to fly tippers – and calls have been made to review sentencing powers for the crime.
The Local Government Association says the fines handed out to fly tipper by courts are too low, and say an “urgent review” is needed.
Bradford Council has backed the calls, saying it “supports anything that makes it more difficult for fly-tippers to operate.”
Figures obtained by the LGA show that offenders prosecuted through the courts are often fined less than the penalties councils can issue directly.
The data shows that the average court fine for fly-tipping is £539, which is £87 lower than the £626 average fixed penalty notice (FPN) councils can issue for the same offence.
The LGA says this sentencing gap “undermines deterrence, weakens enforcement, and leaves councils out of pocket after time-consuming and costly prosecutions.”
Fly-tipping costs councils more than £19.3 million each year to clear up, with 1.26 million incidents recorded in England in 2024/25 alone.
Although councils are taking increasing enforcement action against offenders, taking cases to court often requires lengthy investigations, high evidential thresholds and significant staff time.
The LGA adds: “Despite this, sentencing outcomes frequently fail to reflect the seriousness of the offence or the public cost involved.”
In York, two offenders were each fined £300 by magistrates for waste offences, despite Fixed Penalty Notices of £600 and £1,000 being issued. In Chelmsford, two offenders were each fined £300 after being prosecuted for fly-tipping, lower than the £400 Fixed Penalty Notices they had received.
In late 2024 one fly tipper in Bradford was fined just £180 by Magistrates for dumping wase on three Bradford roads.
And in 2020 a man was fined just £200 for dumping waste outside a Bradford primary school.
Councillor Arooj Shah, Chair of the LGA Neighbourhoods Committee, said: “Councils are working hard to investigate and prosecute offenders, but when court fines are lower than fixed penalties, it undermines enforcement and fails to act as a deterrent.
“Sentencing guidelines must be reviewed so that the punishment fits the crime and reflects both the harm caused and the significant work undertaken by enforcement officers.”
Last year Bradford Council agreed to raise the maximum fine fly tippers receive by fixed penalty notice from £400 to £1,000.
Asked whether Bradford Council supported the call for a sentence review by the LGA, Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “We support anything that makes it more difficult for fly-tippers to operate.
“Fly-tipping is a blight wherever it happens and that money could be better spent providing services.
“Council taxpayers shouldn’t have to pick up the bill for this crime.
“Using powers available under national legislation the council has increased fines for fly-tipping, and we hope that this sends out a clear message that fly-tipping will not be tolerated and we will continue to use all powers and means available to us to crack down on this nuisance for our residents.”
A report to the Regeneration and Environment Scrutiny Committee revealed that the authority has recently issued its first £1,000 fines to fly tippers.
