URL: https://democracy.crawley.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=795

Decision Maker: Head of Community Services

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose: Littering and fly-tipping remain persistent and pervasive environmental offences that impose significant burdens on public spaces, community well-being, and the operational capacity of local authorities. These behaviours not only undermine the visual amenity of neighbourhoods but also contribute to environmental degradation, pose public health risks, and exacerbate social inequalities. According to Keep Britain Tidy’s seminal report A Rubbish Reality, over 90% of surveyed locations across England were found to contain litter. The prevalence of litter is notably higher in areas of socio-economic deprivation, where the volume of waste was recorded as being three times greater than in more affluent communities. This disparity perpetuates a cycle of environmental neglect, diminished civic pride, and heightened perceptions of insecurity. Notably, 66% of respondents indicated they would feel unsafe walking through a heavily littered area at night, while 86% expressed embarrassment at the prospect of residing in such an environment. The financial implications of these offences are considerable. In 2024, local authorities in England collectively expended an estimated £84 million addressing fly-tipping alone - comprising £65 million in clean-up operations and £19 million in enforcement and investigation activities. More broadly, the annual cost of street cleansing, including litter removal, is estimated to exceed £1 billion, placing a substantial strain on already limited municipal budgets. In recognition of the escalating scale and impact of these issues, the UK Government enacted the Environmental Offences (Fixed Penalties) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023, introduced as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan. This legislation, which came into force on 31 July 2023, increased the maximum permissible levels for fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for environmental offences as follows: a) Littering and graffiti: from £150 to £500 b) Fly-tipping: from £400 to £1,000 c) Household waste duty of care breaches: from £400 to £600

Content: Littering and fly-tipping remain persistent and pervasive environmental offences that impose significant burdens on public spaces, community well-being, and the operational capacity of local authorities. These behaviours not only undermine the visual amenity of neighbourhoods but also contribute to environmental degradation, pose public health risks, and exacerbate social inequalities. According to Keep Britain Tidy’s seminal report A Rubbish Reality, over 90% of surveyed locations across England were found to contain litter. The prevalence of litter is notably higher in areas of socio-economic deprivation, where the volume of waste was recorded as being three times greater than in more affluent communities. This disparity perpetuates a cycle of environmental neglect, diminished civic pride, and heightened perceptions of insecurity. Notably, 66% of respondents indicated they would feel unsafe walking through a heavily littered area at night, while 86% expressed embarrassment at the prospect of residing in such an environment. The financial implications of these offences are considerable. In 2024, local authorities in England collectively expended an estimated £84 million addressing fly-tipping alone - comprising £65 million in clean-up operations and £19 million in enforcement and investigation activities. More broadly, the annual cost of street cleansing, including litter removal, is estimated to exceed £1 billion, placing a substantial strain on already limited municipal budgets. In recognition of the escalating scale and impact of these issues, the UK Government enacted the Environmental Offences (Fixed Penalties) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023, introduced as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan. This legislation, which came into force on 31 July 2023, increased the maximum permissible levels for fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for environmental offences as follows: a) Littering and graffiti: from £150 to £500 b) Fly-tipping: from £400 to £1,000 c) Household waste duty of care breaches: from £400 to £600 To approve the increase in Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) levels as follows: ·       Increase for littering and graffiti from £80 to £150, with a revised early payment option of £50 to £75. ·       Increase for fly-tipping from £400 to £1,000, with an early payment option of £500. ·       Increase for Duty of Care breaches from £400 to £500, with an early payment option of £200.   That implementation of these new FPN levels take effect from 1 September 2025.   Both the Leader and Cabinet Member for Public Protection were consulted on this matter.

Date of Decision: July 30, 2025