Liverpool Council proposes increased littering fines to £200

Liverpool Council is planning to increase fines for littering in an effort to improve the city’s cleanliness. Currently, those caught littering face an £80 fine. However, the council is considering raising this penalty to £200. This proposal will be reviewed in May. In the past eight months, the council has collected over £10,000 in fines. They issued more than 100 fixed penalty notices. Many of these fines have been paid, but some cases are moving to court due to non-payment. Liverpool spends around £12.5 million each year on cleaning up litter and fly-tipping. The council believes this cost can be reduced if residents manage their waste better. The council is also looking to increase fines for fly-tipping, with proposed penalties ranging from £500 to £1,000 based on the amount of waste dumped. In addition to littering and fly-tipping, the council is addressing issues like graffiti and fly-posting, which currently have a maximum fine of £500. This could also rise to £200 once new plans are approved. To strengthen enforcement, the council plans to hire six additional officers by June. During a recent budget meeting, they approved an extra £1.5 million to boost environmental enforcement efforts. This includes tackling long-term issues like noise, waste, and overgrown areas in neighborhoods.