The cost of dropping litter in Lichfield and Burntwood could increase by more than 230% under new plans.
Lichfield District Council has drawn up proposed changes to fixed penalties.
Under the proposals, those leaving litter who currently face a £150 charge would be hit with a £500 bill.
If paid within ten days, the fee would be £250, up from the current figure of £90.
Graffiti and fly-posting would also see a similar hike while fly-tippers would also be hit harder in the pocket, with those found to have made an “unauthorised deposit of waste” being handed a £1,000 fixed penalty, up from the current figure of £400.
A report to Lichfield District Council’s regulatory and licensing committee said:
“The last time a proportion of these fees, charges and penalties were set by committee was 2018. Some are believed to have not been reviewed for more than 20 years.
“An extensive benchmarking project has been undertaken to consider the fees, charges and penalties set by all nine local authorities that share a border with Lichfield District Council.
“Although it is proposed that some increase considerably, they remain comparable to those set by other local authorities and are based on cost recovery calculations.
“Penalties exist as a punishment, a deterrent to others, and to divert cases away from the courts. Where a penalty may be set within a range prescribed in law, for example for criminal offences relating to fly tipping or litter, officers have proposed setting the maximum possible.
“Although this is expected to have some impact on payment rates, it is expected to increase the deterrent and reduce overall offending. Those that are not paid will proceed to prosecution, as they do currently, and the fixed penalty amount should be taken into account during sentencing decisions.”
Lichfield District Council report
The proposed fees will be discussed at a meeting of the regulatory and licensing committee on Wednesday (13th December).
