Fly-tippers could be forced to clean up streets and parks as part of new government plans.
Under the proposals, local authorities would be able to issue fly-tippers with ‘conditional cautions’ without having to take them to court.
This could see offenders complete up to 20 hours of unpaid work as part of ‘clean up squads’, potentially clearing the spots where they have dumped waste.
The announcement comes as the government prepares to launch its new Waste Crime Action plan this week.
Councils are also set to be handed new powers to seize money directly from fly-tippers to fund their clean-up operations.
If an offender breaches the caution, councils would still be able to pursue a conviction through the courts.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds commented: “If you dump rubbish on our streets, you will be joining a clean-up squad and picking up the bill, not the taxpayer.”
The government has also increased the Environment Agency’s enforcement budget by 50% to £15.6 million and is considering granting the regulator ‘police-style’ powers to tackle waste crime.
The powers would allow Environment Agency enforcement officers to arrest suspected criminals, as well as seize assets and search premises without a warrant.
“This government is handing both the Environment Agency and local authorities the power to boost waste crime enforcement, hand out tougher sentences and tackle illegal dumping faster,” Reynolds added.
Councils already have the power to issue on-the-spot fines for littering and fly-tipping through fixed penalty notices (FPNs).
The Local Government Association (LGA) recently called on the UK Government and the Sentencing Council to ‘urgently review’ sentencing guidelines after official statistics showed that fly-tipping offenders prosecuted through the courts are often fined less than the penalties councils issue directly.
The latest statistics on fly-tipping released last week show councils in England dealt with 1.26 million fly-tipping incidents in 2024/25, a 1.15 million increase on the previous year.
