FLY-TIPPERS are being warned to beware after Gwynedd Council approves a new £400 ‘on the spot fine’

New powers to tackle fly-tipping in Gwynedd will see the council issue £400 fixed penalty notices to people caught illegally disposing of waste.

The powers provide the council’s street enforcement team with an additional ‘tool’ to deal with small-scale fly-tipping offences where a prosecution may be considered to be excessive.

Gwynedd’s £400 fixed penalty notice, which is consistent with the majority of Welsh councils, has a £100 discount applied if paid within ten days of issue. The fixed penalty applies equally on both public and privately owned land.

Councillor Gareth Griffith, Gwynedd Council cabinet member for highways and municipal matters said: “The introduction of a fixed penalty for fly-tipping simplifies the enforcement process and makes it easier for Councils to penalise offenders.

“We believe that the risk of receiving a £400 penalty will be sufficient to deter the majority of potential offenders and help to decrease the number of fly-tipping incidents.

“More serious fly-tipping incidents will continue to be dealt with by prosecution, as will anyone who fails to pay a fixed penalty.”

Gwynedd Council works in close partnership with Fly-tipping Action Wales which aims to make fly-tipping socially unacceptable.

Steve Parkinson, Fly-tipping Action Wales’ North Wales Coordinator, added: “Fly-tipping Action Wales fully supports the use of the new fixed penalty. However, if you are caught fly-tipping on a larger scale you do run the risk fines of up to £50,000 and/or imprisonment. Vehicles used to fly-tip waste can also be seized and crushed.”

For further information about the work of Fly-tipping Action Wales visit http://www.flytippingactionwales.org/en/

The new powers come into effect on 1 August 2018.

To report an incident of fly-tipping in Gwynedd, visit: www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru and click on the ‘Report a Problem’ tab on the homepage. Alternatively you can contact the Council’s street enforcement team directly by emailing: streetenforcement@gwynedd.llyw.cymru or call 01766 771000.