LITTERBUGS will be slapped with a £400 fine by Gwynedd Council in a crackdown on fly-tippers.

Gwynedd Council’s Street Enforcement Team now has the power to issue £400 fixed penalty notices to people caught illegally disposing of waste.

The powers, which came into effect on 1 August, provide the 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 10 days of issue. The fixed penalty applies equally on both public and privately owned land.

Cllr 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 co-ordinator, said: “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.”

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: [email protected]u or call 01766 771000.

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