News

Littering fine more than doubles in Gedling

By Lauren Monaghan, Junior Local Democracy Reporter

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People caught littering in Gedling will now be hit with a more-than-doubled charge of £150 after the council approved an increase to the fine.

Documents released by Gedling Borough Council on Saturday (August 16) show the charge for a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for littering will now increase from £65 to a minimum of £150 in an effort to put people off the offence and to generate more income.

If the fine is paid within seven days of being issued, it reduces to £100.

The £65 charge had remained unchanged since 2019 but, in 2023, the government increased the maximum fines for littering from £150 to £500.

The council’s documents say the previous lower fine was “relatively low” compared to other local authorities in the country, saying council officers view a fine less than £150 as not representing a “sufficient deterrent” from littering.

Broxtowe Borough Council is one authority that chose to increase its littering fine to the maximum of £500 from April 2025.

Responding to this difference, Gedling’s documents read: “It is felt, at this time, that this level of financial penalty is disproportionate to the offence.

“It is also possible that setting the level too high will lead to a higher rate of non-payment and therefore a larger burden on the council’s legal department to prosecute.”

Increasing littering FPN charges allows councils to generate more revenue for environmental agents, which then gives them more income that they can use to help tackle littering in their areas.

Council papers say: “Setting the FPN level at a more reasonable and proportionate amount of £150 helps ensure that the Environmental Enforcement Agents Contract is economically attractive and viable for a contractor to take on as they don’t charge a fee to the Council.

“It also ensures that the council benefits from the percentage share income [of five per cent].”

The council cannot yet say what this income will be used on, but it will be used to “bolster” existing public services such as street cleaning and litter removal.

For households with lower incomes the higher fine may have a “disproportionate impact” on their disposable income, where the council says payment plans could be offered.

The maximum fine for littering in Rushcliffe Borough and Newark and Sherwood is also £150, with early payment figures of £80 and £75 respectively.