Clean up your Act or Face Prosecution
PR 198
14 June 2006
Great Yarmouth Borough Council is getting tough with those irresponsible people who illegally dump their waste in public places across the Borough. Anyone caught will be handed a fixed penalty notice – which could lead to a court appearance and a fine of thousands of pounds!
In April the Government introduced the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. It made actions from dropping chewing gum onto the pavement to fly tipping, abandoning vehicles and noise from dwellings offences which can warrant the issue of a
fixed penalty.
“When the Act came in it received a great deal of Press and media cover,” said Head of Environment & Health John Hemsworth.” Like much present legislation it has been introduced in parts.”
“We have given residents and visitors a couple of months to get used to it, but now all authorised environmental health staff have been issued with fixed penalty notice pads and will be issuing notices whenever they find someone not complying with the law.”
There are 12 offences under the act which carry a penalty, if this is not paid in 14 days and the case goes to court the fines multiply dramatically – on the other hand those paying within 10 days receive a discount.
The offences include dropping litter which has a penalty of £80 (£60 if paid within 10 days), which could rise to £2,500 if the person ignores the fixed penalty notice is taken to court and convicted.
Provided certain conditions are met, noise from dwellings or licensed premises could mean fines of £5,000 in court, while dog fouling is punishable by a £1,000 court fine or £80 if paid within 14 days as a fixed penalty.
Businesses failing to produce proper waste control documents will face fines between £300 and £5,000, and fly posting or distributing leaflets could see costs of £2,500 having to be met.
To report anyone dumping waste please call 01493 846478. Details of all our
fixed penalty notices can be found here.
For further information call John Hemsworth Head of Environment & Health, Commercial Manager Derryth Wright or Senior Environmental Ranger Paul Shucksmith on 01493 846478.
Issued by:
Liz Dann
Press Officer
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
01493 846513