Fly-tippers should face higher fines, Reform UK urges

Fly-tippers would face higher on-the-spot fines under proposals drawn up by Reform UK.

Reform deputy leader Richard Tice said the amount of litter on the streets, in parks and in the countryside is a "sign of just how broken Britain is".

Tice called for the upper limit for fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to be increased to £5,000. The party also wants an annual "national action day" to help "rekindle civic pride" and more action to tackle littering connected to fast food outlets.

The government announced a series of proposals aimed at tackling fly-tipping in England as part of its Waste Crime Action Plan released in March.

Tice told a press conference in central London: "We all want to be environmentally-friendly, but there's nothing friendly about littering, about fly-tipping.

"It's a national embarrassment, it's a national disgrace and it's not the sign of a healthy nation. It is a sign of a nation that is ill at ease with itself, that has given up caring and it's, frankly, simply unacceptable."

FPNs of up to £1,000 can be issued in England for fly-tipping, with higher fines and imprisonment among the punishments for offenders convicted in court.

On FPNs, Tice said: "We need to change this, we need to say no, that should be £5,000."

He added a person who commits a second offence within 36 months should have their vehicle permanently seized.

Tice also said there should be a new aggravated offence for commercial, large-scale fly-tipping.

He added: "We need a mandatory minimum fine of £20,000 and, again, vehicle forfeiture on conviction."

The number of fly-tipping incidents dealt with by local councils in England increased by 9% to 1.26m in 2024/25, according to government statistics.

The figures also showed 69,000 FPNs were issued compared to 63,000 in 2023/24, with the government saying the 139 vehicles seized was a similar number to the previous year.

On the "national action day" proposal, Tice said the first one will take place on 4 July and he encouraged all elected officials from Reform and other parties to join in.

Addressing the issue of fast food outlets, Tice said they should be at risk of losing "their licence to operate" if they are "continually responsible for litter around their premises and beyond".

In August 2022, the then-Conservative government updated guidance on how local authorities could help control litter associated with hot food takeaways.

This included clarifying the powers councils in England have to set stricter litter rules when considering planning applications.

Harsher penalties

Reform's policy proposals come after other parties also put forward suggestions.

The Liberal Democrats want to pay cash rewards of up to £5,000 for tip-offs that lead to successful prosecutions of criminals illegally dumping waste.

They also want to increase fines for fly-tippers, with the minimum sanction raised to £2,500.

The Conservatives have called for harsher penalties for fly-tippers and pushed for offenders to face points on their driving licence, something Labour ministers say they are now considering.

The Green Party of England and Wales has said it wants to make waste disposal more accessible for people.

The Labour government recently proposed giving councils new powers to force fly-tippers to clean up waste they have dumped, and giving the Environment Agency police-style powers to investigate major waste sites.

Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. It'll be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.