Fly tipping fines in Portsmouth

Portsmouth is set to introduce clear-cut rules on fly-tipping fines – with culprits having to pay at least £400 if they are caught.

Changes are being proposed in a bid to deliver “consistent enforcement” and cleaner neighbourhoods.

Portsmouth City Council’s cabinet member for environmental services will decide on the policy next week. If approved, it will come into effect on July 13.

A council report says littering, fly-tipping, dog fouling and graffiti “continue to impact local communities”, increasing demands on council resources.

Although the council has an agreed enforcement approach, the report says the lack of a formal policy “can lead to a lack of clarity for residents and limited transparency about how enforcement decisions are made”.

The proposed Safe, Clean & Tidy Environmental Enforcement Policy aims to create a “transparent framework” in line with the law and “ensures that enforcement is delivered in a fair and proportionate manner by authorised officers”.

Depending on the severity, intent, impact and history of offences, enforcement action could include advice, education or warnings.

Fly-tipping is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and can result in fixed penalty notices (FPNs) or prosecution, depending on the circumstances.

An FPN allows a fly-tipper to avoid court proceedings by paying a fine. Failure to pay could result in prosecution.

The law allows councils to issue a blanket £1,000 FPN for each offence, but the report says this approach “would not be proportionate in all cases”.

“Instead, the levels set out in this policy reflect the scale and circumstances of offending.”

Small-scale domestic fly-tipping, such as one to three bin bags or a single bulky item like a mattress or chest of drawers, could result in a £400 fine.
This rises to £600 and £800 for medium and large-scale domestic waste, including white goods or multiple bulky items.

Significant fly-tipping, defined as 10 or more bin bags or an equivalent volume of waste, would attract a £1,000 fine.

Any quantity of waste believed to have originated from business or commercial activity would automatically incur a £1,000 penalty.

Hazardous waste, including paint tins, chemicals or asbestos, is also liable for a £1,000 fine and prosecution will be considered.

Fly-tipping figures in Portsmouth

Government figures for April 2024 to March 2025 recorded 937 fly-tipping incidents across Portsmouth, including 379 on highways and 478 on council-owned land.

This was a slight improvement on 2023/24, when 1,092 incidents were recorded, including 390 on highways and 622 on council-owned land.

However, it remains above 2022/23 levels, when there were 751 incidents, including 168 on highways and 545 on council-owned land.

In the latest reporting year, Portsmouth City Council carried out 937 investigations, issued 38 fixed penalty notices, undertook 203 duty of care inspections and secured one prosecution resulting in a fine.

Of the incidents recorded in 2024/25, 267 involved black bags and 459 involved other household waste.

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