Council approves fines to prevent costly court action

The decision, made on 10 April, means those that commit environmental crimes in the borough will face a fine instead of being taken to court and facing a criminal conviction and larger court fine.

Once implemented, fly-tipping, advertising vehicles for sale on a roadside, abandoning a vehicle, graffiti, selling alcohol to a child and repairing a vehicle on a road (for business use or when it becomes a nuisance) will all be finable offences as opposed to having to go through court.

These fixed and civil penalty notices are estimated to recover £10,000 for the council in 2019/20.

Councillor Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities, said: “We want to deter those who are intent on committing crimes that blight our communities.

“Issues such as graffiti, abandoned cars and fly-tipping are frequently raised by residents and ward councillors.

“This is a quicker, more cost effective response, but be assured that the quality of evidence is no different to that of a case being brought to prosecution.

“Fixed and civil penalty notices offer an alternative route to deal with an offence more effectively and without the person receiving a criminal conviction and a larger court fine.”

If any fixed penalty notice remains unpaid, the case will still be referred to the Magistrates’ Court.

If a civil penalty notice remains unpaid, the matter is dealt with as a financial charge with any appeal being heard by tribunal or County Court.

As well as the changes to the fixed and civil penalty notices, signs advertising a series of new public space protection orders (PSPOs) are now being put up across the borough.

A PSPO allows councils to deal more effectively with recurring and unreasonable anti-social behaviour within identified public spaces