Fly-tipping fines in Fife have more than doubled.
Previously, anyone caught dumping waste illegally could be fined £200, but new rules that begin on New Year’s Day see that penalty increase to £500.
It comes after fresh powers were brought in under the Scottish Government’s national litter and fly-tipping strategy.
The strategy also includes the proposed introduction of littering fines for car owners and an advice hub with information on organisations tackling litter.
Fly-tipping ‘blight’ in Fife as council raises penalty charge
Councillor Jan Wincott, Fife Council’s spokesperson for environment, said: “There are no excuses for littering and fly-tipping, which are a blight on our streets, communities and countryside, with the cost of cleaning up often borne by individuals and the public sector.
“Every year, millions of items are dropped as litter and tonnes of material is flytipped in Scotland, with at least £60 million of public money spent annually to clean it up – money that could be better spent on other services.
“We have to recognise that everything we use and throw away is a resource which has a value, a value that we should preserve, capture, and use again wherever possible.”
Fife’s most notorious fly-tipping hotspot was previously highlighted in a BBC documentary focusing on criminal gangs and their links to the illegal dumping of waste.
The BBC’s Disclosure programme visited the site at Westfield Energy Park near Ballingry
More information about how to report illegal dumping in Fife can be found on the council’s dedicated website.
