Council to introduce fines for car littering

People who drop litter from their vehicles could face fines of up to £250, under new council plans to clamp down on environmental crime.

Bromsgrove District Council has voted to empower civil enforcement officers, who already enforce parking regulations, to issue litter penalty charge notices (PCNs) if they spot rubbish being thrown out of cars.

Under the plans, car owners or keepers could receive a fine if an offence is witnessed, with the amount reduced to £125 if paid within 14 days.

District councillor Kit Taylor, said: "While this will not detract from the day-to-day job of our parking enforcement officers, if they do see someone littering, they can do something about it.

"Hopefully this will also act as a deterrent and prove that this council will not tolerate people disrespecting our district and making it an eyesore for our residents and communities," he told the meeting on Wednesday.

"The message is loud and clear - please keep your rubbish in your car until you are able to dispose of it correctly if you want to avoid a fine."

According to a report from Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS), which carries out enforcement action on behalf of the council, utilising enforcement officers will provide another avenue to ensure individuals that throw litter from vehicles are caught.

Equipment and licenses will need to be updated to issue the fines, with the changes set to be implemented from later this year.

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