Fly-tipping court fines must be reviewed, councils have urged, as figures show they are lower on average than penalties handed out directly by local authorities.
The call comes in the wake of the latest fly-tipping figures for England, which show incidents of illegal waste dumping were up 9 per cent in 2024/25.
LGA analysis of the figures reveals the average fine for offenders prosecuted through the courts was £539, which is £87 lower than the £626 average fixed penalty notice (FPN) councils issued for the same offence last year.
Councils are calling on government and the Sentencing Council to urgently review sentencing guidelines for fly-tipping, warning that the lower fines issued by the courts undermine deterrence, weaken enforcement efforts and leave councils out of pocket.
The LGA said councils were taking increasing enforcement action against offenders, but taking cases to court when people did not pay FPNs often required lengthy investigations, high evidence thresholds and significant amounts of staff time.
In York, two offenders were each fined £300 by magistrates for waste offences, despite FPNs of £600 and £1,000 being issued. In Wiltshire, a fly-tipper who failed to pay a £1,000 FPN was fined just £80 in court.
Cllr Arooj Shah, Chair of the LGA’s Neighbourhoods Committee, said: “Fly-tipping is criminal activity that blights communities and costs taxpayers millions of pounds every year.
“Councils are working hard to investigate and prosecute offenders, but when court fines are lower than fixed penalties, it undermines enforcement and fails to act as a deterrent.
“Sentencing guidelines must be reviewed so that the punishment fits the crime and reflects both the harm caused and the significant work undertaken by enforcement officers.”