REFORM UK CALLS FOR HIGHER FINES FOR FLY-TIPPING IN ENGLAND

Reform UK has called for fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for fly-tipping to carry a maximum fine of £5,000, up from the current limit of £1,000 in England. The party set out the proposals at a press conference in central London. Reform deputy leader Richard Tice also called for the permanent seizure of vehicles belonging to offenders who commit a second fly-tipping offence within 36 months. Tice additionally proposed a new aggravated offence for commercial and large-scale fly-tipping, carrying a mandatory minimum fine of £20,000 and vehicle forfeiture upon conviction.

The party also proposed an annual national action day to encourage civic pride and called for greater enforcement action targeting littering linked to fast food outlets. Under current law, offenders convicted in court can face higher fines and imprisonment, beyond the FPN system. According to government statistics, the number of fly-tipping incidents handled by local councils in England rose 9% to 1.26 million in 2024/25. Councils issued 69,000 FPNs during that period, compared with 63,000 the previous year, while 139 vehicles were seized, a figure consistent with the year before.

The government published its own Waste Crime Action Plan in March, which included a series of measures aimed at reducing fly-tipping in England. Reform UK's proposals represent a distinct set of policy positions separate from those government plans. The 9% increase in recorded incidents provides a statistical backdrop against which both sets of proposals are being debated. No parliamentary timetable for any legislative change has been confirmed.