Higher fines touted in bid to cut litter menace

HIGHER fines for repeat offenders and awareness courses for people caught littering, dog-fouling or fly-tipping are just some of the ideas being touted to make Wales cleaner.

- RUTH MOSALSKI

Other suggestions made by a cross-party group of Senedd members include reintroducing dog licences - something that was mandatory in England, Wales and Scotland until 1987.

Councils should also be subject to performance measures and be checked as to how they meet targets for street cleaning, they said.

Wales’ carrier bag scheme could be expanded and there could also be a charge for disposable cups, they suggest.

The document, titled The Wales We Want To See, heard from Keep Wales Tidy, Fly-tipping Action Wales and the Marine Conservation Society to show gaps in current legislation and explain how existing laws could be used to keep Wales cleaner.

The aim of the document is to encourage all Senedd political parties to put the issue of littering and fly-tipping front and centre of their manifestos.

The suggestions are:

■ Review licensing and planning guidelines for fast-food premises;

■ Amend the legislation to make drivers responsible for littering from vehicles (already applied in England) to facilitate enforcement and to explore the option of adding penalty points for offenders;

■ Review and amend waste licensing and waste permit system;

■ Introduce a statutory duty for local authorities to investigate and prosecute fly-tipping and publicise enforcement successes;