Agenda item - Environmental Enforcement Service

1)             That Cabinet approves a set of changes that will introduce a fairer system of environmental enforcement, with a shift towards early engagement, prevention and collaboration with residents and businesses to improve the look and feel of the city, whilst ensuring a robust approach to tackle persistent and more serious offences.

2)             That Cabinet approves the introduction from 1^st April 2026 of a lower-tier, proportionate FPN schedule for minor fly-tipping (residential and commercial) and littering, as set out in appendix A.

3)             That Cabinet approves taking the high-profile none payers to court, to get a clear message out to businesses, that they have a legal duty to ensure that their waste is disposed of correctly and that failure to do so could result in them having a criminal record.

4)             That Cabinet delegates authority to the Corporate Director, City Operations, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services, to finalise operational policies and procedures, and to make minor amendments to the FPN schedule within national parameters.

145.1   Cabinet considered a report that sought approval for a proportionate, prevention-focused Environmental Enforcement model, including a revised Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) schedule for minor fly-tipping and littering.

145.2   Councillors Daniel, Muten, Taylor, Robins and Sankey asked questions and contributed to the debate of the report.

145.3   Resolved-

1)           That Cabinet approves a set of changes that will introduce a fairer system of environmental enforcement, with a shift towards early engagement, prevention and collaboration with residents and businesses to improve the look and feel of the city, whilst ensuring a robust approach to tackle persistent and more serious offences.

2)           That Cabinet approves the introduction from 1^st April 2026 of a lower-tier, proportionate FPN schedule for minor fly-tipping (residential and commercial) and littering, as set out in appendix A.

3)           That Cabinet approves taking the high-profile none payers to court, to get a clear message out to businesses, that they have a legal duty to ensure that their waste is disposed of correctly and that failure to do so could result in them having a criminal record.

4)           That Cabinet delegates authority to the Corporate Director, City Operations, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services, to finalise operational policies and procedures, and to make minor amendments to the FPN schedule within national parameters.