Environmental Offences: Guidance
Gloucester City Council has partnered with environmental enforcement company 3GS, to supply patrolling, enforcement and investigation services within the city to help tackle environmental crime.
Environmental enforcement officers patrol the city daily to cut down environmental crime and increase environmental awareness. Anyone caught littering will be issued a minimum £75 fixed penalty notice charge on the spot. Failure to pay the fixed penalty notice charge will mean the case is transferred to a court prosecution process.
People caught dropping litter, fly tipping and allowing their dogs to foul in public spaces will face on-the-spot fines between £75 and £400. The fine amount is dependant upon the type of offence. These fines are known as Fixed Penalty Notices.
Environmental offences for litter, fly-tipping and dog fouling
Environmental crime has a negative impact on our streets and costs tax payers and the council thousands of pounds each year.
You can be fined between £75 and £400 for:
- littering
- fly-tipping
- flyposting (such as putting posters on lamp posts or building walls)
- dog fouling
- not presenting waste properly
- disposing of domestic commercial waste illegally
Environmental offences are criminal in nature and not civil offences.
Enforcement officers will be authorised to issue you with an on-the-spot fixed penalty notice.
Giving your details to enforcement officers
You must give your full name and address to the Enforcement Officer if you’re caught committing an environmental offence. Officers will verify an individual’s identity by using electronic ID verification systems.
It's a criminal offence if you do not provide this information (Section 88(8a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990). The maximum penalty for not providing this information is £1,000 and a criminal conviction.
Our enforcement officers
The officers are employed by 3GS Environment Solutions. They wear body cameras to gather evidence and identify offenders. They'll follow government guidelines to ensure that all fines are issued responsibly.
The enforcement officers wear polo shirts with the 3GS logo on them, and the Gloucester City Council emblem on their epaulettes. They also carry warrant cards to identify themselves.
The officers will not be paid incentives or commission for issuing fines. 3GS Environment Solutions are not allowed to receive performance pay, commission or bonuses linked to the number of tickets issued.
Legal powers
Fines will be issued under the Environment Protection Act 1990, the Clean Neighbourhoods & Environment Act 2005 and the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003. Officers are legally entitled to enter commercial properties to deal with offences under these criminal acts.
Cost of enforcement
The service will run at no cost to the local taxpayer. It's totally funded by the fixed penalty fines.
3GS are not allowed to use the enforcement as a revenue generator and there are no targets for the numbers of fixed penalty notices issued. If any surplus is generated by 3GS it shall be used for education and promotional campaigns.