Fines increasing to £200 to help combat dog fouling and littering

Causeway Coast and Glens Council has announced that from 1^st July 2023 the level of Fixed Penalty fines for dog fouling and littering will increase from £80 to £200.

New regulations, Environmental Offences (Fixed Penalties) (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2022, allow Councils to set increased Fixed Penalty Notice levels at not less than £50 and not more than £200.

Council is using the month of June to raise awareness of the increase and to remind the public that it is an offence to fail to remove dog foul from a public place and to throw down litter in any public spaces.

Aiden McPeake, Director of Environment al Services explained: “Council had previously set the level of Fixed Penalty Notices for litter and fouling offences at £80, with no increase since 2012. Setting new increased levels of fines will help combat the ongoing problems of dog fouling and littering in the Borough.

“The new Fixed Penalty notice level has been set at £200, with an early payment option of £150 if the fine is paid within 14 days. Council hopes that increased fines will act as a further deterrent against the behaviours of littering and failing to remove dog fouling.”

Council officers will be actively enforcing this legislation and applying these fines from 1^st July 2023 onwards. Anyone detected failing to remove dog foul or littering will receive a Fixed Penalty Notice at the new level.

Anyone wishing to report incidences of dog fouling and littering can do so by contacting the Council’s Environmental Health Team by ringing 0282766 0200 or email [email protected]

Council has also launched a new app for the public to use to report environmental crime such as littering, dog fouling and fly tipping. The purpose of this app is to make it easier for the pubic to accurately and quickly report such matters.

The app is called Reportable and is available to download free from Google Play (for Android) or the App Store – Apple UK (for iPhones)

In order to use the app, simply download and create a user account. Users will be asked to enter the name of their local authority. To do this choose the Council area ‘Causeway Coast and Gens Borough Council’. Then enter your email address. Users will then be asked to provide details such as name, address and telephone number.

Once an account has been created, users can report any incidences of litter, dog fouling and fly tipping and will be able to upload photographs of such incidents and provide a GPS location of the material as well as any other information they feel may be useful. This will assist officers in investigating the complaint and where appropriate arranging for the area to be cleaned up.

We would also remind the public that the Green Dog Walker scheme is still operating.

If you would like to become a Green Dog Walker please email your name and address to [email protected]

All those who sign up will receive a Green Dog Walker collar and lead for each licenced dog they own along with a keyring torch and approximately 50 branded poo bags.