Reduce roadside littering: penalty points, increase fines, fund litter picks

Allow authorities to impose penalty points on drivers for discarding litter from a vehicle. Increase minimum on the spot fines for littering and awareness through TV/online campaigns. Insist businesses take more responsibility in anti-litter campaigns. Increase budget for highways litter picks.

Roads are increasingly becoming covered in litter. This is no longer just an urban problem - it affects all roads from motorways to rural country lanes. The issue appears to be worsening, and it seems little is being done to stop it. The problem not only blights our country, but also poses a danger to wildlife and, on occasion, other road users. The visual pollution negatively impacts citizens but also presents our country unfavourably to overseas visitors.

The government recognises the blight litter causes to the environment and local communities and is taking action to reduce litter and improve local environments, with strong enforcement powers already available to local authorities.

Local authorities already have powers to issue a civil penalty to the keeper of a vehicle from which litter has been thrown. This enforcement tool helps local authorities to take action where the individual who dropped the litter cannot be identified. The government has no plans to give councils the powers to award penalty points for discarding litter from a vehicle as it is not always possible to reliably identify the person who has dropped the litter from a vehicle. We therefore believe that a civil penalty is a better enforcement tool in these circumstances.

The government has recently increased the maximum on-the-spot fine that local authorities can issue for littering offences. The Environmental Offences (Fixed Penalties) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2026 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/816/contents/made) were laid in Parliament on 15 July and will come into force on 1 September. These Regulations will allow local authorities to raise their maximum fixed penalty for littering from £500 to £750 if they deem it appropriate for their local area. Local authorities can also choose to prosecute offenders in a magistrates’ court, which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction.

The government has recently published statutory guidance, Litter enforcement powers - when and how to use them (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/litter-enforcement-powers-when-and-how-to-use-them/litter-enforcement-powers-when-and-how-to-use-them#consideringdisputesofliabilityrepresentationsand-appeals), to support local authorities to use their fixed penalty powers consistently, appropriately and effectively.