Environmental Protection Act 1990

88 Fixed penalty notices for leaving litter. E+W+S

(1) Where on any occasion an authorised officer of a litter authority finds a person who he has reason to believe has on that occasion committed an offence under section 87 above in the area of that authority, he may give that person a notice offering him the opportunity of discharging any liability to conviction for that offence by payment of a fixed penalty.

(2) Where a person is given a notice under this section in respect of an offence—

(a) no proceedings shall be instituted for that offence before the expiration of fourteen days following the date of the notice; and

(b) he shall not be convicted of that offence if he pays the fixed penalty before the expiration of that period.

(3) A notice under this section shall give such particulars of the circumstances alleged to constitute the offence as are necessary for giving reasonable information of the offence and shall state—

(a) the period during which, by virtue of subsection (2) above, proceedings will not be taken for the offence;

(b) the amount of the fixed penalty; and

(c) the person to whom and the address at which the fixed penalty may be paid;

and, without prejudice to payment by any other method, payment of the fixed penalty may be made by pre-paying and posting to that person at that address a letter containing the amount of the penalty (in cash or otherwise).

(4) Where a letter is sent in accordance with subsection (3) above payment shall be regarded as having been made at the time at which that letter would be delivered in the ordinary course of post.

(5) The form of notices under this section shall be such as the Secretary of State may by order prescribe.

(6) The fixed penalty payable to a litter authority in pursuance of a notice under this section shall, subject to subsection (7) below, be £10; and as respects the sums received by the authority, those sums—

(a) if received by an authority in England and Wales, shall be paid to the Secretary of State;

(b) if received by an authority in Scotland, shall be treated as if the penalty were a fine imposed by a district court.

(7) The Secretary of State may by order substitute a different amount for the amount for the time being specified as the amount of the fixed penalty in subsection (6) above.

(8) In any proceedings a certificate which—

(a) purports to be signed by or on behalf of—

(i) in England and Wales, the chief finance officer of the litter authority; or

(ii) in Scotland, the proper officer; and

(b) states that payment of a fixed penalty was or was not received by a date specified in the certificate,

shall be evidence of the facts stated.

(9) For the purposes of this section the following are “litter authorities”—

(a) any principal litter authority, other than a county council, a regional council or a joint board;

(b) any county council , regional council or joint board designated by the Secretary of State, by order, in relation to such area as is specified in the order (not being an area in a National Park);

(c) any National Park Committee;

(d) any Park board for any area in a National Park; and

(e) the Broads Authority.

(10) In this section—

• “authorised officer” means an officer of, or in the case of any Park board or National Park Committee, an officer acting on behalf of, a litter authority who is authorised in writing by the authority for the purpose of issuing notices under this section;

• “chief finance officer”, in relation to a litter authority, means the person having responsibility for the financial affairs of the authority;

• “National Park Committee” means a committee appointed to perform functions under paragraph 5 of Schedule 17 to the M1 Local Government Act 1972;

• “Park board”, in relation to a National Park, means—

(a) a joint planning board reconstituted under paragraph 1 of Schedule 17 to the Local Government Act 1972; or

(b) a board reconstituted as a special planning board under paragraph 3 of that Schedule;

“proper officer” means the officer who has, as respects the authority, the responsibility mentioned in section 95 of the M2 Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (financial administration).

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 88 extended (with modifications) (E.W.) (19.9.1995) by 1995 c. 25, ss. 70, 125(2), Sch. 9 para.12(b) (with ss. 7(6), 115, 117, Sch. 8 para. 7).

Commencement Information

I1 S. 88 wholly in force; s. 88 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 164(2); s. 88((7)(9)(b) in force at 14.1.1991 and s. 88(1)-(4)(6)(8)(9)(a)(c)-(e)(10) in force (E.W) at 13.2.1991 by S.I. 1991/96, arts. 2, 3

S. 88(1)-(4)(6)(8)(9)(a)(c)(d)(10) in force (S.) at 1.4.1991 by S.I. 1991/1042, art. 2

Marginal Citations

M1 1972 c. 70.

M2 1973 c. 65.