COUNCILS in Wales have been equipped with new powers to tackle fly-tipping.

Last week, the National Assembly for Wales approved the Unauthorised Deposit of Waste Wales Regulations 2017.

This means that local authorities are now able to set a fixed penalty amount of between £150 and £400, with a default of £200 where no amount is specified. A reduction for early payment can be made available and local authorities can retain the receipts to help contribute to the costs of dealing with fly-tipping. The fixed penalty notices can be applied on both publicly and privately owned land.

The cabinet secretary for environment and rural affairs, Lesley Griffiths, said: “Fly-tipping blights our communities and it damages our environment.

“These powers will provide local authorities with an additional enforcement tool for small-scale fly-tipping offences where a prosecution is considered disproportionate.”