A BOROUGH has scrapped discounts for early payment of ‘on the spot’ fines for environmental offences.

Historically Blackburn with Darwen Council has offered offenders the chance to pay a reduced amount for Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) settled within 10 days of issue for breaking the rules on issues including dog fouling, graffiti and fly-posting.

Now its environment boss Cllr Jim Smith and finance boss Cllr Vicky McGurk have scrapped the concession.

And they have added two new categories to the list of breaches of regulations for which fines can be levied without going to court - nuisance parking and unauthorised leaflet distribution.

In future there will be just a single level of payment to settle FPNs without legal action.

Cllr Smith said: “It is just simplifying the system. Not many people take advantage of the early payment option.”

But Tory group finance spokesman Cllr Colin Rigby said: “I think this is a mistake. I think there will be more prosecutions and costs for everyone involved.

“I think it is just the council trying to make as much money as possible.”

Under the new charging regime the fine for littering, for which there has never been a discount, remains at a flat rate of £75.

Two other FPNs, for which there have never been discounts, also remain the same at £200 for abandoning vehicles and £200 for not showing duty of care when disposing of household waste.

The early payment reduction of £100 to £75 for dog fouling has been abolished as has the discount on the £75 fine to £50 for graffiti and fly-posting,

The new FPNs for nuisance parking and unauthorised distribution have been set at £100 and £150 respectively.

The discount for early settlement of an FPN in respect of the community protection notice regarding persistent anti-social environmental behaviour of £60 is being scrapped with the main fine of £100 remaining unaltered. The same applies to the misuse of commercial waste receptacles.

Businesses which fail to produce waste transfer notices regarding the disposal of their rubbish will now face the full £300 penalty whenever they pay as the early settlement discount of £180 is scrapped.

A report by officials to Cllr Smith and Cllr McGurk told them: “This is the first time alterations to fixed penalty notices have been proposed. This report sets out a single payment amount for each offence, this will negate any confusions over amounts and time scales. The outcomes will either be an increase is fixed penalty revenue for the council or an increase in prosecutions for non-payment.”

The report adds: “There is a possibility that the number of prosecutions being sent to legal if there is a failure to pay the FPN may increase, however it is not envisaged that any increase would be a significant one.”