Local councils are to be given new sweeping powers to issue on-the-spot fines for minor misdemeanours such as climbing trees in parks. GB News has more.
The changes are part of Angela Rayner’s White Paper on English devolution, which would grant councils expanded authority to impose fixed penalty notices rather than taking people to court.
The move would significantly increase councils’ ability to enforce local by-laws without requiring permission from government ministers, as is currently required.
Critics fear the new powers could be misused by cash-strapped councils seeking to raise additional funds.
Under current rules, councils must obtain approval from a government minister to introduce new local laws.
The proposed changes would remove this requirement, allowing councils to enforce by-laws through fixed penalty notices instead of court proceedings.
Typical on-the-spot fines issued by local authorities currently range between £50 and £100.
Councils already possess limited powers to issue immediate penalties for offences like littering and fly-tipping. …
Kevin Hollinrake, the Shadow Local Government Secretary, has strongly criticised the proposals. …
He warned the changes could allow “over-zealous town hall officials to ban lawful innocent activities in public places, such as vaping, walking a dog or going on an organised group run.” …
Last year, two councils faced criticism for implementing tree-climbing bans in protected public spaces – Torfaen in Wales and Rugby.
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Chose your councillors carefully. It is not them you need to worry about it is the officers they employ!
I’m afraid that’s a myth. Our council (Wakefield) operates through an all-powerful executive cabinet. The majority of the remaining councilors just keep their collective heads down, toe the party line issued to them by the Labour Party, and collect their various allowances. Ironically, the most recent proposals by Rayner are for most of our council’s significant powers being seized by the grandly-named “Mayor of West Yorkshire”, another Labour apparatchik who was appointed following an election where she achieved a risible 11% of the available vote!
I’m sure these so called Mayors are part of Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Sandy Adams is good on that and went viral over those Goals in a Glastonbury Council meeting.
But if our ‘diversity’ friends kill a Swan for a tasty meal, that’s all fine and dandy!
And the result of this will be?
Council appointed and authorised plastic plods with titles such as ‘Community Marshalls’ and funded from ever increasing Council Taxes. Unless these new plods are fining dozens by the hour they won’t even cover their costs so the nastiness and tensions on the streets will increase. Obviously these little hitlers will have to patrol mob-handed, for safety but the net result will be simmering anger. More deliberate shit stirring on the way on behalf of DIE and Community.
Lying Next Tuesdays.
OK, so just out of curiosity, what legal powers do these people have?
So let’s say I have just climbed a tree.
Some council busybody pops up and demands £50.
I ignore him/her and walk off.
What is he/she going to do about it?
Speaking of trees, I need somebody to explain this to me like I’m 7yrs old. How in the world didn’t it cause a fire, and so precise?
”Christmas tree lighting in Swiss church baffles the Internet with users shocked the tree didn’t go up in flames.”
https://x.com/OliLondonTV/status/1872997043985174611
If you identify as a squirrel, do you still have to pay the fine?
Only if you’ve got the nuts.
How about on the spot fines for littering, dog fouling? I have never seen an adult climb a tree.