Pay or challenge a dumped rubbish penalty notice

This is not for parking. To pay a parking fine please see our parking penalty charge notice (PCN) page.

The penalty is set at:

• £500 for littering or dog fouling
• £1,000 for dumping rubbish (fly-tipping)

You must pay it within 14 days.

How to pay

Pay your fixed penalty notice online:

Pay now

Make sure you have:

• the reference number on your letter – WK/ followed by 9 digits for example, WK/123456789
• your debit or credit card

You can also call us and pay over the phone.

If you pay the fixed penalty notice within 14 days no further action will be taken. 

If you don't pay

If you do not pay the fixed penalty notice within 14 days, a summons will be issued against you and the case will be heard in the Magistrates’ Court. If convicted, you could be fined and ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution.

The penalty issued by the courts can be up to £2,500 and you could get a criminal record. 

Challenge a penalty notice

You cannot appeal against a penalty notice but you can challenge it, which is called a 'representation'.

You can make a representation on any ground, but it may only be cancelled if:

• you are sure the penalty notice was issued incorrectly
• it is not in the public interest to proceed against a defendant

Make a representation online

You will need:

• the reference number on your letter – WK/ followed by 9 digits for example, WK/123456789

Your representation will be considered independently by a Reviewing Officer. They will also inform you of the outcome. Once your challenge to the penalty notice is received the clock stops until you receive a response, and you won’t be disadvantaged.

Challenges that are not accepted

The following challenges from residents will be rejected:

• there were no signs nearby
• there were no bins nearby
• it's only small, for example a cigarette end or crisp packet
• my cigarette end could cause a fire in the bin
• I offered to pick up the litter
• a warning wasn't given
• I live in a flat above a shop and had to put my rubbish out early because I was busy or away
• other people do it
• my rubbish was overflowing
• it was only 1 box or bin bag
• I didn't want the item and thought someone else might want it
• someone else put the rubbish out for me
• the rubbish was in my garden and someone must have moved it

The following challenges from businesses will be rejected:

• I ran out of commercial rubbish sacks or stickers
• the contractor said it was ok
• I don't need a contract
• a new or untrained member of staff put it out
• I have a contract but no paperwork
• I pay my business rates so I don't need a contract
• there was a missed collection and I couldn't bring it back inside
• I needed to put it out before the timed collection because it was unsanitary
• all the shops in the area do the same
• it wasn't all my rubbish

If you still want to make a representation after reading the challenges that will not be accepted, please fill out the online form or write to us.