Bridgend County Borough Council is introducing early payment schemes for people fined for a range of environmental offences.
People will generally have 14 days to take advantage of the reduced rate which applies for offences such as littering and fly-tipping.
The changes to payments are part of an updated environmental enforcement policy, approved by the council’s cabinet on Tuesday, November 19.
However, there will be no discounted rate for dog fouling where a £100 fine is issued to owners who fail to pick up their dog’s mess, are unable to show they have poo bags with them when asked, or fail to put their dog on a lead when asked to do so by an enforcement officer.
Head of operations for community services, Zak Shell, said the policy was last updated in 2007.
During the cabinet meeting, he said: “Education is the primary objective – we are not looking to raise money.
“For example, a fixed penalty notice would be the last resort when it came to the presentation of waste receptacles – and only be applied if someone insisted on continuing to do it in the wrong way.
“We are looking to educate and encourage appropriate behaviour.”
He added: “There are other circumstances where something is obvious and purposeful like littering offences where we will take a more proactive approach regarding fixed penalty notices.”
Earlier this year, the local authority appointed private contractor 3GS to crack down on littering and dog fouling in the county.
The offences involve failing to put rubbish bags in an appropriate place and putting too many bags out – residents could be fined £100, reduced to £75 under the new scheme.
Another places a responsibility on householders to ensure workmen they use are registered waste carriers if they are getting rid of material.
Mr Shell said: “When you’re having a job carried out in your home or somebody is collecting waste material it’s very important householders utilise people who are registered household carriers so that they comply with the duty of care and take material to somewhere which is suitably licensed as opposed to a rural lane in the county borough.
“The onus is now on the householder as well as the person carrying the waste material away.
“I think there’s a little more work to do around raising awareness of this one and we are not looking to rush and stick a penalty notice on anyone.”
Failing to comply with the duty of care in respect of household waste carries a £300 fine which will be reduced to £150 under the early payment scheme.
