London Councils, the umbrella group that acts on behalf of the 33 boroughs, wants to gauge public opinion on the scale of the penalties that should be imposed on those who dump waste and litter on the streets.

The public consultation is being carried so that a London-wide consensus can be reached. The first part seeks to set the level of fines that should be imposed on those who leave their waste on pavements long before it is due to be collected.

These piles of waste are unsightly and can encourage flytipping. Quite often they get disturbed before they are picked up and therefore create other litter problems.

In Wandsworth shops and businesses are among the biggest contributors to these flytipping and litter problems. Many traders choose to leave their binbags, cardboard boxes and other types of commercial waste on pavements and street corners long before they are scheduled to be collected by their refuse contractor.

The second issue concerns litter thrown from cars. Powers now exist to fine the owners or drivers of vehicles if waste is dumped by them or by their passengers. Again the public are being asked to say how much they think these drivers should be fined for this offence.

The consultation is also seeking views on the appropriate level of fixed penalty for failing to comply with the rules and requirements of London's civic amenity sites.

Discounts are offered for early payment of these penalties and the charges increase if it is not paid within a certain period. London Councils is also seeking the public's views on what these discount levels and increased charges should be.

March 21, 2009