Fly-tippers in Ealing now face fines of up to £1,000 as the council gets tougher on illegal dumping across the borough. The new penalty, more than double the previous £400 fine, is part of a renewed campaign to clamp down on the growing problem and keep streets clean.
The local push aligns with wider government action to combat fly-tipping nationally. Under new plans announced earlier this week by Defra and the Department for Levelling Up, councils across England will also be given greater powers to seize vehicles used in fly-tipping – particularly those linked to repeat offenders. In some cases, councils will also be able to destroy the vehicles.
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed said: “Waste criminals and fly-tippers who blight our towns and villages have gone unpunished for too long. That ends today. The government is calling time on fly-tipping. I will not stand by while this avalanche of rubbish buries our communities. Under the Plan for Change, this government will seize and crush fly-tippers vans’ to clean up Britain’s streets.”
Ealing’s campaign, ‘This is our home, not a tip’, aims to raise awareness about what constitutes fly-tipping, its environmental impact and how residents can help by disposing of waste properly and reporting offenders.
According to the council during 2024 Ealing recorded 22,730 fly-tipping incidents. The council spends around £3 million a year on clearing dumped waste —money it says could be used to repair 32,000 potholes, install 200 CCTV cameras or fund more than 4,000 weeks of day care for vulnerable adults.
Greener Ealing Ltd, the council-owned contractor, currently clears 98% of reported fly-tips within two working days. But time and resources are also spent gathering evidence from waste, CCTV, and witness reports to identify and prosecute offenders.
Leader of Ealing Council, Councillor Peter Mason said: “Whether it be a single bag of rubbish or heap of household furniture, fly-tipping is a blight on our streets and has a direct impact on the environment and the quality of life for our residents. It is also drain on council funds, which would be better spent supporting our residents. By raising the fines to £1,000, we are sending a clear message that illegal waste dumping will not be tolerated.”
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, Councillor Paul Driscoll, the council’s cabinet member for climate action, said: “We welcome the government’s announcement to crack down on fly tipping; it’s a blight on our streets, a drain on council funds and has a direct impact on the environment and the quality of life for our residents.
“Yesterday (30 April 2025) we announced that fly tipping offences will now carry a £1000 fine (previously £400), to send a clear message – illegal waste dumping will not be tolerated.
“Alongside the new fine, an awareness campaign: ‘This is our home, not a tip’ will explain to our communities what fly-tipping is, its impacts, and how everyone can help by disposing of waste correctly and reporting fly tipping.”
Residents are asked to report fly-tipping either through the Love Clean Streets app or on the council website.
