Ealing Council is to invite bids from providers for a new contract to deliver enforcement services tackling littering and other street offences in the borough from July 2027.
A Cabinet report said giving the work to Greener Ealing, Ealing Council’s in-house environmental services company, was “not recommended” because it would require “significant up-front investment from the council” to build up expertise in enforcement law and provide back-office support.
Ealing Council currently shares a contract with Hounslow Council for APCOA Parking Limited to provide street enforcement in both boroughs. The contract is due to end on 30 June 2027.
APCOA took over the work in July 2024, replacing Kingdom after six years. The original arrangement covered Ealing, Hounslow and Harrow, although Harrow later moved to a separate contract with Kingdom.
At its meeting last week (4 November 2026), Ealing Council’s Cabinet agreed to seek a new three-year contract. The council could extend the deal a year at a time, up to five years in total. APCOA can bid again, the council said.
Ealing Council told EALING.NEWS the new contract will cover offences including littering, unlicensed street trading and unlicensed skips. The council said this would be separate from fly-tipping enforcement, which it is looking to bring in-house.
The Cabinet report recommended that Ealing Council put the contract out to tender after weighing up a number of options. It warned that losing the contract’s income of around £30,000 a month would put pressure on the council’s budget.
One option was to let the contract lapse, with the enforcement work either ending or being absorbed by the council’s existing Envirocrime Prevention Team. The report said this was “not recommended” because the team had “no uniforms or capacity to carry out litter enforcement patrols”
The council could have extended the APCOA contract for up to two years, but the report said it wanted to “consider different business models”.
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, Councillor Dominic Moffitt, cabinet member for climate action, said: “Residents have told us they want a green and pleasant environment and a visible uniformed presence to tackle environmental offences. The current environmental enforcement contract ends in June 2027, so we are starting a competitive procurement process to make sure this important work continues and that the next contract provides an effective service and good value for residents.
“Environmental enforcement officers help keep our streets, town centres, parks and open spaces clean and tidy by taking action against offences including littering, fly-tipping, dog fouling and unlicensed street trading. Our aim is to secure a service that supports cleaner neighbourhoods and provides a strong, visible deterrent against people who damage our environment.”
EALING.NEWS asked Ealing Council a number of questions that went unanswered, including how many officers currently patrol the borough, whether the council expects that number to rise and whether Hounslow Council would share the new contract. It also didn’t confirm if the £30,000 monthly income is before or after contractor fees.
