Fly-tipping in Southall ‘Getting Out of Hand’
Resident calls for fines and cameras to deal with the issue
An 'extraordinary' amount of flytipping in Southall. Picture: Jay Rajput
March 24, 2025
Residents of Southall have become increasingly concerned about the scale of fly-tipping taking place as some accuse the council of failing to tackle the issue properly. Locals say it is not just the amount of fly-tipping incidents that is increasing, but also the amount of rubbish dumped on streets at each ‘hotspot’.
Ealing Council says this is a national problem, not limited to Southall, and that it has issued over 900 fines for fly-tipping in less than nine months, but some residents feel more can be done locally to stop it. Jay Rajput, 43, is a creative director from Old Southall. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that more money needs to be directed towards the Old Southall area, instead of New Southall.
He said, “It’s happening everywhere, absolutely everywhere, and the amount of it happening is going up. The amount of rubbish being dumped at one time is extraordinary… normally you’d see the odd mattress, but this is next level what’s happening, and it’s all in what you’d consider the ‘neglected’ side of Southall.
“We need more cameras, we need more signs, and we need more notices. They aren’t fining people enough for this. People need to be arrested and named and shamed for this… it’s got totally out of hand.”
Jay Rajput, 43, a creative director
Cabinet documents indicate that Ealing Council has improved the clearing of fly-tips, however numbers remain short of council targets. The local authority aims to clear 95 per cent of fly-tips within the target time of one working day, however in the year to date it is only reaching 69 per cent.
Mr Rajput feels that simply clearing fly-tipping is not enough; he believes the council must go further. He said: “If it was nipped in the bud by the council then places wouldn’t become a known dump spot.
“It’s not about it being cleared, that’s like putting a bandage on it. You have to get to the root cause and tackle that, because there is no point picking it up every few days, because there is a new pile every day.”
Research undertaken by businesswaste.co.uk found that Ealing has the third highest bulky waste charges in London. For the collection of one bulky item, residents are charged £48 – with no discount available.
Fly-tipping in Southall. Picture: Jay Rajput
A council spokesperson said, “Fly-tipping is rising not just in Southall but across the country. Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste, whether it be a piece of unwanted furniture, or bag of household rubbish, or business waste, on land where it’s not permitted. Tackling it takes up a lot of time and absorbs taxpayers’ money which could be better spent supporting our most vulnerable residents.
“Greener Ealing is working hard to collect as many fly-tips as possible, as quickly as it can. With its current resource and an increase in fly-tipping of 73% in the last year, meeting the 95% next working day target for clearance is a challenge. Currently, 98% of reported fly-tips are collected within two working days.
“We’re strengthening our approach when it comes to reducing fly-tipping levels through a range of methods, including working directly with residents and via a partnership with Litter Action Group for Ealing Residents (LAGER can), and taking a tougher approach to enforcement. We’re using CCTV and footage from witnesses to catch fly-tippers in the act and issue fines. In Southall alone, we have issued 902 fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping since July 2024.
“We’re also planning an educational campaign designed to raise awareness about what fly-tipping is and show that we are taking enforcement action where appropriate.”
Philip James Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter