New Measures Planned to Tackle Fly-tipping

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Wandsworth Council says prevention is at core of new strategy

CCTV is being used in the borough to catch offenders. Picture: Wandsworth Council

October 13, 2026

Wandsworth Council is preparing to introduce a new package of measures aimed at reducing fly-tipping across the borough, shifting the emphasis from rapid clean-ups to long-term prevention. The initiative comes as part of a wider effort to keep streets cleaner and safer, and follows a period of intensified enforcement activity over the past two years.

One of the most visible changes will be the trial of pavement stencils in known fly-tipping hotspots. These temporary markings, applied immediately after a fly-tip is cleared, are intended to act as a deterrent by reminding residents that illegal dumping is a fineable offence. The stencils will not damage the pavement and are designed to fade over time.

The Council says the aim is to intervene at the moment someone might be considering dumping waste. Alongside the stencils, Wandsworth will run a public awareness campaign to clarify what constitutes fly-tipping and the penalties involved.

During Keep Britain Tidy’s Fly-Tipping Fortnight (12–27 October), the Council will share real enforcement cases on social media, illustrating the range of offences that have resulted in fines. These examples will form part of a broader communications effort to highlight both the consequences of fly-tipping and the importance of responsible waste disposal.

The new measures sit within a developing multi-year fly-tipping strategy, which will coordinate work across council departments and increase the number of enforcement officers. The strategy will set clear targets for reducing fly-tipping, introduce new interventions, and ensure future waste contracts include stronger performance standards and data requirements.

Councillor Ethan Brooks, Cabinet Member for Environment, said, “Most residents take pride in keeping their neighbourhoods clean, and it is unfair that a small minority continue to blight our streets through fly-tipping. We are determined to use every tool available to prevent it, from education and enforcement to new deterrents,” he said. “This is designed to be a long-term plan to embed good practice, have the right teams for the job and deter people once and for all from fly-tipping in Wandsworth.”

The Council will continue to investigate reports, issue fixed penalty notices (FPNs) where appropriate, and pursue legal action against persistent offenders. Residents can report fly-tipping through the Council’s website.

The new prevention-focused approach builds on a significant expansion of enforcement activity in recent years. In the first half of 2025, Wandsworth issued 623 Fixed Penalty Notices for fly-tipping offences, following national changes that allowed councils to increase fines up to £1,000. Offences ranged from abandoned household items to more serious cases involving rubble, building materials and industrial waste.

Under current legislation, small-scale fly-tipping can be dealt with through FPNs, while larger offences may lead to prosecution. Magistrates’ Courts can impose fines of up to £50,000 and 12-month prison sentences; Crown Court cases can result in unlimited fines and up to five years in prison.

The borough’s Cleaner Borough Plan, introduced in response to resident feedback, has also expanded CCTV monitoring in hotspots and retained weekly waste collections. The Joint Control Centre at Wandsworth Town Hall now oversees a network of 1,200 cameras, with recent funding enabling extended monitoring hours and mobile CCTV vans.

Alongside enforcement, Wandsworth has reported progress in recycling. In 2025, residents helped collect more than 6,500 tonnes of additional recycling, generating cost savings of £1.3 million that the Council reinvested in street cleaning and waste management.

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