Fly-tipping and Enforcement

Fly-tipping

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste. It can vary in scale from a single bin bag of rubbish to large quantities of waste dumped from vehicles. Fly-tipped waste can be found anywhere, ranging from places such as pavements, car parks, next to waste bins, lay-bys to private land. A whole range of waste types can be fly-tipped ranging from a single bag of rubbish or furniture to large volumes of construction and demolition debris and hazardous waste. Fly-tipping is often done in order to avoid paying for the legitimate disposal of waste with the cost of cleaning it up falling on taxpayers and private landowners.

Fly-tipping is a nuisance as well as a serious criminal offence which carries an unlimited fine. An offender can even be sent to prison. Fly-tipping is often associated with dumping waste from vehicles. The person controlling the vehicle can be prosecuted and it is possible to prosecute when only the vehicle, not the driver, is identifiable. It is also an offence to permit fly-tipping on private land. For more information on fly tipping please visit these pages.

If you discover a fly-tip, please report this to us immediately and follow the simple directions below.

• Do not touch the waste: fly tipped waste can be dangerous - it may contain syringes, broken glass, asbestos, toxic chemicals or other hazardous substances
• Visually inspect the waste: try to determine what the waste consists of and how much there is
• Report its exact location to us
• Do not disturb the site: there may be evidence that could help identify the offenders and lead to their prosecution

If you see someone fly-tipping:

• Report the day, date and time you saw the incident
• What you saw i.e. how many people were fly tipping, what did they fly-tip and where, what they looked like
• Any vehicles involved - their make, colour and registration number

However Remember - Don't Put Yourself At Risk.

Fly-tipping rubbish can be easily avoided. If you have any rubbish to get rid of don’t just leave it on the street expecting it to disappear. Contact us and ask us for the best way to get rid of your rubbish. Only leave your rubbish out at the correct times and days. They can be found here.  Large household items such as mattresses, carpets, flooring, furniture and appliances can be collected by booking a bulky waste collection. Hazardous waste from households such as asbestos, paint, pesticides, white spirit etc is collected free of charge by the City Corporation on behalf of the London Boroughs. Information of this service can be found here.

Westminster residents can bring various types of rubbish to the reuse and recycling sites run by the Western Riverside Waste Authority free of charge. More information is available here.

Waste collection times and 'Bags of Street' areas.

Every street in Westminster has allocated times when bags of waste and recycling can be placed out for collection. On streets in the central area of Westminster as well as the main commercial streets in the outer areas Westminster operates the 'Bags of Street' scheme. This means that any waste and recycling bags, regardless of whether they are collected by Westminster or a private collector can only be presented in specific timed slots, so called 'timebands'. These times can be found via the street search. Streets covered by the scheme are marked on the search page with 'BOS'. Bags can be placed out 30 mins prior to the collection time. If they are placed on the street oustide of these times they will be enforced against and a Fixed Penalty Notice issued. A map of the streets covered by 'Bags of Street' is available by clicking here. 

'Bags of Street' was introduced in 2002 after an extremely successful trial in Soho. The scheme's main aim is to ensure a pleasant street environment by controlling the quantities of waste on the street. Waste placed out at the wrong time is unsightly, attracts litter, vermin and adds to an area's perceived decline.

Fixed Penalty Notices

Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN), better known as fines, are issued by Westminster Wardens  to residents and businesses when waste is incorrectly handled.

This happens for example when waste is presented outside of the designated waste collection time  or when it has been fly-tipped. If commercial waste is presented in ordinary black sacks instead of a Westminster or private collector’s commercial waste sack a FPN will be issued straightaway. Read more about this policy here.

With enquiries about FPNs please contact the Street Management section on 020 7641 8914.

Payment of a waste Fixed Penalty Notice

If you would like to pay a waste FPN please click on the secure link here.

Please remember to click the 'DONE' button at the end of the process to complete the payment transaction.

How to avoid FPNs

FPNs are easily avoided by ensuring:

• Waste/ recycling is presented on the street at the correct time
• Order a special collection for bulky items or take it to the reuse and recycling centre yourself
• Commercial waste is presented in a Westminster and/or a licensed waste collector's bag, never in a black bag
• Waste is collected by someone licensed to do so
• Commercial waste bags are closed, bags do not spill or leak and cardboard is bundled securely with a cardboard sticker attached