Locals call for further crack down on dumpers.
Kingston has one of the lowest number of reports of fly-tipping of any London borough, according to the latest data from DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).
Figures reveal a decline in reports of fly-tipping with 4,363 incidents reported in 2021/22 down to 2,935 in 2023/24 despite an increase in the issue across the capital over the past decade.
This number of fly-tipping incidents in Kingston represents an approximate 32.7% drop in reports from 2021 to 2024, but locals told the Kingston Courier the issue is still rife in parts of the borough.
‘This is no excuse for anyone’
Freelance photographer Bernard Kuhn has been living in Kingston for 18 years and said he regularly sees fly-tipping around the area.
He pointed to people misusing charity shops as drop-off spots to dump their waste and urged the council to consider stricter fines and clearer signage.
“Culprits have to be caught and brought to justice. I am pretty sure that fines in the thousands would dissuade people from fly-tipping,” Kuhn said.
“I understand [the council] may or may not have the resources to monitor everything that happens in the borough, but putting resources in place would be easily covered by the possible fines,” he added.
While the number of incidents in Kingston has dropped, so too has the number of enforcement actions, which include fines imposed by courts and local authorities.
Compared to the 1,682 ‘total actions taken’ in 2021/22, this figure also fell to 1,008 in 2023/24.
Kingston is not among the 16 boroughs, including nearby Richmond and Kensington and Chelsea, that recently increased fly tipping fixed penalty notices (FPN), a penalty for violating waste management laws, to £1,000.
The ability for councils to increase the maximum fly-tipping FPN from £400 to £1,000 was granted under Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government in 2023.
Kuhn also agreed that fly-tipping is taxing on the council. One solution he spotted elsewhere in London was that the council paints information about the collection day at regular intervals on the pavement.
“Putting up signs with the collection day and information about fly-tipping would surely help too,” he added.
Trouble spots persist
Melanie Scholtz, manager at the Travelodge on Old London Road, told the Kingston Courier that fly-tipping outside Princess Alice charity shop on Old London Road was “constant”.
“Strategies need to be put in place to deter fly-tippers,” Scholtz said. “[The council] need to identify the problem areas and make it difficult, or even impossible, to fly tip.”
She added that the CCTV does not cover the whole area and once the council collects the waste it leaves space for more fly tipping. This creates a fresh burden on local authorities.
‘Bring back a modern version of the rag and bone carts’
Claire Mellish, Secretary of Alpha Road Residents Association, helped to organise a rubbish collection skip for residents to use for the disposal of large items. The initiative proved popular.
Mellish said: “Large communal bins for the blocks of flats act as attractors with people assuming the council will deal with their dumped rubbish regardless.
“Quiet roads off main roads also attract the fly tippers, especially if there is some handy vegetation to dump behind,” she added.
Most residents agreed that installing more CCTV cameras and providing information on recycling to inform people on how to dispose of waste properly would further reduce fly-tipping.
“After complaints by residents, there are extra cameras set up near bins and a number of people have been caught,” Mellish added. “There is also separate CCTV. We have also cleared vegetation in some areas.”
Kingston Council has been contacted for comment.
The data also revealed that about 39% of the 1,152,617 incidents across England were recorded in the Greater London area (444,519 incidents).
Islington (1,347) and the City of London (2,315) were found to be the least affected boroughs, whilst Croydon (35,470 total incidents), Camden (34,786), and Hackney (33,464) were the worst.
