Hounslow Council collects £3.32m from fly-tipping fines in one year

Hounslow Council raised £3.32 million from fly-tipping fines in the year to June 2026, as enforcement contractor APCOA issued 3,324 penalties for the offence. The total represents nearly half of the 7,912 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued across Hounslow for environmental offences during the same period, as reported by MyLondon.

The fines follow a 2025 increase that raised the penalty for fly-tipping from £450 to a flat £1,000, with no early payment discount. The council recorded 10,529 fly-tipping reports in 2026, though the rate of increase was lower than in comparable boroughs.

Residents allege fabricated offences

Concerns have been raised about the enforcement approach. Cllr Joanna Biddolph, representing Chiswick Gunnersbury, told a council scrutiny committee that residents believe APCOA officers manipulate evidence. She said some claim officers remove cardboard from commercial bins and photograph it elsewhere to issue fines, as reported by MyLondon.

Cllr Amy Croft, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Enforcement and Recycling, denied the allegations. She said officers have no financial incentive to fabricate offences. Croft added that the council has instructed officers not to target overflowing residential bins, though it has refused to cancel a £1,000 fine issued to a Feltham resident who placed a cardboard envelope on a pile of recycling.

Fines rise as enforcement expands

The council’s enforcement contractor, APCOA, issued between 300 and 400 FPNs each month in Hounslow. Of the 7,912 fines issued, 728 were later cancelled. Most cancellations followed appeals, while 85 were withdrawn due to officer error, council discretion, or the offender being under 18.

The increase in fines has drawn criticism. In 2024, fly-tipping carried a £450 penalty, reduced to £250 if paid early. Since 2025, the fine has been a flat £1,000. Littering fines also rose, from £120 to £500, with an early payment discount of £250.

Cllr Croft said Hounslow’s fly-tipping rates have risen by 2% in 2026, compared with 10-15% in other boroughs. She described this as a flattening of the curve, though the council has not reduced the total number of incidents.

What happens next

Hounslow Council has not announced changes to its enforcement policy. APCOA did not respond to requests for comment from MyLondon. The council’s scrutiny committee will continue to review enforcement practices, though no formal review has been scheduled.