Getting tougher on littering and fly-tipping

Ealing has joined forces with 2 other councils to improve the way everyday issues like litter and fly-tipping are tackled to help clean up our streets.

Harrow and Hounslow councils signed a joint enforcement contract with Ealing, which started on Monday (July 1).

The new arrangement with contractor APCOA will mean there will be officers patrolling the streets, town centers and parks and open spaces.

These new officers will be able to hand out fixed penalty notices or fines of up to £400 on the spot to offenders caught in the act. The new team will also be able to help the council take over ‘hotspot’ areas with known environmental problems.

APCOA can issue fines for a range of offences, including:

• littering, including spitting, urinating and leaving food on the ground

• unlicensed street trading

• obstructing the public road.

APCOA officers can also issue you a fine if you don’t take reasonable steps to check that the businesses taking your waste are licensed to do so. It is your responsibility to ensure that anyone you pay to take your rubbish has the appropriate waste hauler’s licence. If not, they, like you, can be fined.

APCOA officers wear recognizable blue and navy uniforms. Each officer has a body-worn camera to record their interactions with the public. Officers do not accept payment for the FPNs they issue. Payment information can be found in the FPN document.

Residents can report a range of environmental issues through the Love Clean Streets app. Take photos of trash, fly-tips, graffiti, abandoned cars or other environmental disturbances and upload them to the app.

Reports are sent directly to the responsible service for prompt processing. You can also “track” the report and see when it was completed.

Download the Love Clean Streets app from the Play Store or App Store.