Fines for fly-tipping have more than doubled in the London borough of Brent, as the council intensifies its efforts to tackle illegal waste dumping.
Brent Council has issued over 5,700 enforcement notices in the past year — a sharp rise from 2,700 the previous year — with total fines increasing by more than £100,000 over the same period, according to the local authority.
It comes as a Brent businessman was fined more than £50,000 last month after his employees were caught fly-tipping leftover meat and fish.
Ali Jamil Mohammed, the Director of Ranya Food Centre and Ranya Fresh Fish Limited on Kilburn High Road, entered guilty pleas on behalf of both companies at a recent court hearing. The charges were brought after enforcement officers from Brent Council noticed the “disgraceful images” of employees throwing waste onto the street and a flat roof.
The illegal dumping was caught on camera in a “deliberate and coordinated operation,” Brent Council said.
The council said the case served as a stark warning to “disrespectful” businesses and individuals that continue to fly-tip.
As part of its wider crackdown, the council has also introduced Community Skip Days — an initiative designed to make waste disposal more accessible.
The scheme provides “community skips” that visit every ward three times a year, helping residents who may struggle to access traditional waste disposal services.
"We're on par with a neighbouring areas with the cost of a service," Krupa Sheth, cabinet member for environment and enforcement told the BBC.
"But the reason why we've got something like our community skip that goes around all across the borough three times here to every single one of our wards is so that our residents can dispose of rubbish for free."
Ferenc Furger, a resident of Tokyngton in Wembley, told the BBC he “hates” fly-tipping and doesn’t want the streets where he and his children live to be messy.
Like many other boroughs in London, Brent charges residents to dispose of large, bulky goods such as furniture. Collections are priced at £55 for up to five items.
In April, the council raised its fines for fly-tipping to the maximum of £1,000. The fixed penalty notice (FPN) used to be £400.
Brent has also partnered with Peddle Me Wheels, a scheme that repairs bicycles found dumped or abandoned.
Some have been handed over to Willesden Mosque where chairman Dr Raja Amjid Riaz is hoping they will be able to get a system in place whereby people can take bikes for free and bring them back when they have been used.
