Fly tipping fines pass £100,000 in Barnet
The council’s enforcement team passed a milestone in January, as income from fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for environmental crimes passed £100,000 for this financial year (since 1 April 2025). The success comes as the council completes its three-month focused crackdown on fly-tipping in four hotspot wards – Burnt Oak, Hendon, West Hendon and Cricklewood.
At the start of this year, fines for fly tipping have also gone up – going from £300 to £500 for a first offence and £400 to £600 for second offences. While the council fines are below the Government-set limit of £1,000, its collection rate is significantly higher than those councils who have set their fines at the higher amount.
The recent crackdown has included widespread promotion to raise awareness of fines and of the correct way to dispose of waste in the four hotspot areas under the taglines of ‘dump the dumpers’ and ‘fly tippers: we will find you and fine you’.
There has also been direct engagement through on-street hubs, door knocking in known problem areas, and enhanced use of CCTV and CCTV van patrols to dissuade potential fly tippers. The council’s approach to tackling fly tipping has been a collaborative one between the community safety team and street scene services, to ensure that dumps are investigated for any potential evidence to track down the perpetrators and then collected promptly.
Councillor Sara Conway, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: “The council’s proactive enforcement teams are working hard daily to ensure we find and fine people illegally dumping waste in Barnet, supported by our enhanced and expanded CCTV network. Fly tipping is a filthy crime and we are determined to keep improving how we tackle it .”
Councillor Alan Schneiderman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, added: “Passing £100,000 in fines is a really encouraging milestone, and shows that we are hitting back against environmental crime in the borough, but clearing waste such as fly-tips is still costing the council around £500,000 a year. We need residents to help us by reporting any information you have about fly tips near you, including any footage or tip-offs that could help us track down the responsible parties.”
Residents can find out more about the council’s campaign to tackle fly tipping and report incidents directly here: Caring for our places: Keeping Barnet Clean | Barnet Council.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The council worked collaboratively with Friends of Parks groups and other resident groups to shape the latest fly tipping campaign.