Church Road in Cranford was recently the focus of a joint day of action led by Hounslow Highways with support from Hounslow Council.
The operation saw years of large-scale illegal dumping of commercial and household waste in the area cleaned up and £30,000 worth of fines issued to 30 individuals for fly-tipping offences.
The area has been a hotspot for illegal waste dumping, also known as fly-tipping, for some time. Fly-tipping is a criminal offence and, if caught, offenders face a £1,000 fixed penalty notice (FPN). For large or dangerous fly-tips, an unlimited fine or even face a prison sentence in a magistrate’s court.
Teams from Hounslow Highways and the Council joined up on Thursday, 5th March to remove about 30 tonnes of waste, repair about 70 highways defects, cut back overhanging vegetation and clear the encroachment of vegetation to clear footpaths.
The Council’s enforcement officers and Hounslow Highways Network Stewards were also in attendance, gathering evidence from the fly tipped waste to fine 30 individuals – many of whom may have paid rogue waste disposal companies to dispose of bulky waste, who then dumped truckloads full of waste in Cranford.
Councillor Pritam Grewal, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Customer Experience and Enforcement, said:
“I’d like to thank the teams at the Council and Hounslow Highways for their hard work in cleaning up Church Road, and for investigating and fining offenders to deter waste criminals from using our Borough as a dumping ground in future.
“As well as making our streets messy and unpleasant, fly-tipping costs the Council millions every year. This is taxpayers’ money which should be spent on the things our communities value.
“Our residents have told us that cleaner, safer streets are a top priority for them, and they rightly expect us to take a zero-tolerance approach. That’s why if you dump rubbish or pay an illegal waste carrier to take your rubbish away, you should expect to be caught and handed a hefty fine.”
Tim Hurley, Divisional Director for Hounslow Highways said:
“Church Road has long been a priority for us, and the operation carried out shows what can be achieved when everyone pulls in the same direction. By closing the road and bringing together our Hounslow Highways crews with the Council’s enforcement officers, we were able to clear tonnes of illegally dumped waste, tackle long‑standing issues on both public and private land, carry out essential repairs and issue fines. I’m incredibly proud of the dedication shown by every team involved. Their combined efforts have made a visible and meaningful improvement for local residents and businesses, and we will continue working together to keep this area clean, safe and welcoming.”
The action day comes as the Council launches a dedicated team of officers set to tackle fly-tipping, littering, anti-social behaviour and parking offences. Each area of the borough, based on Council wards, will have a dedicated team of Enforcement Officers, who will get to know the community and work to keep their local area clean and safe.
The team will also be equipped with hand-held devices allowing them to identify, capture, report and respond to issues in real-time and reassure residents that issues are being identified and dealt with.
Residents can play a key role in the fight against illegal waste dumping on the public roads and footpaths, by reporting fly-tipping online through Fix My Street and disposing of waste correctly.
Bulky waste items can be collected from residents’ homes or can be taken to the Reuse and Recycling Centre in Feltham.
Local businesses can dispose of their waste with a commercial waste subscription.
If you’re considering paying a waste carrier to dispose of waste, remember to carry out proper checks beforehand, including checking the waste carrier is licensed on the Environment Agency’s official register.
