Cllr Stephen Cowan, Leader of the Council, said he had also previously been frustrated by waste left by collectors though that performance had improved under the contract with Veolia.
The latest amendments, which have been agreed by the Cabinet member for Social Inclusion and Community Safety, Cllr Rebecca Harvey, list several offences for which the FPNs have been increased.
Namely:
Littering is going up from £150 to £250, or £200 if paid early
Graffiti and flyposting is going from £100 to £500, or £250 if paid early
Household Duty of Care breaches going from £400, with an early repayment amount of £250, to £600 or £300 if paid early
Commercial waste receptacle breaches going from £110 to £150
A change has also been agreed to fly-tipping, which attracts a £1,000 FPN after last year’s decision.
Following a review it was proposed, and has since been approved, that fly-tipping should only be applied to rubbish dumped in public spaces that is not part of the regular household waste collection.
This may include the likes of bulky items, such as mattresses and furniture.
For normal household waste not put out at the correct times for collection will instead be dealt with as a littering offence.
According to the decision paper: “This balanced approach to enforcement aims to ensure streets remain clear of waste for the maximum amount of time, whilst not being overly burdensome.”
On the financial impact, council officers wrote: “The level of income from the proposed amendments cannot be predicted but will be closely monitored as fines are issued. All funds collected from the FPNs will be used to contribute towards the costs of removing litter and fly tipping and the costs of enforcement.
“Any costs associated with implementing these amendments and setting of the new FPNs will be contained within the existing Law Enforcement Team revenue budget for 2025/26.”
Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s fines appear to be roughly in-line with other nearby local authorities.
Kensington and Chelsea Council, for example, charges £300 for littering, fly-posting and graffiti offences.
In Hounslow, the fine for those caught littering is however notably higher at £500.
