Clampdown on waste in front gardens of Newham homes a success

Almost 1,500 clearance notices have been issued by Newham Council enforcement officers in the past six months to tackle the scourge of front garden waste in the borough.

In each case, the residents were given 28 days to clear the mess or face being served with a FPN (Fixed Penalty Notice) of £110. The clearance notices were so effective that only 17 FPNs needed to be issued during this period. Failure to pay FPNs can lead to a £2,500 fine.

Cllr Unmesh Desai, Newham Council’s Executive Member for Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour, said: “Waste dumped in gardens isn’t just unsightly. It is an environmental problem attracting rats and other vermin.

“It lowers the tone of the whole street. We’re saying to the people who litter their gardens: this isn’t acceptable and we won’t stand for it. We will keep fining people until they remove it. We are targeting the bad apples and doing this for the whole community. Crime and anti-social behaviour in Newham is totally unacceptable. We have a zero tolerance approach to it and will not stand for it in any shape or form.”

Pictured: One of the gardens targeted in the campaign. Photograph: Newham Council