Watford Borough Council, in partnership with Veolia, is expanding its innovative anti fly tipping campaign to the Central Ward, an area with one of the highest incidences of fly tipping in Watford.
Fly tipping continues to be a persistent issue across the United Kingdom, with DEFRA recently reporting that it has reached record high levels. Fly tipping harms local ecosystems and wildlife, which is why Watford Borough Council and Veolia are committed to tackling it head-on by relaunching their anti fly tipping campaign.
Previously successful in the Callowland Ward, the campaign was launched in the Central Ward last month with Mayor Peter Taylor and Councillors Sam Summer and Rabi Martins joining to oversee the installation of a fly tip ‘crime scene’ with crime scene tape and warning posters installed to highlight the illegality of fly tipping and create a visible impact for residents and visitors to observe.
Alongside the crime scenes, which have been set up across five locations on a weekly basis, letters have been sent to every household in the Central Ward featuring handwritten messages from local schoolchildren to raise awareness of the issue and reduce fly tipping.
Through this creative and community-led approach, Watford Borough Council and Veolia are continuing their work to reduce fly tipping and protect the local environment. Residents are encouraged to report fly tips online at for Veolia to clear.
Report dumped rubbish or fly tipping
Since the campaign began, nine Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) have been issued by the Council’s Enforcement Team for fly tipping, eight of which were for everyday household items, like furniture and appliances. Evidence recovered from two further fly tipping sites has led to the identification of offenders’ addresses with one local business offender being issued a FPN of £600.
Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, said: “Tackling fly tipping requires a strong, united approach that involves everyone in our community. By working together and raising awareness, we can create positive change that will ensure our town remains clean and tidy. I encourage all residents to stay vigilant, report incidents, and take part in protecting our neighbourhood’s environment. Together let’s keep Watford a clean and safe place we can all take pride in.”
Andrew Reidy, Divisional Head of Operations for Veolia Watford, said: “We strive to keep Watford clean through the essential services we deliver in partnership with Watford Borough Council, including street cleansing, recycling and waste collections, and park maintenance, but we ask residents to do their part too. We know the majority of Watford residents take care of their environment, and hope that this campaign has a positive impact on those who have illegally dumped waste in the past so we can work together to maintain a Watford we can all take pride in.”
