Southall residents are campaigning to tackle what they describe as an explosion in fly-tipping in the area in recent years.
A petition to Ealing Council has garnered nearly 1,800 signatures to date and calls for action such as increased penalties for offenders, the installation of permanent CCTV in fly-tipping hotspots and an increase in street cleaning and waste removal services.
Southall resident and mother of two Angela Fonso, who has lived in the area for 19 years, is among the leading voices of the campaign.
Angela said: “There was fly-tipping when I moved into the area, but not to the extent that I’ve seen over the last four years. It’s simply exploded.
“I drove home today and passed so many hotspots. It’s just the norm now.”
The petition aims to gather enough signatures to trigger a council debate, with Fonso and her fellow campaigners regularly leafleting some of the worst-affected areas.
The mother-of-two has been active in a range of local campaigns including Clean Air for Southall and Hayes, and believes fly-tipping is just one symptom of a broader picture.
Fonso said: “It all feels part of a story of the managed decline of Southall.
“Despite all the developments and money coming in, the community continues to be ignored.”
Fly-tipping doesn’t just impact the area’s image and it has made everyday life increasingly difficult for some residents as well.
Arti, who uses a wheelchair and has muscular dystrophy, related in a TikTok video fly-tipping in Southall has left her feeling isolated and unsafe.
Her mother is often forced to push her wheelchair into the road to get past due to pavements being frequently blocked by rubbish, leaving Arti exposed to speeding traffic.
She said: “It makes me anxious going out, and I’ve slowly, slowly cut down on going out due to this issue.
“It makes me really mentally unstable, and I feel trapped, because I can’t do anything about it. I’m trying my very best.”
Fonso said: “If you go to areas like Ealing Common or Hanwell, you don’t see fly-tipping like this.
“But in Southall, it’s everywhere – mattresses, black bags, broken furniture.
“It looks like a slum, and I hate saying that about the place I’ve called home for almost two decades.”
She claimed money is invested into new high-rise development proposals in Southall while residents outside these areas contend with blocked pavements and uncollected rubbish.
Fonso said: “I feel that we’re neglected and we’re ignored, that it doesn’t matter that there’s extensive fly-tipping, it doesn’t matter that there’s poverty and disadvantaged children.
“I think this is a sacrificial area, and anything goes.”
Other contributing factors outlined by Fonso included a rise in houses of multiple occupation and a jump in the area’s student population, without adequate bin provisions to match the increased number of people, as well as commercial traders illegally dumping waste.
Ealing Council estimates around £550,000 a year is spent on clearing fly-tips in Southall alone.
An Ealing Council spokesperson said: “We understand residents’ concerns around fly-tipping and are cracking down on this criminal activity.
“Last month we announced fly-tipping offences will now carry a £1,000 fine, more than double the previous amount of £400, sending a clear message: illegally dumping waste will not be tolerated.
“Alongside the increased fine, an awareness campaign ‘This is our home, not a tip’ will explain to our communities what fly-tipping is, its impacts and how everyone can help by disposing of waste correctly and reporting fly-tipping.”
The spokeperson added the council issued 46 fines within the first week of the charge increase.
They said: “Fly-tipping is a drain on council funds which would be better spent on essential services and directly impacts on the environment and people’s quality of life.”
Southall residents have organised a public meeting for 11 June to propose solutions to the issue.
Fonso said: “It’s not just going to be a moan session, it’s an opportunity for residents to put forward proposals to actually deter fly-tippers.”
“I think there just needs to be a culture change where there is recognition that it is criminal – you cannot just dump your junk on the streets.”
Residents can report fly-tipping via the Love Clean Streets app, or on the Ealing Council website.
Featured image credit: Streets of Southall
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