The Environmental Enforcement Team at Barking and Dagenham Council has successfully resolved a significant fly-tip at a site in Barking.

In November 2024, the council received reports of a very large fly tip of mixed waste at the rear of a unit on Thames Road. The fly tip was so large at one point it was spilling out of the site and obstructing Radford Way. The council received several reports as residents became concerned that the waste was beginning to rot and was becoming a public health hazard.

The waste inside the boundary of the unit on Thames Road was the responsibility of the landowner. The waste on the street was cleaned up by the council, but, despite this, fly tippers returned dumping yet more waste on the highway. The waste inside the yard of the unit remained.

The previous owners of the unit had gone into liquidation, but officer investigations eventually identified the new landowner and this was now their responsibility. Following multiple attempts to contact the landowner informally, the council issued a Community Protection Warning on March 6, 2025, followed by a more severe Community Protection Notice on 2 April 2025, both of which outlined the actions the landowner needed to take to clear and secure the site and the deadline by which works should be completed.

On 16 April 2025, the landowner responded to the council officers, confirming they would be making the necessary arrangements to clear the significant amount of waste and properly secure the site.

On 28 April 2025, the council confirmed that the site was finally clear and secure. The landowner secured the site with alarms, repaired fences, and CCTV cameras, and to date it remains fly-tip free. The council has also installed CCTV cameras to gather evidence if there is any future fly-tipping.

Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: "This action taken by our Environmental Enforcement Team demonstrates our dedication to addressing issues of fly-tipping and ensuring public health and safety."