Key Points
- Newham Council issued 49,881 fixed penalty notices for littering between 2022 and 2024, the highest in England.
- Fines for littering, including cigarette butts and chewing gum, stand at £150.
- Local residents express mixed views on littering penalties: frustration at ongoing littering, questioning effectiveness of fines, and calls for harsher enforcement.
- Several residents share personal experiences with littering and fines, highlighting challenges and community attitudes.
- Newham Council stresses a zero-tolerance approach and has launched a campaign to improve disposal behaviour.
- The data behind Newham’s “litter capital” status comes from research by Sell House Fast via Freedom of Information requests.
- Other areas with high littering penalties include Greenwich, Milton Keynes, Manchester, and Merton.
- A notable incident in Richmond involving a £150 fine for pouring coffee down a street drain was cancelled after media coverage.
What Do the Latest Figures Show About Littering in Newham?
As reported by MyLondon journalist James Mason, Newham Council handed out 49,881 fixed penalty notices for litter offences between 2022 and 2024, a number unprecedented compared to other local authorities in England.
These figures translate to roughly 13,319 fines per 100,000 residents, positioning Newham at the top of the rankings in a report compiled by property firm Sell House Fast, which gathered data by sending Freedom of Information requests to London boroughs and key towns across the country.
The £150 fines apply to anyone caught dropping litter, including cigarette butts and chewing gum, reflecting the council’s firm stance on keeping the area clean.
How Do Residents React to the Littering Problem?
Local views vary on both the severity of littering and the efficacy of penalties. Carol White, 77, told James Mason of MyLondon that while she supports fines, she doubts their deterrent effect, saying:
“I don’t know whether fines discourage people from littering. When I was younger I always used to say ‘put your litter in your pocket, take it home, and put it in the bin’. Why can’t people do that? They go inside the supermarket or McDonald’s or whatever, come out, eat it, and chuck it on the floor – when there’s a bin over there!”
She added pointedly:
“I feel like saying to them ‘excuse me, take it home with you, you don’t live here, we do’. Do fines work? I don’t think people care, to be honest.”
Conversely, Stephen Foley, 70, shared scepticism about the fines after narrowly avoiding one himself in Waltham Forest. Expressing doubt about enforcement, he argued:
“If you’ve got a cigarette and you’ve got to put it out, where are you going to put it? There’s no bin, so you leave it and they’re up on it. This law was supposed to be for big companies – these councils have jumped on this to earn money.”
International perspectives were also voiced. Yang Fan, 28, a photographer who moved to Newham from China, supports tougher penalties:
“In China, it’s very serious. If you put rubbish on the ground it will be a penalty and it’s very serious. On the ground it’s very usual, I think people shouldn’t throw their rubbish on the ground, it’s a public space, it’s very awful.”
Matt Olson, 27, noted the visible accumulation of litter around Plaistow and acknowledged the role of fines in behaviour change after a friend paid a £150 penalty for dropping a cigarette butt:
“Sometimes people have to learn. I know sometimes people see it as a free ride of trying to recoup some money. A close friend of mine paid the fine and now he’s very aware of littering. He dropped a cigarette butt near a bin and he paid the fine, now whenever I’m with him he makes sure to put them in ashtrays, so it does make the area look nicer. I can understand both sides.”
Solicitor Jenna Francis, 33, commuting to Stratford town centre, highlighted ongoing litter issues, especially in car parks, and supports stricter enforcement:
“I think there should be more fines for littering, because if there was that deterrent, so people knew that if they dropped a bit of litter they’d be fined, maybe they wouldn’t. I’m a smoker and I’m always mindful I don’t want a fine.”
She added:
“It does bring the area down when you do see litter, and it gives you a negative view of the area you’re in.”
What Do Supporters of the Fines Say?
Bus enthusiasts Sharon Watkins, 65, and Phil Watkins, 67, also backed the penalty regime. Phil Watkins contrasted Newham with Singapore to highlight local challenges:
“We went to Singapore in March and it was spotless. Over here it’s everywhere, even in Richmond or posher places, it still gets quite bad, really. It makes me frustrated, especially when there are bins about.”
Phil stressed the frustration when people fail to use bins placed nearby:
“It’s a good idea, I think. It’s not as bad as it used to be, but there is still a bit.”
How Does Newham Council Respond to Being Called ‘England’s Litter Capital’?
Councillor John Whitworth, Newham’s Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Air Quality and Environment, provided context for the statistics in a statement to MyLondon:
“Instead of showing that Newham has a worse problem with litter than anywhere else in England, these figures demonstrate very clearly just how seriously we take it.”
He emphasised the council’s zero-tolerance, proactive approach:
“We manage anyone found discarding rubbish irresponsibly, including throwing away cigarettes or gum.”
Whitworth highlighted new initiatives to tackle the problem: “We recently launched our “Let’s Love Newham” campaign to encourage everyone to dispose of their rubbish responsibly and to report environmental issues directly to the Council via an app or our website.”
Which Other Areas Have High Littering Penalty Rates?
The report by Sell House Fast lists Greenwich, Milton Keynes, Manchester, and Merton as other locales with significant numbers of fixed penalty notices for littering. This data places Newham at the peak but highlights that littering is an issue in many urban centres.
Has There Been Controversy Around Littering Fines?
Earlier this month, media attention focused on the case of Burcu Yesilyurt, a Richmond resident who received a £150 fine for pouring coffee down a street drain. The fine was later cancelled after the local authority indicated her appeal would likely succeed, as reported by the BBC.
With littering fines and rates at an all-time high, Newham finds itself under the spotlight both for the volume of penalties issued and the pressing issue of litter in public spaces. The community’s divided views underscore the complex nature of public behavioural change and the ongoing challenge of keeping London’s streets clean.
