Hounslow Liberal Democrats slam Labour Council as fly-tipping "spirals out of control."

Hounslow Liberal Democrats have accused the Labour-run council of losing control of the borough’s fly-tipping crisis, as new figures show the scale of the problem continues to grow both locally and nationally.

In Hounslow, the situation is particularly severe. More than 27,000 incidents were recorded over the past year, giving the borough the fifth highest rate of fly-tipping in London. The cost of clearing this waste is estimated at around £4 million annually, placing a significant burden on taxpayers.

The Liberal Democrats say this is part of a longer-term trend. Fly-tipping has been steadily rising in Hounslow over recent years despite repeated council crackdowns. In 2019–20, 22,480 incidents were recorded, while tens of thousands of bags of rubbish have continued to be cleared from streets each year. Despite enforcement action, including thousands of fines issued, the problem has continued to worsen.

The party has also criticised Labour councillors for failing to act on practical solutions when they were first proposed. At a local Area Forum meeting in October 2025, Liberal Democrat campaigners suggested introducing skip and amnesty days to help residents dispose of waste responsibly, an approach already used successfully in Liberal Democrat-run councils.

Although the idea received initial engagement from council officers, no progress followed. The Liberal Democrats have now accused Labour of “dragging their feet”, only to later adopt the same policy as a manifesto pledge.

Roger Crouch, Chair of Hounslow Liberal Democrats said:
“Our candidates have always campaigned for a cleaner Hounslow, and we are ready to tackle the fly-tipping crisis our residents have been dealing with for far too long. It is deeply frustrating to see the council ignore practical solutions when they are first raised, only to repackage them later as their own ideas. Residents deserve action, not delays and political point-scoring.”

The Liberal Democrats are calling for immediate action, including the introduction of regular skip and amnesty days, alongside stronger enforcement to tackle large-scale illegal dumping.

They also pointed to a missed opportunity at national level, where both Labour and the Conservatives failed to support a Liberal Democrat proposal to make serious waste crime a strategic priority for the National Crime Agency.