Further crack down sees fines for fly-tippers up more than tenfold

As part a Council commitment to keep Reading tidy, more enforcement officers on patrol have seen the number of fines for fly-tippers increase more than tenfold. The major crackdown on littering and fly-tipping in Reading has seen a significant rise in the number of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued, with proposals to extend the initiative now being considered.

Six months into Reading Borough Council’s 12-month trial partnership with Kingdom Local Authority Support (KLAS), which sees officers actively patrol and issue on-the-spot fines for littering and fly-tipping, a total of 1,387 FPNs have been issued. This compares to 94 issued during a comparable pre-trial period.

With the Council’s trial concluding in September 2026, a report to the Policy Committee next week (Monday June 15) now recommends extending the partnership for up to three years as part of plans to keep Reading tidy.

Evidence suggests that a partnership approach will continue to deliver high-profile enforcement activity in Reading which, alongside a programme of community engagement to raise public awareness, could deliver positive environmental outcomes and behaviour change.

Cllr Finn McGoldrick, Lead Member for Environmental Services and Community Safety at Reading Borough Council, said:

“We are taking action on the issues that matter to residents, including keeping Reading neat and tidy with active enforcement. Anyone who chooses to dump rubbish or drop litter risks an on-the-spot fine and we are actively monitoring fly-tipping hotspots to catch, fine and punish the small minority of people who treat our town with such disrespect. 

“These results, just halfway through our new focus on enforcement, are incredibly encouraging and show why regular patrols are needed to combat fly-tipping and littering reports.

“I encourage residents to help us keep Reading tidy by reporting any incidents of fly-tipping or litter to the Council through the Love Clean Streets (Reading) app, and we will continue to respond effectively through the issuing of fines where the evidence allows us to.”