Redbridge Enforcement Team

There are various types of enforcement action we can take to ensure compliance with the law dependent on the situation. These include:

• issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN)
• issuing a statutory notice
• seizure
• prosecution
• warning letters
• informal action

Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers in Redbridge are employed directly by the Council and are warranted under law with a range of delegated powers.  All officers carry a photo ID that shows their job title and name.

All officers wear a uniform which consists of:

• black trousers
• black tops with the Redbridge Council's logo
• black jackets/fleece with the Redbridge Council's logo on the front (wearing is optional)
• high visibility body armour with the Redbridge Council's logo and ‘Redbridge Enforcement’ on either side of the front and ‘Redbridge Enforcement’ on the back.
• body-worn cameras and radios

Officers do also perform plain clothes operations but will carry Council ID to identify themselves when required.

We work across the entire Borough on either foot or in clearly marked Council vehicles.  Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers wear and use body-worn cameras that record visual and audio information. The use of body-worn cameras allows for the collection of evidence (which can be used in prosecutions), the accurate recording of engagement with residents/businesses and improve the safety of officers and members of the public.

You can find out further information on the use of body-worn cameras on our CCTV webpage.

View our CCTV webpage

By law, we may issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for certain offences.

Paying an FPN is not an admission of guilt, this allows you to discharge your liability for the offence (this means that whilst this is not an admission of guilt, you do agree that an offence has been committed and that by paying the stated amount of money no further action will be taken by or on behalf of the Council). FPNs are a means of enforcement that avoids a criminal prosecution and record for the defendant. We may issue a FPN for a first offence without giving a warning.

The table below shows the FPN amount (not all penalties have a reduced rate) to be paid for each type of offence along with the offence code.

 

Offence	Offence code	Amount to be paid	Reduced amount
Fly-Tipping (issued before 1/2/24)	FT1	£400	N/A
Fly-Tipping	FT2	£1000	£500
Littering (issued before 1/2/24)	CN1	£150	N/A
Littering	LT1	£200	£150
Failure to comply with a Public Spaces Protection Order	PS1	£100	N/A
Graffiti & Fly-Posting (issued before 1/2/24)	CN4	£150	N/A
Graffiti & Fly-Posting	CN5	£500	£300
Failure to produce authority	CN11	£300	N/A
Failure to furnish documentation	CN12	£300	N/A
Repairing vehicle on the highway	CN13RV	£100	N/A
Displaying advertisements in contravention	CN14	£100	N/A
Abandoning a vehicle	CN15	£200	N/A
Failure to comply with a waste receptacle notice	CN9	£110	N/A
Failure to comply with a Community Protection Notice	CPN1	£100	N/A
Depositing materials on a made-up carriage way	HA12	£100	£50
Interruption to the user of the Highway	HA14	£100	£50
Wilful obstruction of the Highway	HA2	£100	£50
Scaffolding on the Highway without a permit	HA21	£100	£50
Vehicle over hanging the Highway	HA2VO	£100	£50
Skip on Highway without a permit	HA4	£100	£50
Failure to secure working lights or other markings to a skip	HA5	£100	£50
Failure to secure markings on a skip	HA6	£100	£50
Failure to remove a skip	HA7	£100	£50
Failure to comply with permit conditions	HA8	£100	£50
Littering from a motor vehicle	PCN	£100	£60
Contravention of a street trading licence	PP4	£100	£60
Resisting or obstructing authorised officer (street trading)	PP6	£250	£150
Failure to provide street trading licence on demand	PP7	£100	£60
Unlicensed street trading	PP8	£150	£90
Failure to comply with residential duty of care	CN16	£600	£300

If you are issued with an on the spot FPN money is never taken at the scene, Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers do not take payments.  The FPN's they issue will tell you how you can pay.  Our Officers can also explain the payment options if further detail is required.

You can make a card payment online:

Pay Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN)

You can send a cheque (made payable to The London Borough of Redbridge) to the below address, please ensure you include the FPN reference number so it is clear which FPN is being paid:

Neighbourhood Enforcement Team
WREN Centre

Ley Street Depot

531 Ley Street

IG2 7QZ

If you refuse to pay the FPN you will be prosecuted for the offence.  If you do not pay the FPN within the specified time stated on the FPN and the matter goes to Magistrates’ Court, you could then incur more costs.  Paying an FPN on time means we cannot take prosecution action against you for the offence.

What if my representation is rejected?

Once we have considered your representation and informed you of our decision the enforcement team will no longer communicate regarding the matter. If your representation was not upheld and you still reject the fixed penalty notice you will receive a summons to go to court. Where you have the opportunity to make legal representation.

If you wish to discharge your liability you can make payment within 14 days of the rejection.

Disputing a Fixed Penalty Notice

While there is no legal right of appeal to a Fixed Penalty Notice, you can query an FPN in the form of a ‘representation’.

Representations will not be considered on the basis that:

• the FPN issue date was more than 14 days ago
• you did not know the law
• you did not know the law was being enforced
• it was the first time you committed the offence
• you have always done this and never received a penalty or warning before
• you believe the officer issuing the FPN was rude or did not behave appropriately

You cannot make a representation based on the behaviour of the Neighbourhood Enforcement Officer.  If you wish to make a complaint about the conduct or behaviour of an Officer you should visit the Councils website and use the complaints section.  We will process the complaint separately to the FPN representation. You are still liable to prosecution if you don't pay the FPN on time.

If you have been issued an FPN by Wise and this FPN is a 9 digit number please note you cannot make a representation here and must email redbridge@wasteenforcement.co.uk or call 0333 577 2949.  

Please note if your FPN was issued by LA Support and you incorrectly make a representation to the Redbridge Enforcement Team you will not receive a response and your representation will not be considered.

 

Make a representation

You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for littering offences (litter includes cigarette butts and chewing gum).  Littering is a Criminal Offence for which you can be prosecuted in Court and if found guilty you will receive a criminal record.

It is an offence if either:

• you drop litter and walk away after you have dropped it;
• your dog fouls in a public place and you walk away without clearing the mess

It does not matter whether you volunteer to pick up the waste afterwards, you have committed the offence and will be issued an FPN.

We do not have to put up signs in streets or open spaces to tell you not to litter or that litter patrols are working in the area.

Cigarette stubs

Smokers must fully extinguish cigarettes before putting them in the bin. Many bins have stubbing plates you can use. You may also choose to carry a portable 'butt pouch' or 'pocket ashtray'. By law, cigarette waste is the same as other waste – you can be given a FPN for not disposing of cigarette stubs properly. Placing a cigarette stub down a drain or in a stream is a littering offence for which you will be given a FPN.

Fly-tipping

Fly-tipping is the dumping of rubbish in a place where it is not authorised – this can be anything from a sack of household rubbish, a sofa or anything up to large commercial waste deposits i.e. builders waste. This is a criminal offence and you can be issued a £1000 FPN or be prosecuted through the courts where you can receive a fine and/or imprisonment if convicted of the offence along with a criminal record.

Report a fly-tip

Recycling

Please note the Borough wide ‘Bring’ sites are not authorised to take household waste, they can only accept your excess recyclable materials. Each bin at each site is clearly marked with the type of recyclable material it can accept, please do not place any items that are not accepted at the site.

No items are to be placed on or around the recycling bins, even if full, as this would constitute an offence for which you could be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice. These sites are NOT to be used for commercial waste. 

View the locations of our bring sites

Reporting fly-tippers - what should I do if I see someone dumping waste?

Call the council on 020 8554 5000.

If it is large fly-tip and you are witnessing the event taking place please contact the Police immediately on 999 before reporting it to the council.

Provide as many details as possible of the offence such as time, date, description of person/s, description of vehicle, type of waste & registration as these details will greatly assist with further investigations. If it is possible to take pictures or video evidence this will greatly increase the chance of identifying the offender/s.  Please ensure that you put your safety first and do not place yourself into a dangerous situation.

Fly-tipping on private land

While the Neighbourhood Enforcement Team will investigate fly tipping on private land it remains the responsibility of the landowner(s) to clear any fly-tipping on their land. The council can help to clear the rubbish but there is a charge for this service. If you are the landowner(s), you must make sure your land is as secure as possible. If you wish the council to clear your private land please call 020 8554 5000 and request a quotation for Cleansing Services to clear the waste.

Overgrown & Untidy front gardens can have a negative impact on the appearance of a Neighbourhood, however, the Council can only take formal Enforcement action on untidy front gardens or land if:

*  They contain items which may be harmful to health or a nuisance, i.e. rotting food waste which may create odour or attract vermin.

*  If the items are encroaching onto the highway or likely to contribute to street litter or Fly-Tipping (Inert materials, such as rubble & timber are unlikely to cause a nuisance).

We would encourage you to speak to your neighbour directly when problems arise; in the majority of cases things can be resolved amicably without the requirement for the Council to be involved.  If this is not possible, or you have tried but the problem has continued, be aware that there are strict laws on the action you can take yourself:

•  You cannot trespass onto a neighbours property to remove rubbish or foliage
• Trees may have a Tree Preservation Order placed upon them and you can be fined if you remove anything other than dead wood
• If the branches, roots or vegetation from your neighbours garden encroach upon your land, you may trim them back to your boundary, although according to the law you should offer any clippings back to your neighbour.  You cannot deposit these on your neighbours land without their consent as this would constitute an offence

What is an untidy front garden?

We define an untidy front garden as one which contains rubbish that can cause a hazard or nuisance.  We do not consider gardens containing items waiting for collection to be an untidy front garden, or if works are being completed on a property which results in linked items being stored for a short period of time.

An untidy front garden may have:

• piles of dumped waste
• rotting food
• dumped furniture
• mattresses
• overflowing bins
• abandoned building materials

It also includes:

*  Anything from the garden which has also spilled over onto the pavement or street.

What is an overgrown garden?

Overgrown gardens do not necessarily attract Rats as they also require food & water.  For further information on Rat infestations visit our pest control: rats page

Overgrown vegetation that is overhanging the pavement or street causing a safety issue can be reported on our website
Report concern regarding an untidy front garden

What happens next?

Once a report is received regarding an Untidy Front Garden it will be allocated to an Officer who will attend the site to investigate.  If the Officer deems that there is a possible hazard or nuisance they will contact the owner/occupier of the property to clear it.  Should no action be taken a Formal Notice may be issued legally requiring the owner/occupier of the property to clear it.  Failure to comply with the formal notice is an offence which may result is the issuing of a Fixed Penalty Notice and the Council may arrange for the clearance and then the charging to the owner/occupier for this work.  

Redbridge Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers actively patrol the Borough daily and are identifying properties with untidy front gardens. 

As a resident of Redbridge you can take your waste to Chigwell Road Reuse & Recycling Centre (RRC) which is managed by Renewi on behalf of the East London Waste Authority (ELWA). Please note you will need to take proof of ID to be allowed access to the site.  Visit the East London Waste (ELWA) website which shows all locations residents of Redbridge can dispose of their additional waste 

If you cannot dispose of your additional waste using the normal waste collection service you must ensure that it is disposed of legally by yourself or by a correctly registered waste carrier.  You must ensure you keep a receipt indicating any waste that you pass to a third party for them to dispose of.

If you have bulky items to dispose of (such as furniture or certain white goods), use the Council’s free bulky waste service and get it correctly disposed of. 

If you cannot dispose of your additional waste using the normal waste collection service you must ensure that it is disposed of legally by yourself or by a correctly registered waste carrier.  You must ensure you keep a receipt indicating any waste that you pass to a third party for them to dispose of.

Hiring a private waste remover

If you are hiring a private contractor to remove household, garden, or construction waste from your property remember to:

• Check the individual or company being hired is registered with the Environment Agency and has a valid ‘Upper Tier’ Waste Carriers Licence. This can be done on: https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers

Here you can check using either their registration number, business name, or postcode, or call the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506.

• Do research to find out if they are a genuine and reputable company or individual
• Check where they are proposing to take your waste
• Record the registration number of any vehicle removing waste from your home
• Pay by cheque, card or bank transfer as payments can be traced if the waste is fly tipped. If they insist on cash refuse their service
• Obtain a waste transfer note and a receipt for their service and keep it as proof.

Failure to do so could lead to a £600 fine if your waste is discovered fly-tipped and you cannot provide evidence of who you gave it to for removal or neglected to check if they had a valid Waste Carriers Licence.

The council offers a Bulky Waste Collection Service entitling residents to a free collection every 12 months (maximum of 3 items).

Book a collection

Please note that the dumping of waste is illegal and a criminal offence. The council take all cases of fly-tipping seriously and will prosecute all offenders.

Every business in England and Wales has a legal Duty of Care to ensure waste is disposed of responsibly and in accordance with the legislation.

You must take all reasonable steps to keep all the waste that you produce safe. If you give it to someone else you must be sure they are authorised to take it and can transport, process or dispose of it safely and legally and that they provide you with a completed waste transfer note.  If you break this law you can be fined an unlimited amount.

If you run a business you are legally responsible for making sure that your waste is handled and disposed of properly. Your Business rates do not include any collection or disposal of your waste. You must comply with the Governments Duty of care (click the below button) which sets out how commercial or business waste should be:

• stored
• transported
• disposed of
• recorded

Visit GOV.UK for more information on Duty of Care.

Business and trade waste is not accepted at Household/Bring Waste Recycling Sites and should not be presented with your household waste.

Storage of commercial waste

The Duty of Care makes it your responsibility to ensure that your waste is stored securely. It must be stored in secure containers that protect it from being blown away, disturbed by animals or other persons. 

Visit GOV.UK for more information on storing commercial waste

Handling and disposal of waste

Waste must be transported to and disposed of at a licensed commercial waste site. You can deliver it yourself if you hold a valid waste carriers licence issued by the Environment Agency, or have it collected by a licensed waste collection company.

If you pass your waste on to someone else it is your responsibility to check that they are authorised to take it. If you hand over your waste to an unauthorised person you commit an offence and may be liable to prosecution if your waste is disposed illegally. All companies/persons authorised to carry or accept waste are listed on the Environment Agency website – Public Registers.

Recording information

When you hand over your waste to a third party, you must complete a Waste Transfer Note, describing but not limited too, whether the waste is loose or contained and what it consists of. This protects the people that handle your waste and allows them to ensure that it is disposed of safely. You must keep records of these notes for at least two years as you may be required to provide them as evidence of compliance of the legislation.

Hazardous waste

If you need to dispose of hazardous waste, such as car batteries and fluorescent tubes, you need to comply with separate regulations.

Visit GOV.UK for more information on disposing of hazardous waste. 

WISE Enforcement Officers

Wise provide Enforcement Officers within the London Borough of Redbridge under contract. They carry a photo ID that shows their job title and name. The ID includes a phone number you can call to check the officer is genuine.

All officers wear a uniform of:

• Black trousers
• Navy Polo & Navy Jacket/Coat with marked with WISE
• body worn cameras

They work in areas where most offences take place and patrol wherever there is evidence of littering.

Fixed Penalty Notices for littering, Graffiti & Fly-Posting and Failure to comply with a Public Space Protection Order

You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for littering, Graffiti & Fly-Posting Offences and Failure to comply with a Public Space Protection Order.

It is an offence if either:

• you drop litter and walk away after you have dropped it
• Put up with out the permission of the property owner, Posters, Sticker or bill
• Write, draw, scribble, scratch or spray on a wall of other surface in a public place without authorisation to Graffiti
• Breach any of the prohibitions under the Public Space Protection Orders

Cigarette Stubs

By law, cigarette waste is the same as other waste – you can be given an FPN for not disposing of cigarette stubs correctly. Placing a cigarette stub down a drain or in a stream is also a littering offence for which you will be given an FPN.

Smokers must fully extinguish cigarettes before putting them in the bin. Many bins in Redbridge have stubbing plates you can use.

We do not have to put signs in streets or open spaces to tell you not to litter or that litter patrols are working in the area.

How to ensure you don't receive an FPN for littering

Place all litter that you generate in one of the many litter bins provided by the London Borough of Redbridge across the borough. However, please be aware that it is not feasible for the Council to place litter bins on every street, road and highway across the borough, as this would not be practical or affordable. Every effort is being made to place litter bins across the borough where they are needed. Where bins are not available it is up to residents to comply with the law, act responsibly and carry any litter to a bin or take it home.

Paying a Fixed Penalty Notice

Wise Enforcement Officers do not take payments. The FPNs they issue will tell you how you can pay. Our officers can also explain the options.

You can make a card payment:

• online 
• by automated phone line: 0330 314 9706

You can also pay by cash or card at payzone/post officer (there will be a barcode on the FPN).

You cannot pay by cheque or by instalments.

 

LA Support will cease to issue penalties from 1st February 2025 however the any previously issued FPN's are still valid and will need to be dealt with by making payment online or by calling 0333 313 1145. 

You can also pay by cash or card at Paypoint outlets.

You cannot pay by cheque or by instalments.

 

If you do not pay

If you refuse to pay the FPN you may be prosecuted for the offence. 

If you do not pay the FPN within 14 days from the date of issue, you will receive a Final Warning Letter to remind you that the payment is overdue. The Final Warning Letter gives you a further 7 days to pay the FPN.  If no payment is received within 7 days after the date of the Final Warning Letter, the case may be referred for prosecution at a Magistrates court.

If the offence is taken to prosecution at Magistrates Court and you are found guilty you will be issued with a fine which may be a higher amount than the original penalty and the Court may also choose to add the Councils costs to you.

You have the legal right not to pay the FPN and be prosecuted for the offence in Magistrates Court where the Magistrates or sitting judge will decide upon the verdict. Paying a FPN on time means we cannot take prosecution action against you for the offence alleged on the FPN.

Disputing a Fixed Penalty Notice or Making a Complaint

There is no legal right of appeal against an FPN. It is an invitation for you to discharge your liability to prosecution. If you pay an FPN this means that whilst this is not an admission of your guilt, you do agree that an offence has been committed and that by paying the sum of money specified, no further action will be taken by, or on behalf of the Council. 

However, in the interest of fairness, you can query an FPN in the form of a 'representation'.

Representations must be made in writing and show that the FPN was not issued correctly by law, for example, by proving it was issued to the wrong person.

Representations must be submitted to Penalty Pay

Representation will not be considered on the basis that:

• you did not know the law
• you did not know the law was being enforced
• it was the first time you committed the offence
• you believe the officer issuing the FPN was rude or did not behave appropriately (we will consider this as a separate complaint but the FPN will stand if issued correctly by law). 

If you have a complaint about an officers behaviour or the service you can write to the address shown on the FPN or send an email to: redbridge@wiseenforcement.co.uk

 

Abandoned Vehicles

Abandoning a vehicle can result in a Fixed Penalty Notice or prosecution and there is a number of indicators in determining if a vehicle is abandoned, some of these are:

• it has no keeper on DVLA’s database and/or is untaxed
• it’s stationary for a significant amount of time (minimum of 6 weeks)
• it’s significantly damaged, run down or un-roadworthy, for example has flat tyres, missing wheels, broken windows, heavy detritus build up, etc.
• it’s burned out
• number plates are missing

Report an abandoned vehicle

Public Roads are for any road user who wishes to park their vehicle providing they comply with any parking restrictions in place.  A vehicle is not abandoned if you or your neighbours do not know who the owner is, there is limited parking on the road or it is parked outside your property.

Untaxed/SORN Vehicles

Every vehicle registered in the United Kingdom must be taxed if used or kept on a Public Road.  If the vehicle is kept off the Public Road it must either be taxed or have a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). If a vehicle is not declared as SORN it could be clamped or removed without notice by the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).