The borough saw 28.35 incidents per 10,000 residents in 2024/25, placing it eleventh in the capital for construction, demolition and excavation waste fly‑tipping
Waltham Forest has recorded one of the higher rates of construction‑related fly‑tipping in London, according to government data analysing illegal dumping across all 33 boroughs.
The borough saw 28.35 incidents per 10,000 residents in 2024/25, placing it eleventh in the capital for construction, demolition and excavation waste fly‑tipping.
The figures come from the UK Government’s Fly‑Tipping Incidents and Actions dataset for 2024/25, which records all fly‑tipping reports made to local authorities in England. Analysts isolated incidents involving construction waste – often bulkier, more hazardous and more expensive to remove – to compare rates across London.
Merton tops the list with 130.96 incidents per 10,000 people, the highest rate not only in London but in England. The borough logged 14,883 fly‑tipping reports last year, of which 2,862 (19.23%) involved construction or demolition waste.
Westminster ranks second with 128.19 incidents per 10,000 residents, followed by Lewisham at 122.99. Lewisham recorded the highest overall number of fly‑tipping reports (33,471), but its population size places it third when adjusted per capita.
At the other end of the scale, Harrow reported just two construction‑related fly‑tipping incidents – a rate of 0.07 per 10,000 people.
Waste management expert Mark Hall, from BusinessWaste.co.uk, said construction waste fly‑tipping poses particular risks due to the size and nature of the materials involved. He said: “Large incidents can require specialist vehicles and equipment to clear, increasing the cost to councils and the public. Improperly dumped waste can also contaminate soil and water, damaging the local environment.
“Householders and businesses have a responsibility to check that anyone taking their waste away is authorised to do so and has provided correct documentation.”
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