Listening to residents: Lewisham launches ‘Love Lewisham’ to clean up streets
The campaign – called Love Lewisham - was unveiled at Catford Community Festival on Saturday (27 June), where residents, community groups and Council teams came together to celebrate the local area, and hear from Council teams about what we are doing to promote cleaner streets, and how they can get involved.
Fly-tipping is a major issue in Lewisham, with around 43,000 incidents reported annually. It costs the Council over £1m a year to clear up, money which could be spent on vital services.
Love Lewisham focuses on taking action where it’s needed most, targeting areas most affected by fly-tipping, with faster clean-ups, visible action and practical changes to improve neighbourhoods.
It will involve:
- blitzing the borough's fly-tipping hotspots with targeted clean-ups, increased CCTV and installing planters and other greening measures
- hiring new crews to respond swiftly to bulky waste bookings and fly-tipping reports
- exploring whether set times for putting bins and bags out for flats above shops could help reduce clutter and litter on the street
- launching a micro grants programme to enable community groups to take action in their local areas
- continuing to offer £5 bulky waste collections (one of the cheapest rates in London)
The changes will make it easier for residents to do the right thing, with improvements to waste services, clear information on how to dispose of waste, and ways the community can get involved. At the same time, the Council will step up enforcement action against those who dump rubbish illegally. Fly-tipping is a crime and perpetrators face up to £1,000 fines.
Cllr Corin Ashwell, Cabinet Member for Environment, Nature, Transport and Climate Action said:
“We love Lewisham, and we know our residents do too. We heard loud and clear during the election campaign, on social media in the last few weeks and at Catford Community Festival on the weekend - people are fed up with seeing rubbish dumped on their streets - and they’re right to be. It’s frustrating, it’s unfair, and it’s not good enough.
“That’s why we’re taking decisive action – and this is just the start of what we plan to do to address this huge challenge. From hiring new crews so we can collect more quickly and rubbish isn’t left on the streets, to making sure we hit the hotspots that you have told us are always dirty, and exploring ways we can make changes to improve our service.
"This programme is about getting the basics right - cleaner streets, better services and clear consequences for those who break the rules. We’re listening to residents and using data and insight to focus on the areas that need the most support.
“But this isn’t something the Council can do alone. Keeping Lewisham clean is a shared responsibility. Most people care about where they live, and we want to make it as easy as possible to do the right thing.”
Through the micro grants programme, residents will be supported to lead local clean-ups and take pride in their neighbourhoods, building on successful community action on streets such as Sandrock Road in Hilly Fields, where residents have already come together to improve their local area.
At the same time, to make it easier for residents to do the right thing, the Council reduced bulky waste collection charges in December 2025 to one of the lowest rates in the capital. Charges for large items were cut from £42 for up to four items to £5, and the cost of collecting a fridge or freezer from £60 to £25.
As a result, there has been an increase of 91% in bookings when comparing data from September 2025 to May 2026. During the same period, reported fly-tipping incidents dropped by 4% in January – March 2026, compared to the previous quarter.
Residents can get involved by reporting fly-tipping, booking bulky waste collections or joining a local clean-up event.
This is just the start of a long-term effort to keep Lewisham clean, safe and welcoming for everyone.