Lib Dems' crackdown on fly-tipping

11.13.26am GMT Tue 15th Jan 2008

Fly-tipping in Harefield Road before the Council sent in a team to clean up

Liberal Democrat-run Northampton Borough Council is cracking down on fly-tipping after a staggering 9 tonnes of waste was removed from a Northampton estate last week.

The Blackthorn estate has become a fly-tipping hotspot with more reports of fly-tipping than any other area in the town.

Council officers cleared the back garden of a private property which was full of fly tipped waste and carried out a targeted clean up of the rest of the estate resulting in six lorry loads of rubbish.

Councillor Trini Crake, cabinet member for environment, said:

"The problem in Blackthorn is unacceptable and unnecessary. Only last week our collection vehicles visited Harefield Road and found many black wheelie bins empty and instead the rubbish had been thrown onto the grass verges.

"We have issued Section 46 notices under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to many households warning them that if they persist with this type of anti-social behaviour they face a £100 fine or a court appearance.

"Now that the estate has been cleared we want residents to work with us to keep the area free from litter and waste. If they see anyone fly-tipping they should notify us immediately and we will act. We simply won't accept this sort of behaviour from a few irresponsible people who are ruining the area for everyone else. Residents don't want to live with a tip on their doorstep and we will make sure that they don't have to."

Fly-tipping should be reported to the council's Streetcare team on 01604 838281