Fly-tipping blights Wolverhampton streets after closure of tips
The closure of tips in Wolverhampton has seen a spate of fly-tipping of domestic waste and household rubbish on streets and open land.
A sudden spate of incidents where rubbish and unwanted items of furniture have been dumped on roads and green spaces has put extra pressure on Wolverhampton Council’s already stretched resources.
Rubbish has also be tipped outside the Shaw Road household waste and recycling centre.
Particular ‘hotspot’ areas repeatedly blighted by fly-tippers include Dunstall Hill, Whitmore Reans and other areas close to the city centre.
Council environmental teams have already cleared rubbish and domestic waste in a lot of the areas where problems have been reported, but fly-tippers have continued to flout the law – despite running the risk of a hefty fine.
Ed Holmes, who lives near the city centre, said: “I have been taking a daily walk during lockdown, like a lot of people have. And I have to say that I have really started to notice this problem more and more lately.
“I know we’ve had problems with fly-tippers in the past, but it seems to me that it’s almost as if some people are using the fact that the tips are closed as an excuse to just leave their rubbish anywhere – like they’re saying ‘well, it’s not my problem’.
“A lot of the stuff thrown on the streets and other places has been cleared up and the council do a great job. But it’s not fair that a few stupid individuals still seem to think they’ve got the right to leave junk and rubbish wherever they want.
“It creates a massive eyesore, it’s not fair on the council workers who have to keep going out to clear it up, and it’s not fair on the innocent people who live nearby."
Councillor Steve Evans, the council’s cabinet member for city environment, said: “There have been incidents of fly-tipping in parts of the city, but we haven’t seen a significant increase since lockdown measures were introduced on March 23, although there have been reports from residents.
“Even in lockdown, some people are leaving their homes to fly-tip. This is completely unacceptable.
"And, I would like to remind people that it’s a crime.
“Those caught fly-tipping will be prosecuted. Offenders can receive a Fixed Penalty Notice of £400.
"If residents see anyone fly-tipping we urge them to call the Shop-a-Tipper line on 019022 555685, or go online http://shopatipper.com/ Give us information that leads to a fine and you’ll receive a £100 gift card.”
Since these incidents were reported, fly-tipping in Dunstall Hill, Dunkley Street and Molineux Alley has been removed by the council’s environmental teams, who are continuing to monitor problem locations across the city.
