'Fly-tipping epidemic': Telford councillor to call for waste collection charges to be scrapped

Charges for bulky waste collection in Telford should be scrapped in an effort to address a fly-tipping "epidemic", a councillor has said.

Woodside town councillor Greg Spruce said every time fly-tipped rubbish was collected, it would soon be replaced with more.

His comments come after it was revealed that Woodside was the borough’s fly-tipping hot spot in 2019, with 689 incidents reported. This is 43 times higher per resident than areas such as Apley Castle.

The information came from a freedom of information request from Councillor Spruce, and also revealed that fly-tipping reports in Woodside had increased by 26 per cent since 2018, but fixed penalty notices across the borough had dropped by 50 per cent in the last year. Only 14 were issued in 2019 compared to 28 in 2018.

Councillor Spruce said: “It is clear there is a fly-tipping epidemic in Woodside. The Labour-controlled council is not getting to grips with the issue here or in other estates in south Telford. Fixed penalty notices issued are minuscule across the borough, and proving to be a haphazard and ineffective deterrent.

“I am reporting multiple items fly-tipped weekly around Woodside. As soon as it is cleared, new items are tipped. It’s awful, and many residents are sick to death of having to see rubbish dumped daily.”

Councillor Spruce said he had written to Councillor Richard Overton, cabinet member for neighbourhood services, requesting a rethink on the bulky waste collection charge. The letter proposes that those in receipt of benefits, or over 60, no longer be charged for bulky item collections, up to a maximum of three collections per year and of no more than three items at a time.

Councillor Spruce also wants to see signage around fly-tipping hot-spots put up, warning people that they will be caught.

“With 34 per cent of residents in Woodside not having access to a car and 71 per cent of households in some form of deprivation, even with a discount, the charge is too expensive for many and has seen the rise in mattresses, fridges being dumped on streets and green areas," Councillor Spruce said.

"I have reported over 90 cases this year alone”

Figures released in 2018 by the Local Government Association show that Telford & Wrekin Council spent £246,800 dealing with fly-tipping.

Councillor Spruce said: “The LGA are absolutely right that councils need more funding and greater powers to deal with fly-tipping, which has reached crisis point in Woodside, as well as other places like Brookside, Malinslee and Hollinswood."

A spokesman for Telford & Wrekin Council said: "Our grounds and cleansing contractor Idverde are now responsible for the initial investigations

"Fly-tipping was the focused priority however we have tried to evenly balance out our resources and focus across all other environmental crimes and highway enforcement.

"We are now starting to investigate all fly-tips within the priority streets.

"We are working with Idverde for them to leave fly-tips where there is evidence and we will go out and investigate

"We now have the New Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers – who will start to pick up fly-tips while out on patrol which should lead to a natural increase in enforcement actions to include fixed penalty notices.

"With regard to bulk discounts, the discounts have been extended to residents and we continue to subsidise collection costs to keep these as low as possible."