Fly-tipping hits new high at notorious dump site near Ironbridge
'Industrial levels' of waste have returned to a lay-by in Shropshire despite council attempts to stop fly-tippers.
Temporary barriers installed to stop offenders from dumping waste at a fly-tipping hotspot were quickly vandalised, and levels of rubbish have hit new highs.
Rob Skinner, from Telford, was dismayed to see the 'industrial levels' of fly-tipping return to the layby on the A4169 Ironbridge bypass on Buildwas Bank.
He repeatedly reported the dumping of waste at the layby to Shropshire Council last year, with the authority stating it had been regularly removing rubbish from this location.
Now Rob says levels of litter are higher than they've ever been.
"I went into the woods to see how far it goes and it's spilling so far down the hill," he said.
"It's a horrendous problem, a massive environmental issue."
A spokesperson from Shropshire Council said: “In 2021, in an attempt to block fly tippers’ access to the layby, highways staff closed it with temporary barriers. Unfortunately, it was not long after the barriers went in that they were vandalised, damaged and had to be removed.
“The fly tipping has indeed increased, and highways and streetscene colleagues are working together to seek a more permanent solution.”
Rob, a member of various litter-picking groups around Telford, said cameras and prosecution were the only options to solve the issue.
"The council can keep clearing up rubbish and volunteers can do their bit but it's only scratching the surface," he said.
"It'll be cleared up then a few months later there will be even more rubbish.
"This layby needs a camera, the authorities need to catch people and stop them. Until people are caught, it will keep happening."
The latest figures show local authorities in England dealt with 1.13 million fly-tipping incidents in 2021, an increase of 16 per cent from the 980,000 reported in 2020.
Despite this, the number of court fines issued decreased by 51 per cent in the same period.
