'Education and enforcement' needed to tackle Telford fly-tipping problem

Councillor Kelly Middleton, councillor for Woodside, said the issue of fly-tipping was a borough-wide problem, and that much of the rubbish left in Woodside was a result of people leaving.

She said people who stay in the area take pride in their community, homes and gardens.

Her comments come after fellow Woodside town councillor Greg Spruce said their was a fly-tipping 'epidemic' in the area. He called on Telford & Wrekin Council to scrap fees for bulky waste collection in an effort to reduce fly-tipping.

Councillor Middleton said: "There is so much to be proud of on Woodside. As a resident myself I am very proud to live here and Councillor Rae Evans and myself are proud to serve this community.

"We have been working with Telford & Wrekin Council to look at how we manage fly-tipping and target known hotspots. We take the view there is no excuse for fly-tipping and we provide a range of support to enable residents to dispose of their waste responsibly through our Pride in Our Community Programme.

"As part of our wider drive to crack down on environmental crime, we actively seek to bring people responsible for fly-tips to book."

Report

A high turnover of tenants in homes owned by private landlords, means people leaving the estate often leave rubbish behind, Councillor Middleton said.

"In my experience whilst knocking on doors and talking to residents, a large majority work hard to maintain properties, gardens and the estate as a whole, taking pride in our community," she said. "A great number of residents actively work with us to report and reduce this issue.

"On our estate there are a high number of private landlords, therefore a high turnover of tenants, a lot of fly-tipping is done by people moving off the estate not just people who live on it.

"This is a social issue everywhere and not exclusive to our ward."

Education is key to make sure the problem is beaten in the future, Councillor Middleton said, adding: "As Labour councillors we are working with the local schools to educate from an early age on this issue, doing litter picks with them to encourage positive environmental behaviours.

"We have been working with Stronger Communities team to positively engage residents on the estate and facilitating workshops."

Councillor Spruce said: "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."