Wellingborough lay-by fly-tippers return hours after 300 bags of rubbish removed

Residents living close to a fly-tipping hot spot near Wellingborough who welcomed a much-needed clear-up have voiced their dismay at fresh rubbish being dumped.

Over a two-week period before the Easter break, teams from North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) worked with Community Payback to clear tonnes of trash from Hill Side at Little Harrowden.

The green zone between the A509 Kettering to Wellingborough road – left when the main road was straightened – had become a notorious grot spot used by fly-tippers.

Cllr Martin Griffiths (Irchester, Ind) had been pleased with the clean-up but couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the new rubbish, mostly cardboard and wood.

He said: “I feel demoralised. This fly-tipping is irresponsible laziness. That could have been recycled. If you wanted to get rid of it, and you lived in a house, you could just cut it up and put it in your bin.

"I, and of course the residents, were extremely pleased that the long-awaited clean-up of this fly-tipping hot spot was completed. North Northants Council and the Community Payback team did a really good job but this is a real kick in the teeth.”

NNC removed more than 300 bags of rubbish and one truck-load of larger items including a discarded sofa. It is believed the council is now considering other ways to prevent anti-social behaviour in the lay-by.

Cllr Griffiths added: “Fly-tipping is not only a despicable crime, it is harmful to birds and wildlife, and is a blight on our countryside. North Northamptonshire Council need to step up enforcement and issue fines in cases where the evidence for fly-tipping is clear on both public and private land. They need to put in cameras and signs to stop people.”

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste – domestic items such as fridges, sofas and mattresses to garden waste, tyres and construction waste – and can carry a fine of up to £50,000 and six months in prison.

If someone is paid to remove and dispose of waste, the waste is still the responsibility of the original owner.

Check the Environment Agency's register of licenced carriers by clicking https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers.

Report fly-tipping in north Northamptonshire here https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/street-cleansing/fly-tipping.