Three more weeks to remove rubbish from fly-riddled Kettering street

Last month the Environment Agency gave the tenant of the old United Footwear site six weeks to clear dumped waste after it riddled the surrounding area with flies.

The rubbish, which is causing an unbearable stench, has still not been removed but the building has been found to be in a defective state.

Now the tenant will be given three further weeks to clear the waste when it is structurally safe to do so.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: “In February, the Environment Agency gave the tenant of the property on Stamford Road six weeks’ notice to remove the waste from the site voluntarily.

“We have found that the individual who leases the property on Stamford Road has not removed the waste within the time frame provided, despite our efforts to work with him on appropriate removal.

“We will now move to issue a formal notice, which will give the individual three weeks to comply by removing the waste as soon as the building has been found structurally safe.

“We will consider further enforcement action if the notice is not complied with.

“We will continue to work closely with Kettering Council and would like to reassure residents that we take their concerns extremely seriously.

“We are taking action and are committed to working towards the removal of the waste.”

Kamal Paul, whose Clarence Road home backs on to the site, said the stench is making residents feel like prisoners in their own homes.

He said: “We are still having to keep our windows close.

“Our bins are still full of flies.

“We can’t go into our garden.

“We are made to feel like prisoners in our own home.”

Mr Paul said many other residents, including neighbour Harjeet Singh, had shared their similar feelings with him.

He added that he was disappointed that it has still not been resolved and that he felt that ‘the buck had been passed’.

A Kettering Council spokesman said: “Kettering Council is continuing to treat the area for flies and odour and closely monitoring the site for signs of vermin and other nuisances, in order to control the impact of the waste, on an ongoing basis.

“The council continues to work closely and support the lead enforcer, the Environment Agency.”

If you have any information on the incident please report it to the Environment Agency Incident Hotline on 0800 807060 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.