Resident calls on council to fix fly-tipping hotspots that make Northampton look 'neglected, filthy, and unhealthy'

A resident is calling on the council to sort out fly-tipping hotspots that are making Northampton look “neglected, filthy, and unhealthy”.

Fly-tipping campaigner Jayne West is once again calling on West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) to fix fly-tipping issues in busy Northampton streets, this time in Kingsley Park Terrace. Jayne took a picture of rubbish dumped around a tree and a public bin on Thursday, October 27, which she describes as the “dreaded Kingsley Front grot spots”.

She said: "I posted this [the photo] in the ‘Northampton is Rubbish’ Facebook group and had loads of messages from others who also report the same two spots repeatedly. We can't just keep reporting it, clearing it and hoping it will go away. Regular offenders know they can get away with it. Couldn’t we have the Kingdom litter wardens there for a month or so to stop it? CCTV? It’s a mix of residential and commercial waste every single time."

Jayne said people are “tired of reporting it” and the current approach from WNC “is not working”.

She said: "It's just getting worse and more and more established. It’s such a darned shame as this is a beautiful area with great amenities being let down by this one issue. This stretch and the Kettering Road are a main gateway into the town centre. It puts people off, setting the tone as a neglected, filthy, unhealthy place."

Councillor Phil Larratt, WNC’s cabinet member for waste, highways and the environment, said he is “well aware” of the issues on Kingsley Front.

He said: "Unfortunately it is people who create the fly-tipping mess that the significant majority abhor, and the rules for residents, landlords and businesses are clear. Where evidence is obtained this council will not hesitate in taking enforcement action on behalf of those who take responsibility for their own waste. The message to those willing to flout the rules is that it is only a matter of time before we catch up with them and make them pay for their disregard for the community and environment."

“If residents witness fly-tipping being committed, they can report this to WNC at any time by completing the short online form on our website. By taking a tough approach and working together, we can stop fly-tipping and have cleaner communities.”

Councillor Larratt says WNC is “in the process of implementing additional CCTV coverage of fly-tipping hot spots” and are “looking at Kingsley Park Terrace amongst others as a priority”.

In response to councillor Larratt, Labour councillor Danielle Stone, of the Castle ward, said: "Our town is one of the filthiest in the region. We need to ask why? Is it criminal gangs? Is it rogue landlords? Is it a lack of enforcement? Is it all three? We only have 14 wardens. It's not enough. We need more. We need to look again at times of opening of the recycling centres. Should we have a free bulky waste collection?"

In the last year, WNC has reportedly issued 199 fixed penalty notices, with several culprits being punished in court.

Click here to read more.