Owner of filthy Northampton town centre alley revealed as... West Northamptonshire Council – data reveals 19,000 fly-tipping reports in 2025 and just four fines

A filthy alleyway in Sheep Street was highlighted by Chronicle & Echo earlier this month (December) as it had, once again, become disgracefully strewn with litter and overflowing bins.

The unlocked gated alleyway, opposite The Bear pub, had been left in a disgraceful state for weeks.

However, the site was cleaned up the day after this newspaper highlighted the issue to WNC.

The notorious hotspot site – which has been highlighted by the Chronicle & Echo numerous times during the last fives years – sits just seconds away from the £13.5 million refurbished Market Square.

Despite the site being left as an eyesore for weeks, WNC said it was aware of the issue and that the clean up job was all part of its “ongoing maintenance” programme.

A WNC spokesperson said: “We are aware of the issues in this area and are actively taking steps to address them. Officers regularly patrol the site, formal enforcement notices have been issued, and the area has recently been fully cleaned as part of our ongoing maintenance programme.”

At the time, it was unclear who owned the site, but this newspaper asked why WNC would clean up a possibly privately owned area. WNC has now confirmed that it is in fact the owner.

A West Northamptonshire Council spokesman said: “We acknowledge concerns raised regarding the condition of the yard adjacent to the Corn Exchange. We took ownership of this land in October 2024 as part of the Corn Exchange purchase, fully aware that some neighbouring properties have rights of access across this area.

“Since then, we have been working to agree access arrangements with neighbouring property owners, including responsibilities for bin storage and general maintenance. These negotiations are now close to completion, which will allow us to secure the site properly.

“Unfortunately, because we cannot legally restrict access for those with existing rights, it has not been possible to lock the gates. We recognise that the monitoring arrangements were not sufficient to prevent the site falling into a poor condition and have addressed that.

“We are now finalising plans to ensure the area is regularly monitored and cleaned as needed. In addition, we will continue to enforce against any fly-tipping.”

Reform councillor Nigel Stansfield, cabinet member for environment, waste and recycling, said: "We’re grateful to the Chronicle & Echo for highlighting this issue.

“This gives us the opportunity to set things right and put proper plans in place to ensure the site is managed responsibly going forward.

“The purchase of this site is part of our future transformation plans for the whole Greyfriars area which are incredibly exciting.”

According to data from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by this newspaper, between January 1 and September 30, 2025, West Northamptonshire Council received 19,094 reports of fly-tipping across the area.

Despite the high number of reports, enforcement action has been miniscule, with just four fines issued, 23 Community Protection Warning letters sent, and one prosecution for fly-tipping, according to WNC. The council says it takes an average of five days to clear reported fly-tipping incidents.