'Recurring rubbish pile is devaluing my house' claims angry Northampton resident

Anthony Gallagher claims to have called the council "thousands of times" about a set of flytipping by his house in Lings. Each time it is cleared, more rubbish is piled in the same place.

Furniture store manager Anthony Gallagher, 44, of Waypost Court, says the regularly recurring mound of flytipping is even reducing his property value.

It has now been four weeks since borough council rangers came to clear up the last set of dumped detritus in the car park of a Northampton Partnership Homes-run set of flats on his street.

A borough spokesman said the councils is set to send a clean-up team to the site imminently.

Shopping trolleys from Tesco and B&M bargains litter the Lings estate.

But Mr Gallagher fears that, as soon as the mound of bags, pizza boxes and bed frames is moved, the area will fill up again within days.

He said; "I haven't been reporting it every week because after a while it just gets you down.

"I just think it's a simple solution. The people in the flats need a big bin outside to put things in.

"This is devaluing my house."

Swanhaven lake has become a dumping ground.

He has also called for CCTV to be placed overlooking the offending car park and for the council to be proactive in educating people in the area not to tip their waste.

"A lot of this is about education," he said. "Most people know what they are doing, they just can't be bothered."

Mr Galagher has lived in the east of Northampton all his life and remembers playing in Swanhaven Lake as a child.

But since moving to Waypost COurt 10 years ago, he says he has seen the area deteriorate.

Smashed glass sits under a public bench overlooking the lake.

When the Chron went to see Mr Gallagher yesterday, half a dozen shopping trolleys were dumped in the once picturesque lake. A seating area there was covered in broken glass and patches of litter were dotted around the estate.

"It's disgusting now," he said. "I use to see all sorts of wildlife in Swanhaven. I remember seeing mink in there when I was young.

"Now, in the 10-minute walk I take with my dogs every morning, I kid you not, I see up to 30 shopping trolleys around here."

Councillor Mike Hallam, Northampton Borough Council Cabinet member for environment, thanked Mr Gallagher for bringing the fly-tipping to the council's attention.

He said: “Our neighbourhood wardens have investigated and we will be taking enforcement action against those responsible.

“We’re grateful to Mr Gallagher for alerting us to this situation. Fly-tipping is a real scourge in our communities and we do what we can to tackle it.

“Our crews clear up where they can but it is an uphill struggle and we want to crack down on the culprits.

“To do that, we need evidence, so I would ask everyone to be vigilant and provide us with any information that might help.”

"Issues can be reported on the Borough Council’s website at http://selfserve.northampton.gov.uk/mycouncil/reportIt.html or through the Council app."