Rising tide of fly-tipped rubbish

FLY-TIPPING is on the increase in Oldham.
There were 2,755 incidents of waste being illegally dumped between April 2010-11 and £400,000 was spent on clearing them up.

There were 2,589 incidents from April 2009-10.

The most recent incident was a giant pile of trash dumped in an alleyway off Cranbrook Street, Moorhey.

One resident, who was told it would take four days to clear, said: “It’s dumped up against my wall and it absolutely stinks .

“There’s bin liners, mattresses, carpets, the lot.

Councillor Mark Alcock believes that the forthcoming closure of Beal Hey Recycling Centre will lead to a further increase in fly-tipping and a decrease in recycling.

He said: “People who use Beal Hey have told me they will stop recycling and we know from experience in other areas that when people are charged for rubbish collection, fly-tipping goes through the roof.”

Jason Mohr, of rubbish clearance company Anyjunk, said that regulations intended to ensure waste is disposed of safely and efficiently, coupled with rising costs of disposal, are leading to an increase in illegal and unsafe dumping.

A council spokesman said: “Oldham Council staff are responsible for cleaning up fly-tipped waste. This is money that could be and should be used for far more positive activities.

“We are committed to doing what we can to fine and prosecute people responsible for fly-tipping and have a good record in finding and bringing these people to justice. However, council staff cannot be everywhere at all times and we rely on local citizens to report flytipping.

“People can do this by either calling 0161-770 6644 or by e-mailing contact@oldham.gov.uk.”

There’s also a a new free smart phone application which allows users to take photos of flytipping around Oldham and send it to www.tidyoldham.gov.uk

To download the new phone app, search for Tidy Oldham in the Apple App Store.