New Peterborough MP to spend own money tackling fly-tipping in city

Labour’s Fiona Onasanya said: “I am going to put my money where my mouth is” after promising to pay for van collections of bulky and electrical waste.

Fly-tipping costs Peterborough City Council more than £200,000 a year to clean up, and enforcement chiefs have previously admitted they are being overrun by the amount of rubbish being dumped.

Writing in her Peterborough Telegraph column today, Ms Onasanya, who was elected in June, said: “Our beautiful city now simply isn’t as clean as it should be. I have met with local officials and discussed the problem. The message I received is simple.

“They understand our frustration but simply don’t have the financial resources.

“Like using duct tape to bind up a broken cabinet, they can and do apply patches, but it’s just a stop on the way to further decline.”

Ms Onasanya said she is working on a plan for monthly bulky and electrical waste collections, with residents given a week’s notice before collections take place in their street.

Vans from the city’s street cleaning agency Amey will be used, with the worst affected areas initially targeted.

MPs are paid nearly £75,000 a year, and Ms Onasanya said payments from her salary will be a “starting point” for the scheme.

She has not said how long she will maintain the payments for but added: “I urge Peterborough’s businesses to get behind this initiative.”

The council introduced £23 charges for bulky waste collections in 2010. Cllr Gavin Elsey, cabinet member for waste and street scene, said: “We welcome all those that support our significant efforts to keep the city clean and I would be happy to meet the MP to discuss her plans.

“In recent months the council has backed a number of community bulky waste events, organised by parish councils, where skips have been placed in certain areas of the city.

“Our bulky waste service is also well-used with more than 12,500 collections over the last 18 months.

“The council clears 800 fly-tips every month costing taxpayers more than £200,000 annually. As our government funding continues to fall this money would be much better spent on services for the most vulnerable in our city.”