Fly-tippers labelled ‘selfish parasites' as plans to install CCTV at hotspot in Castor, Peterborough revealed
Council say reported rubbish is cleared within 48 hours
Plans to install a CCTV camera at a fly-tipping hotspot at Castor, Peterborough have been welcomed – as a local councillor said dumped rubbish was a ‘pervasive blight’ perpetrated by ‘selfish parasites.
Cambridgeshire Police said the latest mound of junk – including bedding, black bags and cardboard – was dumped on roads around the A47 at Castor.
A police spokesperson said: “While on patrol in Castor, some cyclists raised concerns about fly-tipping along the back roads of Castor and the A47, so we went to take a look.
“We have spoken to Peterborough City Council, who have arranged for the items to be removed and have a camera installed in a bid to prevent it from happening again at that location.”
After the discovery was made, Castor and Glinton ward councillor Peter Hiller said: “Fly-tipping has always been an issue for our beautiful rural wards north of the City. This senseless and destructive activity isn’t victimless, as suggested by some - rather, it’s a pervasive blight on our communities perpetrated by selfish parasites generally too lazy to use the excellent council waste and recycling centre we have in Fengate.
“As long-standing rural councillors Neil Boyce and I are continually dealing with the problem effectively, in clearance terms, but not seeming to reduce the instances of it happening. The main difficulty being the obvious nature of our Glinton and Castor ward being large geographically and relatively lightly populated. This enables much of the tipping to happen at night unnoticed until discovered by residents after the event.
“Covertly positioned cameras are proving effective deterrents in some spots though and we look forward to more of these being deployed as the tech becomes cheaper and more available.”
Figures obtained by The Peterborough Telegraph showed that fly-tipping is on the rise in the city, with April 2024 breaking the record for most reported incidents in the city.
In order to pro-actively tackle this issue the council applied for and has been awarded just under £50,000 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as part of a nationwide scheme to target fly-tipping hotspots.
Specifically, the project will focus on two different areas of Peterborough, which are severely impacted by regular and extensive fly-tipping.
Urban areas will include the Central and North ward of the city as well as some more rural areas.
A spokesperson for Peterborough City Council said: “We are aware of this incident which officers are currently investigating and working to remove this fly-tip. We will also consider installing a camera in this area in future, as part of our on-going work to tackle fly-tipping.
“Fly-tipping can be an issue in rural areas and we will always work to remove any rubbish that is reported to us on public land within 48 hours or 24 hours when it is classed as hazardous.
“We would like to remind residents that they can face substantial fines for fly-tipping or using unlicensed carriers to dispose of their waste. Fly-tipping can also be reported to us at www.peterborough.gov.uk or by calling 01733 747474."