I went out to the Peterborough area with 'industrial levels of fly-tipping' - this is what I found

"Fly-tipping is on more of industrial scale here.”

The problems of fly-tipping in Peterborough stretch from the inner city areas to the rural areas on the outskirts – but one area where there is a particular problem with the dumping of waste is in the Eye, Thorney and Newborough ward.

The patch is one of the more rural areas of the city, with large swathes of countryside surrounding it.

As part of the Peterborough Telegraph’s series on fly-tipping and litter, Content Editor Stephen Briggs joined ward councillors Steve Allen and Mark Ormston to see the full scale of the problem in their patch.

We meet on Willow Hall Lane, which runs between Eye and Thorney.

In a lay-by, we find a huge pile of cables that have been dumped by the side of the road. Down an adjacent ditch, partly submerged in the water, we can see more rubbish that has been dumped. A post, with a ‘do not fly-tip’ sign is also located in the lay-by, but has obviously provided no deterrent.

“We need to get much tougher punishments and prosecutions for people who are caught doing this"

Cllr Ormston said: “This is incredibly common – Willow Hall Lane will be hit numerous times a week with fly-tipping.

"We get a lot in our rural ward will be around house clearances, garden clearances – people coming out here, unloading a van, and just shoving it all out.”

More often than not, the rubbish is dumped in the middle of the night – and the rural location makes it difficult to police.

Often, the waste is cleared by a team of volunteers, who cllr Ormston was full of praise for – but he admitted finding a solution would be difficult.

He said: “We need to look at the whole system, from start to finish – especially punishment. We need to get much tougher punishments and prosecutions for people who are caught doing this.

"To get them caught in the first place is difficult, we could do with CCTV and ANPR, things like that, but people use false places – there is not a silver bullet.

"We are really lucky that there are some fantastic residents and volunteers locally, who will come down, get into the ditch and drag these things out. We’ve had tractor tyres – 50 odd tyres once – fridge freezers, white goods, it is remarkable what these volunteers do. But they shouldn’t have to do it.”

Rubbish dumped in the middle of the road

Just a few hundred yards down the same road, again in a lay-by, is another fly-tip.

This time, its a few yards further from the road, slightly covered in the undergrowth – and the reason for that becomes clear when cllr Allen explains that it has been like that for around a year.

The council are unable to clear it, as it is on private land.

Cllr Allen explains this fly-tip is common in the patch, as it includes mattresses, household waste, and the remains of a cannabis factory.

He said: “What has not been cleared is stuff that is on private land. This has been there for a year.

"Fly-tipping is different in different parts of the city. In these rural wards, we find fly-tipping is more of an industrial scale, in that people are paying someone to get rid of their stuff, hence this cannabis farm that has been dumped – maybe by the guy who ran the cannabis farm, or maybe by someone who has been given a no questions asked fee to get rid of it.

"The problem is that because it is not moved from private land, it stays there, and encourages more fly-tipping.

"This one here is on the side of the road, in other parts of the ward, in Newborough, for instance, it gets dumped in the middle of the road, on a country lane, on a dark night. That is very dangerous, and puts burden on the public purse to clear it.”

“Do not use an unlicensed carrier"

Cllr Allen raised the issue of people using ‘unlicensed waste carriers’ – who may not dispose of rubbish properly.

He said: “I would urge anyone who has to dispose of anything, do not use an unlicensed carrier. Make sure you get sight of the carrier’s card – because then you would get to understand that the person taking it from you is legitimate.

"What has happened here is someone who is not legitimate who has just dumped it on this land here.”

Cllr Allen agreed with cllr Ormston on the difficulties of monitoring the hotspots.

He said: “On these rural lanes, we can use a field camera, which has a light blinking away, and is easily spotted, people want ANPR, but where do you site them, who provides the electricity supply? It is something that should be looked into.

"If a flatbed truck comes onto this road with a load of stuff on the back, and leaves on the other end with nothing on it, it is fairly obvious it has been dumped on the route.”

“It happens on a weekly basis, if not a daily basis"

Alex Morley, who has two properties on the road, described the issue as ‘terrible.’

He said: “It happens on a weekly basis, if not a daily basis.

"All sorts gets dumped. From fridge freezers, to soil and tree waste, which is free to dump, and lots and lots of cannabis cultivation.

"Once it is on my land, it becomes my rubbish – an average skip is about £340, so it costs that much to get rid of it.

"We’ve spoken a number of times – there are only two ways in and out of the lane – if you put up cameras one and one end, one at the other, 90% would get caught.”

For more information about licensed waste carriers, visit https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/bins-waste-and-recycling/fly-tipping-litter-graffiti-street-cleaning/registered-waste-carriers

To report fly-tipping, visit https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/bins-waste-and-recycling/fly-tipping-litter-graffiti-street-cleaning/report-fly-tipping#how-to-report-fly-tipping-0-1