Residents call on city council to clean up rat infested, excrement-filled dumping ground where children play

Residents are fed up with dumping and littering around lock up garages and parking spaces which they use, which in turn is increasing the risk of arson for properties in the Branston Rise area of Welland.

Local city councillors in Dogsthorpe Ward are now responding after an appeal for help by resident Bruno Alves who shared a number of pictures of the debris being dumped in the parking area used by him and his neighbours.

He asked of councillors: “Would you be happy to live in such a place? The pictures are just from the area where I and my neighbours park the, cars but all over Branston Rise and Normanton Road you can see the same.”

He said: “It’s a weekly issue, the build-up of rubbish is appalling. Two fires have already broken out, putting the house behind a garage where a lady and two small children live in danger.

“Children play in it, rats thrive in it. The smell is vile, you have human excrement, dirty nappies, rotten food. There are days we cannot even park the cars or access the houses due to the build up of rubbish.”

Mr Alves, who works in the offices of a local potato supplier, has been living in Welland for over 13 years and says: “There are good people here, we all know and support each other and it’s heart breaking to see the neighbourhood that my children are being brought up in falling into such disgrace. We avoid bringing visitors around due to embarrassment not to mention the health hazard.”

He has complained to the council but he claims the authority insists it is a Cross Keys Housing issue. But when he reports it to the housing aossiciation they say it is a council problem.

An exapserated Mr Alves said: “To be quite honest I don’t really care whose problem is it as we all pay taxes and we deserve to be looked after despite it being an affordable housing estate where hard working honest people are raising their children. Emotionally this really brings the community down particularly in such times.”

He says he just wants Welland to be a safe and clean place to live and raise children in.

Coun Dennis Jonessays he and his fellow Dogsthorpe Ward councillors are aware that Branston Rise is a particular ‘hot spot’ for fly tipping.

He said: “I completely understand the issue as both Coun Katia Yurgutene and I have reported fly tipping here only to run into the same problem.

“There is a clear boundary, however, and I have been working with Clair George (Head of the council’s Prevention and Enforcement Service) to ensure that removal is done by the appropriate authority.”

Coun Jones called for a site meeting with ward councillors, Aragon - the city’s waste collection and street cleaning service and Cross Keys Housing to look at this problem which he said “blights this area in particular”.

“We must surely make every effort to resolve this issue,” he said.

A spokesperson for Peterborough City Council said: “We are aware of fly-tipping incidents in this area and are working with partners to get these cleaned up and ensure incidents are prevented in future.

“We would like to remind people to report fly-tipping to us by calling 01733 747474 or online at www.peterborough.gov.uk

* On average Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service attend around 22 fires a month in Peterborough where fly-tipped waste has been deliberately set on fire.

You can report fly-tipping to the city council online or by calling 01733 747474. The fly-tipped waste can then be removed and any additional information you have could help to prosecute the person responsible.

When you report fly-tipping:

Do not touch or remove any evidence found from the fly-tipping location e.g. addressed letters, as this could help with prosecution

Be as specific as you can when describing the location of the fly-tipping

If you see the incident occurring do not approach the people involved as this is for your own safety

If you see a person/vehicle involved in fly-tipping take as many details as you can e.g. description/picture of the person or vehicle registration number, again this will help with any prosecutions

If the fly-tipping is on a public highway or public land the council will investigate and arrange for the waste to be cleared. Once reported, Aragon Direct Services will aim for the fly-tip to be cleared within 48 hours or 24 hours when it is classed as hazardous. They cannot remove waste that is on privately owned land, as this is the landowner’s responsibility.

The Safer Peterborough Prevention and Enforcement Service launched a campaign to help prevent fly-tipping and encourage people to dispose of their waste responsibly.

The #LovePeterborough campaign focuses on prevention using better communication to educate people about where their waste should go, their duty of care requirements and letting people know the effects of fly-tipping.

Peterborough City Council can issue fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping however the courts can impose more serious action such as imprisonment, substantial fines of up to £50,000, orders to pay costs and orders to deprive rights to a vehicle used to commit the offence.