Zero tolerance is the only answer

L ast year’s elections were dominated by national issues. The clamour around Brexit and potential chaos of Corbyn were big issues on the doorstep. But one local issue did cut through: fly-tipping.

Peterborough has had enough of rubbish. Residents are sick of their neighbourhoods being used as dumping grounds. It’s time to get tough, writes Peterborough MP Paul Bristow.

I’ve consistently said we need a zero-tolerance approach. In my meetings at the town hall, the council has said it has heard my message and shares my ambitions. Together, we can turn the tide.

Opening the new waste and recycling centre helped cut fly-tipping in Peterborough by 25 per cent. The council has begun to change its messaging to show it’s getting tough on people who still behave like mindless idiots.

The Coronavirus emergency has understandably diverted attention, but as we power our way out of lockdown, our efforts can redouble. However, this requires everyone to be on board.

Locally, Labour said all the right things in those elections. The former Labour MP promised to “fight fly-tipping” and “put some pride back into Peterborough”. (I wonder where she got that from?)

So the last fortnight has been revealing. Readers of this newspaper will know that Conservative councillor Cllr Chris Burbage reported a huge fly-tip on private land in Bretton. From material found in the rubbish, this was traced back to Central ward’s Cllr Mahboob Hussain.

I think he’s a decent man and I’m happy to accept Cllr Hussain’s explanation that his son paid an unlicensed trader to take the waste, without his knowledge.

Legally, a household is still responsible for how waste is disposed, even if they pay someone else. When the council’s investigation concludes, I am sure he and his family will abide by the outcome.

It’s the Labour Party’s reaction that was telling. They responded with denials, counter-accusations and even threats. Outrageously, Lisa Forbes said Cllr Burbage should be reported to the police and would “deserve what is coming to him”.

She might be embarrassed, given the huge ‘Vote Lisa Forbes’ poster on the dumped rubbish, but threats and accusations are never acceptable.

Labour’s group leader was at it too. Cllr Shaz Nawaz 
suggested that Chris Burbage was somehow playing politics by reporting the rubbish. He was doing his job. This was a major fly-tip on private land. The landowner needed it removed and was faced with a large bill.

Cllr Nawaz’s belief that this was an occasion for a quiet word to hush things up is utterly wrong. Fly-tipping should be properly investigated and enforcement action taken. It doesn’t matter if you are a councillor – zero tolerance means zero tolerance.

I shudder to think how Labour would try to run our council, given this is how they operate.

Peterborough needs everyone to play their part in cleaning up our city. Labour should think hard about their attitude. Unless they are willing to learn from this unseemly episode, anything they say from now on about fly-tipping should never be taken seriously.

The Coronavirus emergency has shown Peterborough to be the special place I always knew it was. Our city has pulled together. The fight against the fly-tippers deserves no less.