Action demanded after Peterborough development ‘plagued by rubbish and rats’ for five years

Angry residents have demanded action after complaining about rubbish being dumped outside their homes for the past five years.
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Tenants at Axiom Housing’s Berry Court development off Clarence Road, Millfield, say their estate has been plagued by rats and even maggots, while drug dealing in the area is said to be rife.

But despite regularly complaining to Axiom’s parent company Longhurst Group, they say nothing has been done to tackle the fly-tipping.

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Calls have been made for barriers to be put up to stop outsiders from driving in and disposing of their bags of rubbish which are said to be attracting maggots.

Fly-tipping at Berry CourtFly-tipping at Berry Court
Fly-tipping at Berry Court

Community support worker Rukhsana Begum, who lives at Berry Court, told the Peterborough Telegraph: “For the past five years it’s gone really bad.

“I have complained so many times to Longhurst Group about the rubbish. They do look into it and it’s picked up, but it’s the same thing the following week.

“I told them we need barriers there. It’s not safe for the children as well when people come and do drugs.

“We pay rent and a service charge.

Mohammed Saeed with resident Mohammed Aftab EMN-210615-132150009Mohammed Saeed with resident Mohammed Aftab EMN-210615-132150009
Mohammed Saeed with resident Mohammed Aftab EMN-210615-132150009
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“There are cameras so I’m sure they can see what’s happening.”

Mohammed Aftab, who lives across the road, said: “Every time I come out I see rubbish. Every time I complain to councillors people come and clean it, but we need a solution here.

“We have rats running around.”

Helen Walkinshaw is community development manager at Community First, a grassroots organisation working to improve the lives of people in the Millfield and New England area, She said: “Our Next Gen club is around the corner and a lot of kids come here. We noticed the rubbish when they came for their boxing lessons.

“There are cameras here. Why are Longhurst Group not stopping this from happening?

“Residents want a barrier up.”

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One of the Next Gen attendees is Giovanni Kijica (12) who lives at Berry Court. He said the situation is “not good” and that it is affecting him.

A Longhurst Group spokesperson said: “We are aware of the issue of fly-tipping at Berry Court and are working with both our customers and partners at Peterborough City Council to find a swift resolution.

“We have moved quickly to arrange for the area to be cleared while our housing officers have also increased the frequency of their scheme visits to enable them to closely monitor the situation. We will also be reviewing the scheme’s CCTV to help identify those responsible as a matter of urgency.

“We would urge our customers to continue report incidents of fly-tipping directly to us so that we can promptly and thoroughly investigate them. Meanwhile, we will continue to work with the local authority to identify a more long-term solution to this issue.”