Council Gets Heavy with Winchester Street Fly-tip

Two days to clear beds, waste and rubbish

In an unprecedented move the Council’s Envirocrime Team gained permission from Acton Magistrates’ Court earlier this month to access a private yard laden with filth and carry out an extensive operation to clear the land.

Envirocrime officers equipped themselves with an army of machinery and waded onto the land in Winchester Street, behind Acton Library. It took two days to clear the enormous amounts of rubbish including beds, building waste and household rubbish.

A notice had been served on the owner ordering them to carry out the work within 28 days. Because the owner does not live in the country and failed to comply with the order, the Council intervened to stop the misery of neighbouring residents.

Councillor Will Brooks, Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Services, said: “We will not let the borough be blighted by fly-tipping and we aim to prosecute in all cases. Residents can be confident we will do our utmost to tackle the problem and keep our streets cleaner, which is one of our top three priorities.”

From April 1 to October 31 there were 1,259 fly-tipping investigations carried out by the Council. During this time nearly 3,000 statutory notices were issued in relation to waste disposal and 260 fixed penalty notices. There have also been five successful prosecutions, and four pending cases.

November 19, 2007