Councillors Not Doing Enough to Tackle Fly-tipping in Coventry
Conservative councillors have proposed writing letters to local housing associations asking them to remove fly-tipping on their land more quickly. Cllr Male (Con) says: “We have a two-tier system. If you live in an area where the council controls the land, the problem can be removed quickly. If you live in a more deprived area of the city, council officers have limited options and are often dependent on Citizen Housing”.
However, the Conservatives are talking rubbish. I complained to the local government ombudsman service about the council’s failure to deal with persistent fly-tipping in Foleshill including residents scraping their dinner plates in the street.
The ombudsman service said: “The fact the council could not take enforcement action against the alleged perpetrators did not mean it had no further role in ensuring the housing association removed the waste. [There were] several further reports of fly-tipping after [the council’s] visit, but there is nothing in the council’s records to show what, if anything, it did in response to those reports. There is, therefore, potential fault by the council.” However, the ombudsman decided to discontinue its investigation because I moved away from the relevant area and was “no longer affected by it.”
Unfortunately, local media chose to ignore this case but continue to use my photos when councillors decide to talk about fly-tipping. What’s more, since moving to the area I have seen residents in Tile Hill and Eastern Green dumping rubbish outside their own homes which is very disappointing.
I have consistently called for the council to carry out a public information campaign to let residents know the law on fly-tipping and how to get rid of waste and unwanted items properly. In addition, I have called for new bulky waste and recycling trucks, weekly green bin collections in the worst offending areas and flexible hours at the tip to make it easier for residents to turn up without an appointment.
Councillors in Denial About Fly-tipping
Cllr Ridley (Con) disputes that fly-tipping in Coventry is an anti-social behaviour problem because he claims it comes from organised gangs.
However, in response to a Freedom of Information request I sent to the council it confirmed there were 7 incidents of fly-tipping in Allesley Green (including 3 “truck loads” over 2 weeks) compared to 1,467 incidents in Foleshill and 1,313 incidents in Hillfields in the past 12 months. All of the council’s new CCTV cameras are in the worst offending areas except Parkhill Drive in Allesley Green (next to the pumping station). Why are Tory councillors directing public resources to private property in Allesley Green which could be used on other projects to tackle fly-tipping across the city?
CCTV Cameras Not Deterring Fly-tippers
The council spent £80,000 on six CCTV cameras including 3 in Hillfields. The council has also announced £420,000 extra funding including six more cameras (costing a further £80,000). Labour councillors claim the new cameras will make a “real difference” however this clearly hasn’t been the case as pictured below. What’s more, only 3% of over 6,000 fly-tipping incidents in the city have resulted in prosecution. The council says it is also focussing on education but hasn’t provided any details on this.
