Urmston residents have expressed outrage after more waste was dumped on the roadside, with Manchester council bosses moving to increase fly-tipping fines to the 'absolute legal limit' in a 'landmark' crackdown on illegal dumping.
Offenders caught fly-tipping will soon face a £1,000 penalty, up from the previous £700. In the last 12 months, nearly 18,000 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in the city, leading to the removal of more than 5,000 tonnes of waste.
Councillor condemns 'disgraceful' dumping
Councillor Jo Harding took to Facebook to condemn those responsible for leaving waste behind over the weekend in Urmston. She wrote: “If you dumped this at the top of Railway Road over the weekend, shame on you. The teams will move asap but honestly, this is disgraceful behaviour. There isn’t a fly-tipping fairy.”
Accompanying pictures showed a full sofa and armchair set along with cushions, a bar stool and a mattress left on the pavement just before the Crofts Bank Road junction.
Residents demand action
The post prompted angry responses from local residents, with one saying they had been “both angry and upset” after coming across the dumped waste. Another resident claimed a second armchair from the same set had been dumped near the crossing by San Giovanni’s, saying: “I think another armchair from this set is at the crossing near San Giovanni’s. I reported it a couple of days ago......still languishing currently. Surely must be happening at night.”
A local fed up with the area becoming 'a regular dumping ground' urged: “We need camera in this area, it’s always a dumping ground,” they wrote.
Council week of action
The latest incident comes after Trafford Council carried out a week of action earlier this year aimed at tackling fly-tipping and other environmental issues in Urmston. Environmental improvement officers targeted areas around Higher Road, with four community litter picks resulting in 20 bags of rubbish being collected, while 11 reports of fly-tipping were investigated. The team also identified more than 13 commercial waste issues and eight domestic waste issues.
Officers discovered abandoned shopping trolleys, an abandoned car and a bike, while also carrying out dog-fouling patrols. A total of 179 'Love Where You Live' leaflets were delivered to residents, while dog-fouling warning stickers were placed on lamp posts. Litter-picking kits were also handed out to members of the community.
Trafford Council said the work formed part of its wider efforts to improve the environment across the borough, with similar weeks of action having already taken place in Old Trafford and Partington. A Trafford Council spokesperson said: “This was the Council's latest anti-littering and fly tipping week of action and it’s again a big success. Our team collected 20 bags of litter from the area, recovered dumped cars and bikes and engaged with local residents.
“We will continue to do everything we can to target and prosecute those people who fly tip, litter and allow their dogs to foul in our parks and on our streets - this will not be tolerated. Thank you to everyone involved in this week of action.”
