More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Home Canterbury News Article
Council taxpayers will have to fork out to clear some of the worst fly-tipping ever seen in Canterbury.
More than 100 fridges, tyres and other general detritus are strewn across public land behind Vauxhall Avenue at the eastern end of the Sturry Road and council spokesman Rob Davies warned the public will be picking up the bill for the clear-up.
“It’s disgraceful to see the amount of fly-tipping on this land, particularly the type of material that has been dumped and the potential environmental damage being caused,” he said.
“The cost of this work is yet to be established but it will be tax payers’ money we’ll be spending unnecessarily as a direct result of the actions of these fly-tippers.”
The rubbish is on land behind houses on the western side of Vauxhall Avenue and the council says getting it cleared up is a priority.
Canterbury City Council bought the land along the Stour as part of its riverside strategy to enhance and create a route along the river from the city centre to Sturry and beyond.
Mr Davies added: “Waste on this scale has taken a long period of time to accumulate.
“Information from the public to our enforcement team about who has been dumping it would help us investigate.”
The dump site was discovered by anti-litter campaigner Sian Pettman, who has been working with Vauxhall Avenue residents on community litter-picks.
She visited the area ahead of a pick in December when other dump sites close to the river were found.
“It’s unreal and an even bigger area of rubbish than the one we found at the end of last year,” she said.
“I counted about 100 fridges and freezers. Apparently there are many more beneath.
“The land is all quite swampy land so many of the chemicals must leach into the river.”
Ward councillor and Labour group leader Alan Baldock said he was appalled by the discovery of the rubbish.
He said: “It’s a disgrace, some of the worst rubbish Canterbury has ever seen.
“It’s public land so there might have been children and residents from the neighbourhood getting on there.
"It's a disgrace, some of the worst rubbish Canterbury has ever seen" - Councillor Alan Baldock
“Who knows what dangers it poses but it’s good that the council is making it a priority to get it sorted and we will be working with them on that.
“It’s quite a hidden away and the aim must be now to find out how the rubbish is getting on there, who’s putting it there and getting it cleared up.”
The council warned the public are liable for fines if they use unlicensed waste carriers to dispose of rubbish.
