More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A dog walker is hoping to track down fly-tippers who dumped 80 tons of rubble near his favourite walking route - and hopes a company can help him find the culprits after a letter bearing its name was found in the mess.
Melvyn Potter was left fuming after discovering tons of building waste had been fly-tipped on land off the A2 near Cyclopark in Gravesend, where he regularly walks his dog.
But after conducting a search of the waste, he found paperwork connected to Crosstree retail development in Old Street London, who he hopes can help track down the culprits.
"I looked up that company and they exist up in London," said Mr Potter, 48, who runs his own company Potters Interiors.
"They own retail and commercial property. The site plan had an address in Old Street, and they've got a big office development in that area.
"It was demolition material, so I'm sure they would be interested to know if their building contractor is using some dodgy waste removal company."
Highways England, which owns the land near Cyclopark, confirmed they had been made aware of the rubble at the end of an access route to a balancing pond off the A2.
Spokesman Jack Tappin said: "There are reports of around 80 tons of tip with the help site being accessed several times.
"The site was secured by a third party with concrete slabs. A site investigation will now take place and arrangements made to remove."
But Mr Potter fears problems with fly-tippers are going to get worse unless developers and authorities take more direct action.
"It's definitely getting worse," he said. "It's increasing all over. You see it in the news and we're getting it a lot in side roads around places like Meopham.
"Now they're going to start charging, and in Medway you need proof to show where you live. I think fly-tipping is going to increase even more."
He added: "It annoys me so much. I've got a waste licence for my business. I spend thousands of pounds a year - this company have been paid to remove it and then just dumped it."
More than 600 people have now signed a petition calling on Kent County Council to abandon new tip charges, due to come into force in June.
The authority plans to make £4m by charging residents to dispose of building materials at the county's 18 household waste recycling centres - although KCC says that profit will reduce to roughly £1m after accounting for the cost of processing building waste.
These include paying £4 for a black bin bag of rubble and £6 for plasterboard, including at Pepperhill, in Station Road, Southfleet - near Gravesend.
Crosstree Real Estate Partners have repeatedly failed to respond to requests for comment.
