Fly-tippers cause a headache at park undergoing makeover
£50K FINES WARNING AS DRINK BOTTLES, WIRES AND OLD MATTRESS ARE DUMPED
A HUGE amount of waste has been flytipped at a park in Newark which is undergoing improvement work.
Commercial wires, empty alcohol bottles, a mattress and old kitchen units were found at the park in Clay Lane.
Newark and Sherwood District Council has issued a warning that anyone found fly-tipping could face a £50,000 fine.
The council is currently undergoing a major programme of environmental improvements including the planting of 1,200 new trees, clearing debris and removing diseased vegetation, while pruning and improving the husbandry of existing trees.
During the financial year 2019-2020, the council has removed 1,384 fly-tips with a combined weight of 359.82 tonnes and costing the taxpayer £55,000 annually.
Between April and July this year, 499 fly-tips have been removed with a combined weight of 163.50 tonnes, the weight equivalent of 33 elephants.
Councillor David Lloyd, leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “I know this area is of huge concern for residents.
“Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence which takes time and money to clear up and it frustrates me greatly.
“As this is such an important issue, I visited the site again yesterday morning and the items found amongst the fly-tip are not only damaging to local wildlife but pose a serious health hazard to anyone walking in the area and I will not accept or tolerate it.
“Our grounds maintenance team are undertaking a huge amount of hard work at the park and we need to be focusing on planting trees and reducing our carbon footprint, not dealing with fly-tipping incidents like these.
“I am committed to making Newark and Sherwood cleaner and greener. Fly-tipping is absolutely unnecessary and I encourage anyone who witnesses a fly-tip to report it to us immediately.”
Many trees at the site were recently found damaged – several with ash dieback - or badly affected by ivy, which can swamp other plants.
Overgrown areas at the park have been cut back by the council to make way for a larger and easier to manage grassland area surrounding the pond.
Vegetation growing over the pathway will be pruned back to create a safer walking space and provide easier access to the green space for walking and exercising.