WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH
Fly-tipping surge during pandemic
Lockdown litter louts are rapidly turning Cambuslang into a rubbish dump say concerned residents.
Dozens of unwanted items – ranging from bedding and mattresses to tyres, televisions and trash – have been thoughtlessly abandoned on a number of roads across the town.
The burn at Gilbertfield Road is now blocked because of the volume of rubbish left there by inconsiderate louts.
And now locals are worried the situation will continue to deteriorate the longer the COVID-19 lockdown goes on, while also creating extra work for frontline bin workers, who are already under pressure.
Cambuslang East councillor Katy
Loudon told the Reformer there is “no excuse” for the current mess.
She said: “I’ve received numerous reports of fly-tipping at various spots in our ward over the past week.
“I understand that people might be frustrated they can’t visit recycling centres just now – the decision to close them was a joint one with Viridor to protect the health and welfare of both staff and visitors.
“But there’s no excuse for people to flytip where they see fit, causing a nuisance for residents and putting additional pressure on our frontline staff.
“I’ve been working with Councillor John Anderson, the chair of community and enterprise resources, to make sure that incidents are flagged up to the appropriate team as quickly as possible, and I would encourage people to report any fly-tipping using the online form on the council’s website, or by contacting one of their local councillors.”
Among the worst affected areas are Gilbertfield Road, Cambuslang Road and Manse Brae, all of which were found covered in rubbish last weekend.
South Lanarkshire Council closed all its waste and recycling centres last month, including the Eastfield site on Cambuslang Road, as the coronavirus pandemic worsened.
The centres are run by Viridor and take all types of waste material, including large items such as fridges and freezers, or construction waste.
The Reformer was also contacted by members of Halfway community council, who are also concerned at the escalation of the problem in the past few weeks.
A spokesperson for the group said: “It’s really unpleasant and happening all around Cambuslang at the moment.
“It’s a shame, and it has side effects too; we’ve seen vans being diverted to try and clear some of it, which gets in the way of the regular bin collections, which then creates another problem.
“What we need right now is for people to be more responsible. They’re jeopardising an essential council service and they need to think about what they’re doing.
“The worry is that the longer this goes on the worse the problem will become.”
The news came as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) warned locals to not allow waste materials to build up.
They stressed that allowing flammable rubbish to build up in homes and businesses could have devastating consequences.
Assistant Chief Officer Stuart Stevens, SFRS’s director of service delivery, said: “The build up of rubbish and waste, particularly bulky items such as large amounts of cardboard or furniture, represents a real fire risk to our communities at this challenging time.
“We are working extremely closely with our local authority partners to minimise risk wherever possible, but the real work starts in the home.”
Head of fleet and environmental services at South Lanarkshire Council, Shirley Clelland, added: “Fly-tipping is of course unacceptable at any time, but even more so during the current situation with regards coronavirus.
“At this time our enforcement in fly-tipping will be targeted towards those that are openly abusing the circumstances we find ourselves in.
“If you have specific information on those that are breaching this, such as times, locations and or activities you have witnessed, please contact us through the usual channels, the customer contact centre on 0303 123 1015 or by visiting www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk and going to the Report Fly Tipping section.”
Has fly-tipping been occurring where you live? If so, please let us know by emailing news@rutherglenreformer.co.uk