Scandal of town’s fly-tippers exposed
Residents demand action to clean up fly-tipping near town’s landmark
THESE disgusting scenes show the extent of fly-tipping in Stockport - with the worst hotspot next to one of the borough’s most ornate landmarks.
Sleeping bags, bottles, crates, a suitcase and many other items have been dumped on the banking behind St Mary’s Church, on Stockport Market Place.
At another site, on wasteland near the Tesco store in Portwood, bags of rubbish and even a bath have been discarded.
Peter Needham, who lives near St Mary’s, a Grade I-listed building dating back to 1817, says some of the waste came from a nearby settlement of homeless people, which has now been moved on.
But he adds that the sheer volume of rubbish cannot solely be attributed to this and there will be many other culprits.
Peter, 47, said: “It is really bad; people will come from all over the place to look at this historic church.
“They will think, ‘this looks nice’, then look over the wall down the bank and get a massive shock. There are other places where it is bad, but the one at the church really upsets me.
“It is an absolute tip. People have no pride. The council needs to be shamed into cleaning it up and the people who drop litter need to be shamed. We only have one planet, we need to take care of it. We need to teach people and get schools involved.”
Other hotspots are often around the River Mersey as it flows through Stockport town centre.
The last person to be prosecuted for fly-tipping in the borough had left soil, paperwork and a TV digibox in Reddish Vale Country Park.
The 34-year-old woman, from Brinnington, had to pay £220 and was given a 12-month conditional discharge in February.
The council say fly-tipping is ‘a serious criminal offence’ and they will take ‘robust action’ against those caught.
Caroline Simpson, director for place at the council, said: “We welcome reports from residents on fly-tipping issues and we investigate and action all of them appropriately to keep Stockport clean and green. We’ve recently launched an environmental campaign ‘We Love Stockport – Be Proud of Where You Live’, reminding residents that they have a duty of care to help prevent fly-tipping.
“They need to be aware that they shouldn’t pay someone cash to remove waste without checking for a licence, as they are responsible for this.
“Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence and can carry fines up to £50,000 or 12 months in prison and the council will take robust action against perpetrators.
“By taking a tough stance on this issue, we hope to deter potential offenders from carrying out this anti-social behaviour.”
Report fly-tipping at www.stockport.gov.uk/ fly-tipping.”