Bags of rubbish left at car park
More than 20 bags of rubbish were found at a car park in South Hylton after treacherous weather conditions led to delays in bin collections around Sunderland.
The bags were left at The Golden Lion car park in South Hylton.
Environmental Enforcement Support Officers cleared the area on Wednesday, February 17, after the abandoned waste was reported by residents.
Sunderland City Council is facing a backlog of bin collections following last week’s “challenging conditions” and additional bin collections have been scheduled to catch up with missed refuse.
The council said following the reports of fly tipping in the area, environmental enforcement officers removed the rubbish but no evidence was retrieved to determine where the waste had originated from.
Earlier this week Conservative councillor James Doyle, the deputy leader of the Tory group and shadow environment spokesman, had questioned the backlog and said “the council must act now to
ensure this situation does not spiral out of control”.
Tory councillors also called on the council to “develop an adverse weather strategy so that bins are not missed in future when there is snow”.
Sunderland City Council said the area has now been cleared but is urging residents to report fly tipping incidents.
Cllr Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council said: “Fly-tipping is irresponsible, illegal, and a blight on Sunderland’s neighbourhoods. Anyone who finds or witnesses incidents of flytipping should report it immediately here or by calling 0191 520 5550.
“One of the main things to come out of our recent Let’s Talk consultations is that residents want to see more enforcement for this type of anti-social behaviour and the council has increased its resources on taking action against these offenders.”
The council is warning that those who book a van for waste removal can also be held liable by the courts if their rubbish is then flytipped.
Cllr Miller added: “It is cheaper, more convenient, and legal to use the council’s bulky items collection, available here.”
The council thanked residents for their “continued patience and understanding”.