Great Harwood residents fed up with alleyway fly-tipping

Residents in St Cecilia Street say they have complained to Hyndburn Council but have “got nowhere”, although councillors for the area say the situation has been complicated further due to the tipping being on private land.

One resident, who is living with a disability, said: “Rubbish has been dumped in the alleyways and it is getting very bad now. We have rats out there and it smells.

“We have been in touch with the council and got nowhere. We have to live here and it's not very nice.

“A lot of us complained and got nowhere. We are all not happy. We pay council tax.”

The most recent fly-tip in Great Harwood (Image: Submitted)

Pictures from the last few months, and more recently this week, show mounds of rubbish piled up at the side of a garage, with bin bags strewn all over the alleyway.

Cllr Jodi Clements, who represents the Netherton ward on Hyndburn Council, said they are aware of the issues in the area and have made moves to try and combat the situation, although the process is taking longer than usual.

Cllr Clements said: “It’s horrendous down there. As councillors, both I and Noordad Aziz have been dealing with this for a very long time.

“It has been reported to the council and they are investigating but sometimes the investigation can take weeks.

“The fly-tipping is up against a garage and the garage is on private land so the council can’t just come and clear it like they would normally.

"They have to contact the land owner and go through a process.

“We don’t want it to look to the residents as if we aren’t doing anything, but we are.

“In this case it’s not the land owner who is actually fly-tipping, so it’s as frustrating for him as it is us, as he will end up having to pay for it to be removed.

“We think it’s the same person each time, and we have asked for alleyway gates and bollards, but the council say they don’t have enough in the budget for that.”

Fly-tip in Great Harwood dated last year (Image: Submitted)

Cllr Clements said when the alleyway is cleared it only stays clean for a week or two and then someone comes along and dumps some more rubbish.

She said: “We’ve had what looks like whole house clearances dumped down there, people just come along in a vehicle and dump it.

“It’s causing rats and it’s been going on for years. Sometimes the smell is awful as nappies and all sorts get left.

“There’s a few residents who have complained, and they always thank us when it’s cleared but it doesn’t stay that way.”

Cllr Clements said the council has quite a good system in place for removing waste as it is free to collect, unlike neighbouring councils such as Blackburn with Darwen, where there is a charge.

She added: “It’s free for people but they still choose to throw it in someone else’s alley.”

Hyndburn Council has been contacted for comment but failed to respond before deadline.