Tenants have called for measures to tackle fly-tipping near their homes but officials have told them that they will have to wait.
Plans to place closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at two of the fly-tipping hot-spots on the Bates Estate have been hampered by obstacles such as overhead wires.
The two hot-spots, next to bin stores in Selsfield Drive and Thorndean Road, appear to have become a magnet for people dumping furniture, wood, paint and bulky waste.
Elsewhere, Brighton and Hove City Council’s housing team has deployed six mobile CCTV cameras but, at these locations, officials have struggled to find a suitable location to put them.
They have previously mounted them on lampposts to access a power supply and have a view free from obstruction.
But the Bates Estate sites are under telephone lines which, the council said, were a problem for the cameras and the power supply.
Mounting a camera on the lamppost at the estate entrance would only film vehicles coming in and out rather than fly-tippers dumping their rubbish.
Bates Estate Community Association secretary Donna James said: “There’s a pile by Hawkridge (Court in Selsfield Drive) by the recycling that’s taller than me. There is a lampost there. That’s the worst place.”
But the Hawkridge Cout site is under telephone lines.
The community association’s vice-chair Mitch Watkinson said: “It’s not getting any better. It’s getting worse out there now.”
The residents were told that CCTV would be deployed on the estate – but not until December or January.
OK, Fly tipping is wrong. However can only think, the council have compounded the situation, and that may be why people look for alternatives.
The Council’s bulky waste page is much improved, but I may not have 3 items to be collected, which is their minimum charge, they say,
“We charge a minimum of £60 for up to 3 items. Each extra item is charged at £12 per item and white goods are £45 per item.”
Sometimes if we can, we do go to the site, and the staff are always really helpful. Other alternatives we use are Trash Nothing, Marketplace and the charity shops. However, some things aren’t always good enough to give away, so we also use a bonafide contractor.
I certainly think the council need to look at their bulky waste collection, which may reduce fly-tipping. However, there are always going to be the fiends who think it’s ok to do so.
From what I’ve discussed with residents before, the price of removing things the correct way is quite prohibitive. We’ve had some success in the city before with free bulky waste collection events, usually put on by the TRAs through EDB funding. Personally, I think it would be cost-effective to hold these seasonally, which will help reduce the costs of managing ad-hoc flytipping issues, and also if it’s a scheduled and regular thing, people will wait for the opportunity to remove their bulky waste and be discouraged from flytipping.
I hate to say this but it’s the residents that are doing this, not flytippers. I often see them taking old items out of the flats and then dumping them. We do not need CCTV, we need people to start taking pride of where they live. The council need to sort this first; put a clause in tenancy agreements. I have contacted environmental health, there are often soiled nappies; I have contacted cityclean; I have emailed local councillors and nothing EVER gets done.
“Broken window syndrome” – if you live in a mess, everyone give up and just dumps.
Absolutely Chris, and on the flip side, people will rise to the standards set around them too. My area has been a really good example of this, I feel.
My experience has been different, I’ve found the council to be responsive to my reports.
However, regarding prevention, it comes from a couple of sources. In my particular area, there has been some commercial flytipping; luckily we have some residents who are very quick with their cameras. There’s also some coming from non-resident leaseholder properties, particularly when the tenancy changes. And unfortunately, some problem neighbours from a few of the sensitive lets.
Environmental Health is good to contact when there’s some clear evidence of who did the flytipping, like an address or a vehicle caught in the act, otherwise, just prompt CityClean to do a flytip removal, advise them if there are some critical aspects to it, such biological waste, needles, broken glass, etc. Then pass it onto the Ward Councillor if it doesn’t get dealt with.
I also think it is important to write a complaint whenever the process fails, because it’s an opportunity for them to improve, and also the figures start to look worse. KPIs are a great driver within the council.
Benjamin fly tips his dull opinions over nearly every article on this website. Get a job mate.
Oh really, shame on you! I often find Benjamin’s comments informed and helpful and am glad he takes the time to respond.
They will take advantage till CCTV is put in places
Whitehawk no longer has any CCTV right now, used to have 3/4 Camers now there isn’t any.
This is something I have been seeing, the mobile camera are good for a temporary presentation, but is it a long term solution?
I’ve spotted a few today!