Published: Tuesday, 7th February 2023
A fly-tipping hotspot in King’s Lynn has been cleaned up and measures put in place to prevent issues re-occurring through effective partnership between the council and a private landlord.
The area has been cleared and gates have been installed by the landowner, meaning that an alcove where the bins were kept is no longer accessible to anyone except tenants of the adjoining properties.
Cllr Paul Kunes, the borough council’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “This is a fantastic result: through a great piece of work by council officers, working with the property owner, we have managed to sort out the immediate problem and put in a long-term solution that will make the street more pleasant for everyone who walks or drives down it.
“It also shows that we won’t stand for fly-tipping and will deal with it where we find it. There is a tip less than three miles away and there is no excuse for dumping rubbish on the street like this.”
Problems had been building up around a bin store located on Waterloo Street, which was for the use of tenants living in adjoining properties.
Unfortunately, they were not the only people using the bins and the area also started to attract fly-tipping of bulky items – which the council does not remove from private land.
However, as fly-tipping can lead to a host of problems, from infestations to anti-social behaviour, where there is a persistent problem officers will identify the area as a ‘hot-spot’ and take steps to address the issue.
At Waterloo Street, a hot-spot case was opened last July. The council officer identified the landowner, Centaur and Barclay Property Group, and made contact.
Centaur and Barclay responded positively to the approach and were keen to support the council’s efforts to address the problem.
They removed the fly-tipping and installed gates across the front of the area. This has resolved the short-term issue of the fly-tipping itself and provided a long-term solution to prevent problems from re-occurring.
Jennifer McGeehan, Property Manager at Centaur and Barclay, said: “It has been quite an ongoing expense for us, having to pay for private contractors to attend regularly and clear bulky items left by our bin store consistently by fly-tippers. It has also been upsetting to our tenant residents and the residents situated on Waterloo Street.
“Working closely with King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council has been such a pleasant experience, from being kept updated on when the area has been fly-tipped to advice and recommendations. I am very pleased that by us taking action we have managed to resolve this issue!”