Green Party co-leader calls for fly-tipping amnesties in Peterborough

Fly-tipping in Peterborough EMN-160919-171206009

Mr Bartley, who is co-leader of the party alongside Caroline Lucas, is visiting the area today (Tuesday, November 1) where he will join members of the Peterborough Green Party.

Julie Howell, Peterborough Green Party coordinator, said: “This week we asked residents of Orton Goldhay to tell us about fly-tipping in their community. They quickly responded with 28 examples.

“This is a disgrace and an embarrassment and it is making many people in the community feel that they live in a rubbish tip and the council doesn’t care.

“Residents of Orton Goldhay want to be proud of where they live, but this is difficult when unwanted sofas and fridges and bags of clothes are routinely dumped on the streets.”

Mr Bartley is following the Peterborough Green Party’s lead in calling for the council to discourage fly-tipping in Orton Goldhay by introducing regular amnesties so residents can leave items in a specified place for the council to collect without fear of fines or charges.

It currently costs £23.50 for a bulky waste collection in Peterborough.

Council leader Cllr John Holdich has previously told the Peterborough Telegraph he is operating a zero-tolerance on fly-tippers after introducing a grot spot hotline.

However, the PT revealed in September that the authorities do not believe they can cope with the current levels of fly-tipping, with 9,303 incidents in 2015.

Julie added: “These amnesties must be extensively publicised.

“The council must take greater responsibility for making residents aware of where and when the amnesties are scheduled to take place and why they are important, by publicising them through the media, through social media and by leafleting residents at home.

“Peterborough City Council needs to wise up to fly-tipping. Putting the onus on residents to report fly-tipping doesn’t stop it happening.

“The fact is many residents have told us they cannot afford the £23.50 charge and it’s clear some feel it’s worth risking getting caught and fined.

“We do not wish to encourage a “snitching” culture in Orton Goldhay. Instead, we want the city council to help residents to keep Orton Goldhay pleasant and tidy in a realistic way that is convenient for them, not just for the council. We are sure these simple measures would improve the situation in Goldhay and elsewhere.”