Fly-tippers putting children at risk on Derry street have 'no shame'

Persistent fly-tipping in a Derry street is attracting vermin and leading to growing concerns amongst local families who fear for the safety of young children.

A concerned resident living in Ard Grange, who did not wish to be named for fear of reprisals from the fly-tippers, described it as a ‘nice area’ which is blighted by illegal dumping.

Council workers have been obliging in cleaning up the mess but those responsible keep returning.

The Ard Grange resident said: “This is disgusting to have to live with.

“This is a lovely area and most people take pride in their homes and the surrounding area, but the people doing this have no concern for anyone.

“I have witnessed rats crawling out of the rubbish that is piling up and this is an area where young children play.

“This has been going on as long as we have been living here and these photos are just from the last couple of months.”

She added: “Residents have contacted the council and they have been helpful, collecting large amounts of this rubbish on a number of occasions.

“But whoever is doing this has no shame and keeps fly-tipping in our street.

“It’s about time more action was taken - whoever is doing this needs to be prosecuted.

“It’s dirty and unsafe and my real fear is that a child will either get hurt by some of the items left lying around or get bitten by the rats it’s attracting.”

HEALTH RISK

SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan said fly-tipping is a scourge sadly prevalent in many areas right across the city and in our rural areas.

“Those responsible have no regard for the environment, no regard for other people and, what's more, they have no excuse.

“Council operate a service, outside of regular bin collection, whereby it can be arranged for them to come out and lift excess waste,” he continued.

“Illegally dumped rubbish is not only unsightly and environmentally irresponsible but it poses a risk to health and the welfare of local children.

“It also puts an increased burden on the ratepayer and council finances when workers have to be deployed to clean up the mess.”

'UNACCEPTABLE'

People Before Profit Cllr for The Moor Maeve O'Neill said has been working with Ard Grange residents to deal with littering and fly-tipping over the last couple of months.

She said it's a 'very frustrating issue' but residents have been fantastic in trying to deal with the problem.

"We've held a successful community litter pick and residents have been very supportive of attempts to follow-up with those with responsibility for litter for the area," she explained.

"However, despite the best efforts of residents the problem is escalating. This is unacceptable. 

"In my capacity as Councillor I've met with the Council's cleansing team and the Property Management company that has responsibility for the maintenance of parts of Ard Grange. 

"The Council's cleansing team did a deep clean and do weekly cleans but the main problem lies in the bin sheds which are filthy and not user friendly. 

"I've raised the condition of the bins sheds with the Property Management Company and their responsibility for maintaining the site. We've proposed a bin shed redesign and alternative signage." 

Cllr O'Neill continued: "To be honest, residents feel like they're being ignored when it comes to properly addressing the problem. 

"There are many children living there and it’s not good enough to see strewn around as it is. People deserve to live in an area free from disgusting and dangerous littering. 

"Residents voices must be heard. We’ll continue to engage with them to determine the next steps forward to ensure Ard Grange is clean and safe for all."

A spokesperson for Derry City and Strabane District Council confirmed that it is aware of an issue with fly tipping at Ard Grange and a team have been on site to remove the items and investigate.

The council has advised that it is an offence to dump indiscriminately and doing so can lead to a fine or court prosecution and it has been working closely with residents to remind them of their responsibility in terms of waste disposal.

Council's Waste Enforcement team actively investigate incidents of fly-tipping, which can be reported by visiting https://www.derrystrabane.com/flytipping

The spokesperson encouraged the public to only use authorised waste collectors and to avail of council's recycling centres or free Bulky Waste service, adding that everyone has a role to play in protecting our environment and keeping our streets, laneways and greenways clean.