A local resident says she’s at her “wits’ end” over the regular dumping of rubbish along Crescent Road

A resident of an Edmonton street has shared her frustration at repeated fly-tipping in her street and the failure of Enfield Council to stop it happening.

The resident of Crescent Road, who didn’t want to be named, said had spent almost every week of the past year reporting fly-tipping in the street, including sending in photos of someone she caught in the act of illegal dumping.

While the council has collected the dumped waste when it has been reported, it hasn’t stopped the fly-tipping from happening, and the culprit or culprits are yet to be caught.

In January this year the council increased the level of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for fly-tipping to the maximum allowed. People caught littering are now fined £500 and fly-tipping £1,000.

But the Crescent Road resident told the Dispatch: “I have been reporting cases of fly-tipping almost weekly for the last year and while this is being collected, nothing is being done to prevent this from happening.

“The waste ranges from mattresses to pushchairs to planks of wood. However, the most frequent stuff dumped is household waste which inevitably gets ripped open by foxes, spreading food and dirty nappies across the street.

“I am truly at my wits’ end as to what to do […] Elsewhere in the borough I’ve seen posters saying there are fines for dumping household waste – so why are they not here and why isn’t the cash-strapped council capitalising on this abundant revenue stream?”

Rick Jewell, the council’s cabinet member for transport and waste, said: “Enfield Council has a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping and our teams work tirelessly to monitor, investigate and clear reported instances. The council fully understands the impact fly-tipping has on residents and we will take action against perpetrators, where there is sufficient evidence.

“Crescent Road is visited and cleansed on a weekly basis and any fly tips found are cleared. Any subsequent reported fly tips are removed within 24 hours. The council has been in contact with the resident regarding their specific concerns and discussed the evidence they have collated.

“When the council’s waste enforcement officers find sufficient evidence in a fly-tip such as correspondence containing names and addresses, it is investigated.

“If residents witness people fly tipping and can provide sufficient details, they will be asked to complete a witness statement which will help the council to take action. This could include issuing fixed penalty notices (FPN) and in some cases, a prosecution. It is not fair that our residents should bear the burden of other people’s reckless actions so we will vigorously pursue non-payment of FPNs.

“As an additional deterrent, the council will visit the local area in question to install signage on lampposts warning of the penalties of fly-tipping with additional warnings stencilled on footways.

“The council offers a free bulky waste collection service for residents, who will also continue to see a regular dedicated street sweeper in every ward in the borough.”

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