Tyres, mattresses and old furniture left dumped in Tennyson Close, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Fly-tipping in Tennyson Close, Ponders End

An angry resident in Ponders End has pleaded with Enfield Council and a housing association to catch fly-tippers in his street.

Kevin Rees, who lives on Tennyson Close, said rubbish is dumped “all along the street” and the problem was “getting steadily worse”.

Household rubbish overflows communal rubbish bins and everything from tyres to mattresses to old sofas can be seen when walking in the area.

As well as reducing residents’ quality of life, Kevin said the sheer amount of rubbish posed a “serious health issue” and affected property values.

Tennyson Close is made up of six residential blocks and Kevin, who lives in one of two blocks owned by Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH), said the problem had been “going on for years” and urged MTVH and the council to “take action”.

An MTVH spokesperson said the situation was “unacceptable” and admitted the part of the estate they owned was a known “hot spot” for fly-tipping.

Today (Thursday 10th) the housing association said it cleared the rubbish dumped in the area it managed and would “continue to monitor this situation to help ensure no further issues occur”.

The spokesperson added: “We are seeking meetings with the other housing providers and the local council as a matter of urgency to ask that they remain vigilant to the issue and take appropriate action where necessary to help to resolve and prevent fly-tipping.”

Council leader Ergin Erbi said he visited South Street, which neighbours Tennyson Close, as well as the surrounding area to speak to residents who had raised concerns about fly-tipping.

Cllr Erbil said: “I want to reassure all residents that Ponders End and especially the area around Tennyson Close is monitored daily by our waste enforcement officers (Monday to Friday), with extra visits over the weekend. We also have a dedicated street cleaning team that clears fly-tipped rubbish from Monday to Friday, with a smaller team working on weekends. Furthermore, we will be contacting MTVH to discuss these issues.”

He said there was “no excuse” for dumping waste and listed the services the council provided including free bulky waste collection, dedicated street sweeping, recycling centres at Edmonton Eco Park and Barrowell Green, and the council’s website where residents can report fly-tipping.

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