Bradford Green Party has raised concerns with “flytipping epidemic” in Holme Wood and surrounding areas.
Back in November, government data showed that reports of fly-tipping incidents across the district had jumped up by 17.4 per cent from the previous year.
The cost of clearing up fly-tipping has also skyrocketed – increasing 85 per cent over the preceding five years.
Matt Edwards, Green Party spokesperson for Tong Ward, has called on Bradford Council to do more to get to the bottom of flytipping.
Matt has said, “There is a flytipping epidemic in Bradford. Already this week we have reported 15 separate instances of flytipping in Holme Wood alone. The rubbish ranges from baths, mattresses and just bags of litter.
“What the Council is doing clearly isn’t working and we need to really start thinking outside of the box if we want to get a proper grip of the problem.”
Matt is keen to point out that part of the problem in the area is the prominent derelict sites – like the site of a now demolished mill on Factory Street in Dudley Hill – which have become hotspots for fly-tipping. The land has been empty since the fire-ravaged building was demolished in 2012.
“This is a really prominent site near two of the main routes out of the city. I really can’t understand why Bradford Council isn’t using the powers it has to do more to promote sites like this for development – rather than sacrificing our valuable green spaces.”
Matt added “People are getting so fed up with the Council’s inaction on flytipping that they are looking to take matters into their own hands.”
Tong & Fulneck Valley Association are hosting an open meeting and encourage people to come up with ideas to tackle the problem.
Julia McGoldrick from Tong & Fulneck Valley Association has said “Local people are fed up with the area being treated like a rubbish dump and the council unwilling to take proactive measures.
“Council workers are having to clear areas like New Lane outside Tong Village almost daily. We repeatedly raise the issue of these hot spot areas and nothing is done to try and prevent the problem in the first place.
“We have decided that we have been left no other option but to together as a community to try and tackle this issue ourselves.”
The meeting is on Thursday 7th February, 7pm til 8pm at Tong Village Hall.