The number of incidents of fly-tipping dealt with by Island Roads has soared by 25% during the coronavirus pandemic, according to official figures.
Between October and December last year, 110 incidents were dealt with by the highways team across the Isle of Wight. This grew to 165 between January and March.
A service performance report published this week shows that fly-tipping – the act of illegally dumping waste – soared to 207 incidents between April and June this year – a rise of 25% in 3 months.
The news will not come as a surprise to many with social media awash with photographs of mattresses, black bags and other waste dumped in beauty spots and down country lanes. Earlier this week photographs were published online showing a large fly-tip on Lower Road, Alverstone.
Many have blamed the fact that Lynbottom Household Waste and Recycling Centre is preventing people from legally and responsibly disposing of general waste, even now after months of lockdown.
It has been revealed this week that as part of cost-cutting measures, Island Roads now has 7 days to respond to such incidents and clear the unsightly waste. Previously, the contractor had just 24 hours to respond.
Earlier this month Island Echo reported on the discovery of waste dumped near to Dinosaur Isle in Sandown. Local firm Wight Waste & Services very kindly and quickly removed the eyesore, for free.
As terrible as this is, it’s hardly surprising.
Even once the amenity sites were re-opened, there was no ‘general waste’ permitted.
Think that a large part of the responsibility for this must lie with our Council and Andy for their bizarre approach to waste disposal!!
The easiest way to sort this problem is to bring back the original opening times for the tip and customers should not have to telephone for an appointment. It used to be so easy to be able drop rubbish off as and when you needed to.
I quite agree with this lady. The council have only themselves to blame.
I see what your saying but only vile rubbish dump like this…especially on your own door step !
No care for the rest of us, polluting, destroying the beauty and on top rising our taxes to pay to clear this mess up. Bottom line down fly tip!
I want to add I wouldnt be surprised if this isnt the new norm…to make us reduce our extra waste habbits in the first place. I mean have you seen whats soon to be our first mountain on the island. Its not along term solution!
@Tony: the powers that be would like us to all reduce our waste but, unfortunately, we have litte control of how much we generate. Modern items are designed with short life expectancy and need frequent replacement, and manufacturers use far too much packaging to protect products. We’re all on a hiding to nothing, I’m afraid. Allowing responsible disposal, rather than putting up barriers, is the only way forward.
Typio…DON’T FLY TIP !!! (Down)
…im voted down for that, your approving it dumping trash, disgusting !
In stead how about pushing the government and council in building proper recyling plants or incinerators ! Land fill is not the answer !
If you hate the council stick it too them…keep dumping your rubbish…or you could all actually protest, hell riot if your that mad with them.
Council create a problem to save a small sum. Then pontificate over the reason for the problem, whilst spending a fortune.
The council cant run anything not even a floating bridge
Dump that too!
Who would have thought it?
You make the official waste disposal facilities hard to access and fly tipping increases.
I’m surprised no-one spotted this would happen and pointed it out.
Oh wait… Many people did – The council and IR just ignored them.
There was never any need to close the civic amenity sites. Unfortunately, the detritus that make up the majority of the council are more interested in making their own lives easy rather than spend some time solving a new problem i.e. how to manage the affairs of the island during the pandemic. As usual, they blame the public for wrongdoing rather than recognising their own shortcomings. However, a majority of Islander voted them in, so a majority of Islanders either don’t care or only have themselves to blame.
I know most of us! pay council tax but those that book a slot at tip and don’t turn up should be fined ,they prevent others from booking. That fine should then be used for cost if clearing up flytippi not everyone else’s council tax increased. Better still just open tip 24hrs 7days how it used to be when I was a totter, instead of staff stood around directing cars they can instead spend their time sorting and recycling our waste after we have dumped.
No, a service that we pay handsomely for should not be so difficult to access. Open up the tips for the hours the public want and bin (pun intended) the appointments.
People will behave responsibly if the council stop going out of their way to make our life’s difficult.
Sadly, someone had dumped a bed mattress in Ashey. Who ever dumped it took the time to drive to Ashey, but couldn’t be bothered to drive to the civic amenities, probably thought the opening time are inconvenient!!!
Not only did they bring in an appointment system they also reduce speed on road to 30 mph – what was all that about especially as you could not arrive before your time. Shows those in charge in Council are totally out of touch with the Island residents. As for the floating bridge – best say nothing bar biggest waste of money ever.
With more homes paying council tax, then services should be getting better not worse on the Island.
IF, there was ONLY ten houses here, and they had to fund the entire council, then clearly we could not expect great things.
Yet with thousands of extra homes here, and way too many more to come, then the council should be improving and reducing costs, not adding to such.
For if one is paying for it’s bin to be emptied, and the council ‘make’ a little on such, then the more homes, the more they ought to ‘make’.
Same with the tip, we have to now pay to dump some items etc
Yet as we know the more they get, the more they ‘take’ in dubious job titles, appraising themselves ever higher then demanding higher and higher salaries for doing no more, and likely less.
That is why building more will never ‘improve’ things, as it hasn’t in the past.
We now have less bin service, less WC’s, less libraries, less services by the council, cut back to grass cutting, footpath clearing etc etc, DESPITE more houses more council tax being paid.
So to build more homes to ruin the Island even more, will NOT improve things for us, only for them taking ever more wages, expenses etc, from a larger pot, making their percentage ‘look’ not so bad.
This lot need to go
Council Tax on the Island is one of the most expensive in the country.
What do we get for it, they collect our rubbish once a week.
What a surprise
Open Lynbottom tip as usual and stop the stupid and now not needed booking system. The fly tipping is a result of this booking system. Look toward Councillor “Pugwash” Stewart and his crew and ask why the booking system is still in place, I was told by someone on the phone when I enquired “For the foreseeable future” and by one of the workers at Lynnbottom, “At least a year more”
Before the pandemic, I would be interested to know how much, nationally, councils paid out to clear fly tips, and how much they generated from charging for legally tipping trade waste. If the former was more, then the law needs to be changed to allow trade waste free to tip. Until that happens, scumbags will continue to blight the landscape to save a few quid. It ain’t rocket science, just common sense.
Makes me livid….i feel light dumping it straight back into their living room ….probably wouldn’t notice…..must live like a pig to do this kind of behaviour in the first place…i have booked a tip run….its very easy ..