Doncaster father’s trouble with ‘unbearable’ fly-tipping bringing rats and faeces
Fly-tipping in an alleyway behind a Doncaster family home has rendered the back garden unusable for the young girl living there, her father has said.
Chris Curtis, of Chequer Avenue in Hyde Park, Doncaster, said regular fly-tipping is bringing rats and faeces to the area, rendering it unsafe for his daughter.
“The other day when I was walking back from work, I saw 13 rats,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), “When you’re asleep at night, you can hear all the rats squeaking and squealing. It’s getting unbearable.”
40-year-old Chris said he reported the current mound of rubbish to the City of Doncaster Council two weeks ago and it is still yet to be removed.
He added: “I’m disappointed with the council. We have reported and reported it every time something gets dumped.
“It’s constant. When the council clears it up, the next day or two days later it is exactly the same.”
Solutions suggested by local residents have been rejected or fallen on deaf ears, Chris said, and the council is now requesting the residents themselves do more to catch the perpetrators.
He told the LDRS: “We’ve said to them, is there any chance of having a gate put on the alleyway? They’ve said no.
“We were told it would cost too much. They would have to provide everybody a key to this gate and, on football match days, supporters walk down the alley.
“We were told by the council that we should go outside and see who is doing this, but we work full time. It’s like fighting a losing battle.”
Chris said he just wants to allow his daughter to be free to play in their garden and the surrounding area safely, but feels unable to do so.
“They need to start buckling down on these fly-tippers,” he said, “The council want to take some action.”
Dan Swaine, executive director of place at City of Doncaster Council, said: “We are aware of persistent fly tipping and littering around the Hyde Park area and are working proactively with residents to address this. Unfortunately, it seems that there are some people living in the area who are ruining it for everybody else, which is incredibly disappointing.
“Fly tipping and littering is not acceptable, and it is a real shame that some people are not following the rules and disposing of their rubbish incorrectly.
“As a council, we are responding to all reports we receive but we are also taking proactive steps to keep the area tidy. Our teams are conducting more scheduled checks of the area, and this year have picked up over ten tonnes of litter and fly tipping each month. Our teams have also installed a number of streetwatch cameras in the area to assist us with investigations.”
Mr Swaine revealed a recent “Area Action Day” – jointly attended with South Yorkshire Police, City of Doncaster Council and WISE (Waste Investigations Support and Enforcement), saw fixed penalty notices being issued for littering.
He added: “We will continue to conduct regular inspections and review how best to resolve the situation. A new community group – set up by Well Doncaster – is scheduled to have its first meeting take place on 12 August in which we will discuss concerns directly with residents.
“We would like to also remind residents about the importance of recycling and how it can help reduce general waste – this can help reduce the need to place waste at the side of your bin.
“We take every report we receive extremely seriously, and our priority is to keep the Hyde Park area tidy for everyone to enjoy and I want to thank the vast majority of residents for helping us to make this happen.”