Urgent action needed on fly-tipping

9.23.44am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 1st Apr 2008

Boarhunt and Southwick candidate Steve Nicholls and Prospective MP Liz Leffman at fly-tipping spot

Increased fly-tipping is ruining the beauty of the Meon Valley countryside, according to Prospective Lib Dem MP for Meon Valley, Liz Leffman. And she believes that the cost of this to taxpayers could be significantly reduced if some simple steps were taken to improve access to local tips.

Liz and Lib Dem candidate for Boarhunt and Southwick ward on Winchester City Council, Steve Nicholls, have seen the large scale of the problem on their regular trips around the rural ward.

"Every day there are new examples of rubbish being dumped here in Boarhunt and Southwick. Steve and I have been making use of an excellent website called www.fixmystreet.com, where you can report local problems. The site will immediately inform the necessary authority and track progress." Liz said.

Liz and Steve are supporting Lib Dem peer and local government spokesperson Baroness Ros Scott's plea for improved access to civic amenity sites, less bureaucracy and greater support for land owners tackling fly-tipping.

Fly-tipping seems to have got a lot worse in Meon Valley since the Tory-led County Council banned commercial vehicles such as vans and trucks from recycling centres unless they have a permit.

Liz added: "There are also now limits on the size of trailers allowed, which means we are likely to see more fly-tipping because people will be inclined to dispose of rubbish wherever in order to avoid paying, or simply because of the inconvenience. If we want to preserve the beauty of our countryside, something needs to be done to make it easier for people to get to designated tips"

NOTE: People who find items dumped on the roadside or in fields can report them on www.fixmystreet.com.