Illegal fly-tipping has been blighting a quiet street in Erith for years now, leaving a frustrated resident in dismay over the lack of effective action from local authorities.
A recent video shared by Kevin Richards captured the grim reality of Wallhouse Road, showcasing a disturbing mix of waste - from household rubbish to commercial items like discarded tires.
He explained that the road has been dumping ground for years, hosting a disturbing mix of waste, including both domestic refuse and commercial items such as tires.
Kevin told the News Shopper: “I've lived in the area for 24 years and I noticed it occurring at first in the year 2000, but in the last three or four years, it's actually gotten worse.
“People know that they can go down there and tip as they're not going to get fined or anything. No one's going to say anything to them. So basically, it's a free landfill.
“I've actually seen people dumping rubbish in full daylight – they just know there's no repercussions.”
Kevin has to travel down the road for work a minimum of twice a day as the end of the street is an industrial park, and his van has even been left damaged by the debris in the road.
He added: “There are no streetlights at all. It's pitch black down there.
“Because they tip stuff on the roads, I've actually run into things which have damaged my vehicle.
“Somebody during the next daytime must be pushing it (the waste) into the ditch because one minute you go down there at night and you can hardly drive down there because of the rubbish on the road, by next midday the road is clear.”
Despite Kevin's efforts to raise awareness by reaching out to Bexley Council, he claims that the response has been less than satisfactory and there has been some confusion on who is responsible for the road, which caused him to also reach out to the Environmental Agency.
The bureaucratic runaround has left Kevin frustrated and concerned about the lack of accountability.
A council spokesperson has outlined plans to the News Shopper to tackle the problem, emphasizing their commitment to combat it through increased CCTV coverage, new deterrents, and waste clearance.
A spokesperson for Bexley Council claimed: “We remove any waste which has been deposited onto the highway as quickly as possible.
“The ditches which run alongside the highway are privately owned and we are working on solutions with the landowner.”
In 2023 the council reported that there were, 83 Fixed Penalty Notices were issued for illegal waste deposits in Wallhouse Road, along with 21 to non-compliant waste carriers and nine to residents lacking due diligence when arranging for a contractor to collect their waste.
The Environment Agency claims that it collaborates with local authorities, police, and businesses to tackle fly-tipping.
It is reportedly seeking a long-term solution for the fly-tipping problem on Ray Lamb Way and Wallhouse Road.
Kevin said: “I've spoken to people who are in their 50s and 60s, and they tell me when they were a child, they used to go down that road to play. It was a lovely, beautiful area with the dike on the other side of the road - they used to go fishing.
“You'd be lucky if there's anything in there now.”
He explained that he had heard from locals that they had previously had men turn up at their door offering to take away waste rubbish for as little as £40, but the house owners refused, saying that they knew that it would end up in a country lane or backstreet.
Kevin highlights that people can always drive or get a lift to the local waste centre for free and discourages people from using services that are not properly registered.
A spokesperson for Bexley Council said: “We take fly tipping very seriously and are continuing to engage with the landowners, the environment agency, and local businesses to combat this.
“We are working on plans to increase CCTV coverage, introduce new deterrents, and clear the accumulation of waste, which we hope to announce over the coming months.
“We regularly inspect waste deposits in Wallhouse Road and follow up on any evidence which is provided to us.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “The Environment Agency and London Borough of Bexley work with the Met Police, local businesses and landowners on the Darent Industrial Park Estate and Ray Lamb Way to address the concerns around fly-tipping and the impact on the environment and local businesses.
“We carry out targeted days of action with partners to disrupt those who are intent on breaking the law when carrying waste.
“We will continue to work with all partners to develop a long term and robust solution to stop the complex fly-tipping issues on Ray Lamb Way and Wallhouse Road."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel