Fly-tipping led to removal of Southam recycling centre

Constant attempts were made to clear the rubbish that had been discarded at the centre in Wood Street car park and large amounts of recyclable material have been taken to landfill. The fly-tipping had also caused concerns about potential environmental issues such as vermin.

Residents had complained about the dumping of domestic rubbish and non-recyclable material by the centre.

As a result Stratford District Council has made the decision to remove the centre as of Monday January 9.

Ollie Schofield, the authority’s street scene manager, said only a handful of people had been responsible for the dumping and the majority of residents were blameless.

Mr Schofield added: “It wasn’t a decision we took lightly.”

Council officers have made efforts to investigate the misuse of the centre and have issued warning letters and prosecuted and fined some of those responsible. But limited street scene staff numbers and limited resources have hindered their efforts.

Townspeople have suggested the installation of CCTV cameras to monitor the site and identify the culprits but this could prove costly

Liz Taylor, a resident who lives near the centre, has a ‘Crime Watch’ style idea of how to deal with the problem and to persuade the council to change its decision.

She said: “Asking people to come forward in confidence in the knowledge they have done their bit to keep the recycling centre open will give the council a chance to address the problem.”

Doorstep recycling services will still be available for households in the area and recyclable material will still be taken away if it cannot fit in a blue bin and if it is left in a box by the side of the container.