Residents' anger over Ore alleyway used as dumping ground for fly-tipping
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People in the area said the walkway, which runs between Winchelsea Road and Grove Road, has now become a fire hazard and impassable.
Victoria Bartholomew, of Winchelsea Road, said: “My husband and I have lived here since 1999 and the alleyway has always been like this.
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Hide Ad“We’ve been told it’s private ground so doesn’t belong to the council. It’s absolutely disgusting.
“The alleyway has become a dumping ground and there are rats there. It’s gotten worse over the years and someone needs to take responsibility for it.
“It’s been cleaned up by community payback several times in the past.
“The alleyway is a fire hazard, germ-ridden and filthy.”
Her husband, Tarquin, said: “There will be loss of life soon if the alleyway is not cleaned up. If there was a fire there, you wouldn’t stand a chance. It’s supposed to act as a fire escape for residents.”
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Hide AdWard councillor, Richard Street, said: “This alleyway has been a problem for many years, especially the top end where it meets Red Lake Terrace. It is classified as private land so the council has no responsibility for it and cannot deal with the problem of fly-tipping.
“All councillors for the area have tried to tackle it over the years. As I live in the road, I have not been directly involved.
“In the past Cllr Wincott has arranged for the Probation Service to clear rubbish.
“A few years ago, it was suggested that locked gates might be installed at the three entrances but this didn’t meet with the approval of many residents.
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Hide Ad“When the presence of rats was reported a couple of years ago, the council’s environmental health officer visited and found no evidence.
“Some of the rubbish appears to come from residents, particularly when a tenant moves out and a new one moves in.
“I spoke to Environmental Health yesterday (Monday, March 6). Officers have visited the site on several occasions recently following complaints from Mr Bartholomew as have wardens and again found no trace of rats.
“Council officers are now reconsidering the installation of gates to make fly-tipping much harder.
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Hide Ad“Cllr Wincott and I share the Bartholomews’ concerns and hope a genuine solution can be found.”
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