Sefton Council’s Street Cleansing and Environmental Enforcement teams have completed a major clean-up operation in the Borough’s Linacre ward.

20 tonnes of waste cleared

Over two days, the team managed to remove approximately 20 tonnes of waste from the path that runs down Akenside Street. The publicly owned path, which is used daily by school children and local residents, had been heavily littered and illegally fly-tipped.

In total, eight full caged vehicles of waste were removed. A team of seven Street Cleansing Operatives plus a small excavator were used. Two Environment Enforcement Officers also attended to carry out their investigations.

Costs for the waste disposal costs alone were £3,300 and with labour and vehicle costs added, the total was over £6,000. This money could have been spent elsewhere supporting vulnerable families. It would have covered at least 200 food vouchers for children on free school meals across the easter break.

Scale of the problem

Cllr Peter Harvey, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Street Scene said: “Fly-tipping is illegal, selfish, and anti-social. Spending two days clearing 20 tonnes of litter and material people had dumped shows the scale of the problem we are dealing with and how committed our Street Cleansing Street Team are to tackling it.

“Sadly, during a follow-up inspection just a day later, two fridges had already been dumped in the location, which illustrates the ongoing challenge we face from this illegal  and antisocial behaviour.

“I am glad to hear that evidence was recovered linking some of the waste to a local address and that arrangements for the resident to be interviewed under caution by the Council’s Enforcement Officers are now being made.”

Household Waste Recycling Centres

Details of how to dispose of rubbish in Seton and report fly-tipping, can be found at www.sefton.gov.uk/bins. The pages contain details of Sefton’s four Household Waste Recycling Centres, at:

• South Sefton Household Waste Recycling Centre, Irlam Road, Bootle L20 4AE
• Sefton Meadows Household Waste Recycling Centre, Sefton Lane, Maghull L31 8BX
• Southport Household Waste Recycling Centre, Foul Lane, Southport PR9 7RG
• Formby Household Waste Recycling Centre, Altcar Road, Formby L37 8DL

Cllr Harvey added: “The work we have done in the Akenside Street area shows our commitment, but keeping Sefton clean and preventing fly-tipping from reoccurring is the responsibility of us all.

“We will continue to work with residents to keep our Borough clean but have no doubt, we will also take the action required to prosecute those who dump waste irresponsibly and illegally.”

Warning to Sefton landlords that fly-tipping could earn them a £400 fine