Aminur Rahman, who lives in the Barkerend area, contacted the T&A to say that some of our recent articles on fly-tipping had “really resonated” with him, and so he felt compelled to share his own experience.
Mr Rahman told the T&A that fly-tipping “has been happening repeatedly for a long time” in Bradford Moor and despite logging incidents, and reporting it to the council “the problem keeps returning.”
For Mr Rahman, fly-tipping is much more than merely an eyesore, it’s affecting his mental health, and that of other residents – and he worries it’s becoming normalised in Bradford.
Mr Rahman (Image: T&A)
“It’s not just an eyesore, it’s starting to seriously affect residents’ mental health, including my own. The sense of neglect, helplessness, and living in a space that feels constantly degraded is exhausting,” he said.
“It’s happening every other day, and what troubles me most is that people seem to be getting used to walking past rubbish and dirt. It’s as if they’ve accepted that living in this filth is normal.
“I am constantly ringing the council to report fly-tipping, and it is very draining. I honestly feel that if I left it, more rubbish would just pile up. I hate being surrounded by filth. I love where I live – so why should I even think of relocating because of other people’s selfishness?”
Mr Rahman (Image: T&A)
In terms of what he thinks should be done, he wants to see “more leaflets, local councillors coming to speak directly with residents, and even mosques helping to spread the message about keeping our environment clean.”
“Something must be done on a serious level to tackle those who fly-tip,” he added. “Fly-tipping isn’t just an eyesore – it is mentally draining. Sometimes I feel very upset. I cannot understand how people throw rubbish onto our streets as if it doesn’t matter.”
He thinks the council HMRCs are “fantastic” and enjoys teaching his children how to dispose of rubbish responsibly, but he is very well aware that not all residents are as diligent.
Mr Rahman (Image: T&A)
“Whenever I have bags of rubbish, I take my boys with me to the drop-off point and we dispose of everything correctly. I feel genuinely happy doing that, and I teach my sons how to do it properly too,” he said. “We must keep our environment clean – it cannot carry on like this.
“But I’m sad to say that some residents just don’t care how the streets look. They don’t care about fly-tipping. They seem happy to live in this manner. A lot of the time, I feel I am on my own battling this – and that is truly upsetting.”
Mr Rahman (Image: T&A)
What the council said
A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “We acknowledge how upsetting and stressful it is for our residents to find fly-tipped waste on their streets. Fly-tipping is a selfish and despicable criminal offence, showing a complete disregard of the environment and the impact it has on people and places.
“We are doing our best to tackle it and pursue prosecutions and fines or custodial sentences for the perpetrators, where possible. Last year we announced higher fines of up to £1,000 for serious offences and more CCTV cameras in fly-tipping hotspots across the district. “But above all else, we cannot act on fly-tipping without the eyes of our residents. We urge anyone who witnesses or suspects fly-tipping to report it to us, either by ringing 01274 431000 or going online to our website – https://www.bradford.gov.uk/transport-and-travel/report-issues/report-fly-tipping/”