A campaigner fighting against fly-tippers has said unlicensed waste disposal companies are dumping waste under the cover of darkness in Mile Cross, festooning the community with ugly mounds of rubbish.

Rebecca Fairclough, 44, believes the rising cost of responsibly disposing of waste is behind the increase in illegal dumping.

Rebecca Fairclough (Image: Submitted)

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Mrs Fairclough said: “Fly-tipping is something that we see daily.

“Our street light goes out at midnight, then it makes it easy for vans to pull up and dump things.

“You have got unregistered waste disposal companies who will say they can get rid of stuff for £50 when it should be more like £200 to £300.

“Someone who is charging you £50 to clear your garden is not going to pay £400 to take it to the tip.

“We have seen a lot of trade waste dumped, even entire van loads of plasterboard, wood, white goods.”

Any business carrying waste for customers should be registered with the Environment Agency as an upper-tier waste carrier.

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Much of the fly-tipped material is trade waste and white goods (Image: Submitted)

TERRIFIED LOCALS

Mrs Fairclough added the dumping can be frightening for those living in the area, when vans turn up in the middle of the night to dump their loads.

“Someone saw a blue van being unloaded recently. It is scary because you do not want to confront them,” she said.

Waste has been dumped around the estate (Image: Submitted)

“It is dark and you can’t see the number plates.

“For older residents it is scary and there are children who play around there.

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More waste believed to have been dumped by rogue waste traders (Image: Submitted)

“But also, if you pay one of those rogue waste companies and they dump your stuff and it gets found, you are then liable.

“It is making it dangerous to live in Mile Cross and it is a terrifying thought.

“When you see it, it is really disheartening and you can get quite down.

“On every road in Mile Cross there is a fridge freezer in a garden.

“I started Mile Cross Litterbusters in January and littering has gone down…but fly tipping has gone up.”

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Waste is dumped under cover of night in the Mile Cross estate (Image: Submitted)

TIP CHARGES

Last year, cost-cutting measures were introduced by Norfolk County Council meaning people wanting to take their rubbish to a recycling centre have to have book a slot for their visit beforehand, either online or by phone.

Those who have not done so, are turned away.

When the new system was announced, critics feared it would trigger an increase in fly-tipping. 

The new system was introduced last year (Image: Ian Burt)

But County Hall leaders insisted it would not and point out Suffolk and Essex already have similar booking systems in place.

Chrissie Rumsby, a county councillor for Mile Cross said: “There is a lot of trade that comes during the night to dump in Mile Cross.

“I have been trying to prove it is down to tip charges and booking systems.

“But also, people cannot afford to dispose of things.

“It is a problem everywhere and it seems to be escalating.

Chrissie Rumsby (Image: Norfolk Labour)

“It is traders that are thinking they have to pay to drop off, so I will dump it, but proving it is another thing really.

“People are saying they are arriving at night but we are not getting number plates.

“We are trying to highlight the issue and educate, but you need proof before you can enforce.”

In August, Environmental health officers launched an investigation after waste was left in a field between the Norwich South Recycling Centre and the Brooks Green Gypsy and Traveller site, at Harford Bridge.