A large amount of commercial waste was left unprotected in Cutteslowe Park for two months while Oxford City Council carried out “improvement works” in the park’s pavilions.
A concerned local, who wants to remain anonymous, approached the parks department, who was not responsible for the rubbish, after she saw children climbing and playing on the large pieces of metal waste.
READ MORE: Anger over ‘massive’ leak in Bicester amid hosepipe ban
She accused the council of hypocritical fly tipping, adding that other people would be prosecuted if they did the same thing.
Oxford City Council confirmed the rubbish was produced by their activities but denied that it was fly tipping.
The concerned resident said: “I live in Oxford and use the park on a regular basis for dog walking and with my grandchildren.
Help support trusted local news
Sign up for a digital subscription now: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe/
As a digital subscriber you will get:
Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website
Advert-light access
Reader rewards
Full access to our app
“They’ve left their rusting dangerous pile of rubbish for over two months, and I’ve seen children attempting to push the water cylinder.
“I feel it’s disgusting that we pay extortionate council taxes and would ourselves be prosecuted if we had dumped that waste in the park.
“It is also ironic that the council have slapped ‘doing good’ all over their vans and yet they are quite happy to leave this dangerous building waste that is slowly rusting in an area of the park that is accessible to children and animals.”
READ MORE: Oxfordshire MP against use of hotels for asylum seekers
A spokesperson for Oxford City Council said: “This is not fly tipping.
“These are the old tanks from the upper pavilion which forms part of the improvement works to both pavilions (Upper and Lower).
“The improvement work to both pavilions involves replacement of all of the major plant, which will make it eco efficient, fit for purpose and will reduce utility bills significantly.
“The old tanks are currently fenced off and the contractors will environmentally dispose of them in due course.
“It is anticipated that all will be removed and dispose of together upon completion of both pavilions.”
The resident who spotted the rubbish confirmed to The Oxford Mail that fencing was added only after this paper raised the issue with the city council, about two months after the rubbish appeared.
The city council also denied that the “improvement works” to the Upper and Lower pavilions had anything to do with sewage leaks which affected visitors to Cutteslowe Splash Park this summer.
READ MORE: Person tried to evade police twice during Oxford operation
The council admitted that in June, a “blocked drain” caused sewage to spill out of a manhole outside the splash park which impacted “pedestrian access”, and said they subsequently received a complaint from a resident which they were investigating.
Alison Rudge, who was visiting the splash park with her grandson at the time, said they were “covered” in sewage.
The council declined to give an update on the investigation when asked.