More rubbish is left behind in Harwich as tips remain shut

Essex County Council re-opened more than a dozen tips on May 18 with social distancing rules in place.

Nearly a month later, a date as to when Dovercourt and Lawford’s centres will re-open remains unknown.

Harwich town councillors are now claiming they have been inundated with messages from residents complaining about ongoing fly-tipping near Albemarle Street and Maria Street, in Harwich, as well as near Dovercourt town centre and Bathside.

MORE RUBBISH: Black bin bags were left in alleyway

Ivan Henderson, Harwich town councillor, has written to Simon Walsh, Essex County Councillor responsible for the environment, calling for the urgent re-opening of Dovercourt Recycling centre for weeks.

Mr Henderson said the very last thing residents want to see is their area turned into a fly-tipping spot.

He said: “As shops are re-opening, it’s time we harden our pressure on the council.

“There’s no excuse not to re-open the sites and let people get rid of rubbish which has accumulated over the months.”

At present, the nearest open tip is an hour’s round trip to Clacton.

Geoff Smith, Harwich town councillor, has visited the areas where rubbish has been dumped recently.

He said: “Obviously, one of the reasons why people are dumping rubbish around is because the tip is closed.

“But you can’t put all the blame on the fact the recycling centre is closed.

“Fly-tipping is a massive issue in the town at the moment, and it’s not acceptable for people to do it.”

Carlo Guglielmi, Essex county councillor for Lawford, said he is writing regular emails to the county council regarding the re-opening of Lawford Recycling Centre.

Mr Guglielmi said this issue is a constant frustration for him as everyone has waste they need to dispose of.

“However, there’s no excuse for fly-tipping, it is illegal and people who do it need to be fined,” he added.

“The tip in Lawford has an ample amount of space for cars to queue as the entrance is still in an industrial estate road.”

An Essex County Council spokesman said fly-tipping is an issue which impacts the county as a whole, with isolated spots being particularly vulnerable to this illegal activity.

“The Bathside area has been prone to fly-tipping prior to the temporary closure of the local recycling centres.

"There is no evidence that levels have been specifically impacted by the current closure.”

He added the decision to re-open the Dovercourt and Lawford recycling centres is “under review”.

Michael Talbot, cabinet member for the environment at Tendring Council, said there was no excuse for people to dump waste whatever the circumstances.

He said: “We have maintained a full kerbside collection service and the vast majority of households are having no problems.

"We appreciate it has been difficult when recycling centres were closed but we support Essex County Council in its decisions which protect both the public and staff. We deplore any fly-tipping.”