Fly-tipping, littering and unsanitary behaviour around the London Road area have raised concerns that the city council has not been proactive on tackling these issues.
A car park behind The Beauty Refinery salon has been the site of the unauthorised disposal of waste for what is claimed to be years. Minal Parmar, the owner of the salon had this to say: “It has been happening for a long time now. For years, not even months. There are a lot of properties around the car park behind our salon, many with students in, and it seems that when one person starts throwing their rubbish on the ground instead of in their bin, other people seems to think it’s okay to do that.”
When asked if Minal had reported the issue she said: “To be honest, I’ve reported it quite a few times over the years and then I just gave up. It felt like nothing was happening to deal with it.”
It’s also been found that used medical masks are amongst the rubbish being dumped, which also poses an increased health risk due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A Leicester City Council spokesperson said: “Flytipping is illegal and is a blight on our communities. Unfortunately, it has increased nationally since the beginning of lockdown. Incidents of flytipping in Leicester rose to 4,566 from April to the end of August, compared to 3,589 for the same period last year.
“Flytipping is cleared by the council if it’s on a street or public land, but otherwise is the responsibility of the landowner. You can report flytipping to the city council for investigation, by calling 0116 454 1001 or going online to https://my.leicester.gov.uk/
“Our city wardens are aware of the accumulation of waste at this location, arrangements to clear the area are in place and an investigation is underway.
“There are many ways to dispose of waste responsibly. Householders can use our kerbside waste and recycling collections, plus our free bulky waste collection service. Businesses can use our trade waste facility at Gypsum Close.
“Any PPE related to coronavirus – such as gloves and face coverings – should be disposed of as general waste. Any personal waste from someone with coronavirus should be ‘double bagged’ and set aside for 72 hours, before being placed in your general waste bin.
“There is no excuse for flytipping, which costs the council hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to clear up.”
There is also an issue of anti-social behaviour in the carpark behind The Beauty Refinery, with used condoms being found scattered around the area, and people under the influence of drugs frequenting the area. “This is very intimidating to come outside after work, especially now it’s getting dark, and not knowing who could be out there in the dark. I once opened the door to someone passed out on drugs, blocking my path. I was alone and it was a very scary time.”
To report any non-hazardous fly-tipping, you can fill out the council form here. Otherwise, if there is an immediate threat to public health or to a property, you can call 0116 454 1001 to report.
Anti-social behaviour should be reported to the police via 101, or via 999 in the case of an emergency.
By Sam Ellison
