‘It makes me repulsed’ - Ilford residents start petition over fly-tipping

Everton Peart, 45, of Guildford Road, Ilford says he has seen mattresses, tables and sofas dumped in the street which could impact the health of residents.

He handed a petition with 73 signatures from the 80 houses in his street to the area six committee meeting held in South Park Primary School, Water Lane, Seven Kings last week.

Mr Peart said: “It’s unacceptable, something had to be done about it.

“There are health issues as we have a primary school at the bottom of the street.

“Rubbish is being there and it’s constant.”

He said people have been dumping rubbish at the end of his street every day for the past month.

“They should increase the fine,” he added. “There’s something different there every day. One person had tables dumped outside their garage. It’s appalling and it’s getting worse not better.”

The petition is against possible changes to have the street cleaned once every fortnight instead of weekly. Mr Peart said: “As a community it’s important for us to stand together. It’s our duty to raise the issues as it’s our health, if you don’t do something it will start to be the norm.”

These concerns are echoed by Anne Hoad, 61, of South Park Crescent, Ilford who said fly tipping encourages anti-social behaviour and crime.

She added: “It used to be a lovely area, in the last two or three years it’s become quite an unpleasant area full of tipping which increased anti-social behaviour.

“We are not going to give up, we are fighting it and want to get our area back.”

Labour Cllr Jas Athwal, of Mayfield ward, said: “We have rewarded bad behaviour as we pick it up.

“More needs to be done so they realise it’s easier to go to the dump than tip it.

“We need to think outside the box.”