A leading Burnley councillor has urged residents across the borough to take more pride in their communities in 2020. Councillor Cosima Towneley said Burnley Council could only effectively tackle the problem of flytipping with the help and support of local people.

“The council does what it can to keep our communities clean and tidy but it’s fighting a never-ending battle to try and keep our streets free of flytipping and the only way we can win that battle is with the help of residents,” she said.

“Think how much money we could save if we didn’t need to have clean-up crews going out every day to sort out the mess left by a selfish minority who don’t care about what effect dumping their rubbish on someone else’s doorstep has.

“We are organising extra street clean-ups in certain areas but that hard work and investment is being abused by some people who think it means they can wash their hands of their responsibility to dispose of their rubbish properly. We can clean up a street only for rubbish to start appearing again within a matter of days.

“In most cases people don’t go far to dump their rubbish and residents in the area know who’s responsible for the flytipping. We want people to report the flytippers and give the council information so that we can catch those responsible and fine and prosecute them. We want to make the flytippers think twice before they dump any rubbish and realise there’s a good chance they will get caught and punished.

“We need people to take a pride in their communities and help us catch and fine those that dump their rubbish on our doorsteps and wash their hands of any responsibility.

“Dish the dirt on the flytippers and help us keep your communities clean and tidy.”

The council will clean up flytipping if it’s reported and officers try to gather evidence so that action can be taken against those responsible. For example, the council’s contractors recently cleaned up more than 20 bags of household rubbish dumped at the rear of Ormerod Road, Burnley. Officers traced the rubbish to an address close by and the householders were spoken to and now face further enforcement action.

Residents can give information on flytipping and those responsible online at www.burnley.gov.uk or by contacting the council’s streetscene unit by email streetscene@burnley.gov.uk or caling 01282 425011.