‘Disgusting’ fly-tipping prompts call for Horsham waste tips to be re-opened

A call has gone out for West Sussex County Council to reopen waste tips following a number of fly-tipping incidents in Horsham.
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Rubbish dumps throughout the county were closed suddenly by the council at the start of the coronavirus crisis.

But now residents are calling for them to be reopened following reports of rubbish being dumped in various places in the district.

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Horsham resident Naomi Ford was on her way to work when she spotted a load of rubbish strewn onto land bordering Forest Road near Cottesmore Country Club. She was so incensed she took a photo of the rubbish. “It’s disgusting,” she said. “Whoever tipped that lot needs a good hiding.”

Fly-tipped rubbish off Forest Road, Horsham SUS-200422-142745001Fly-tipped rubbish off Forest Road, Horsham SUS-200422-142745001
Fly-tipped rubbish off Forest Road, Horsham SUS-200422-142745001

She said more people were accumulating extra rubbish at home during the current lockdown. “It’s about time the tips were reopened.

“If supermarkets can manage to arrange people to stay two metres apart, then I don’t see why it can’t be done at the tips.”

But a spokesperson for West Sussex County Council said: “The decision to temporarily close our household waste recycling sites was taken to ensure the safety of residents and our workforce and align our activities with NHS and government guidance.

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“Before the sites closed, measures were introduced so that visitors and staff could maintain a safe distance from each other. Unfortunately, many residents ignored these safeguards and, in some instances, became aggressive and abusive towards staff.

Naomi Ford SUS-200422-142927001Naomi Ford SUS-200422-142927001
Naomi Ford SUS-200422-142927001

“Our absolute priority is to keep people safe by following guidance from central government and this left us with no alternative but to close the sites.

“They remain closed until further notice, along with most other household waste recycling sites in the country.

“We understand this has caused concern for some residents, however, these are unprecedented times. Everyone is being advised to only leave the house to shop for essential items, to go to work if absolutely necessary and to exercise once a day.

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“Our opinion is that disposing of items such as furniture or garden waste cannot be considered an essential journey.

“In the meantime, we are reviewing how and when it would be appropriate to reopen our sites.

“However, we will only do this when we can be certain that the safety of residents and staff is not compromised and that this action would not conflict with the current overriding principles of Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives.”

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