Fly-tipping in Biggleswade's Bonds Lane is becoming "rat-infested"
Rubbish piled up along a Biggleswade street has led to it becoming “rat-infested”, a meeting heard.
Problems of waste dumped in Bonds Lane resurfaced at a town council meeting, with a renewed call for prompt action to resolve the situation.
Businesses along the road have their refuse collected, but this can attract fly-tipping or litter being discarded there.
Town councillor Madeline Russell raised the topic during members’ questions, warning: “The rubbish in Bonds Lane, if anything it’s getting worse and certainly not improving.
“I deal with a couple of businesses nearby and I hardly dare go in there now because I get an earful every time, despite explaining it’s not the town council’s remit.
“They’re very upset and it’s not just smelly, it’s rat-infested now. I was told this week a man appeared with a shopping trolley containing rubbish, piled it on where the waste has built up and had the gall to leave the trolley there, having dumped the contents.
“One of the shopkeepers said he’d been told by Central Bedfordshire Council that it was Bedford Borough Council’s problem, and not CBC’s. This might mean the contractors that empty those bins are BBC’s (responsibility).
“But the contractors will only empty those containers according to their contracts with the commercial (enterprises). If they’re not being paid by the various shopkeepers they won’t come and collect.
“It’s CBC’s road and the waste is on the street. That’s an issue for highways, or it should be, within the local authority. It’s getting more like the horrible scenes you see in Birmingham, luckily only on a small scale. But it’s like that now with the smell and the rats.
“We need to write again to CBC, not just to officers but to whoever might be a relevant cabinet member and also to council leader and Independent Potton councillor Adam Zerny. Ward councillors have tried to do something about it and nothing is happening.”
Mayor Jonathan Woodhead agreed, saying: “At least two of the ward councillors have tried to raise this issue and are getting pushed back by CBC or other bodies.
“That’s quite concerning because it’s definitely an environmental health issue. There’s rubbish that’s been there for a long time. I’ve walked down there and it’s really unpleasant.
“Everyone seems to be passing the buck. I’ll leave it to the town clerk whether to copy in the ward councillors, but we need some movement on this.
“It would be helpful if it’s cleared completely and then we can work out who’s being remiss later on. It’s becoming a big problem, so we’ll follow it up at the next meeting.”
Town councillor Duncan Strachan added: “Rubbish being discarded is bad enough. If there are now rats, that could lead to considerable health issues.
“It’s no good officers passing the buck. The environmental health department at CBC has to take responsibility, even if they contra charge other people.”
Town councillor Andy Skilton described it on social media last month as “a fly-tip on a public road”, after residents were reporting their concerns about “vermin, the fire risk, health hazards and the road’s poor appearance, which encourages more anti-social behaviour”.