'Welcome to Whitley' Residents ANGER over notorious fly-tipping alleyway

An alleyway notorious for fly tipping is raising concerns among residents who are tired of seeing their neighbourhood in such a state.

The cut through between Kingsbridge Road and Dawlish Road in Whitley is an important route for children getting to and from local schools.

However, the alleyway has become a consistent place where people have been fly-tipping much to the disgust of residents' who's gardens and houses back onto the cut through.

Resident Sharon had suggested that the alleyway should be shut to the public to stop the problem, but subsequently found out that this could not be done.

"The alleyway can't be shut as it has an electricity station there and workman need access to it," she said.

"An older resident told me this. Plus other people have fire escapes on their properties and would need access via the cut through.

"But all this could be solved if residents were given a key, but because of the electric stuff that apparently can't happen."

Sharon said that because larger bins are only supplied to families of five plus, waste is building up among other families, especially those with young children, who don't have enough space to dispose of it.

"I'm older now, but I remember when I had young children and had the same issue," she said. "I even had bonfires trying to burn all the waste and then had complaints from the neighbours, but it's like what do you do?"

Sharon said that she had spoken to a labour councillor who took pictures of the fly tipping and reported it, but by the time someone got out clear it, more waste had built up.

Sharon describes the fly-tipping as a never ending cycle. "I see it all the time in the alley, every week you get someone putting rubbish in there.

"They push trollies with rubbish in them and then dump it all there. Kids go through and we also have a rat issue now."

Reading Borough Council have responded to these concerns and said that they are trying their best to handle the situation effectively.

A spokesperson for the council said: "The Council’s street-cleansing team work 7 days a week emptying the street litter bins, collecting litter and removing fly-tipped waste from Council land.

"We also have a team of officers that investigate waste deposit offences and can take enforcement action for unauthorised waste disposal, littering or failure to comply with waste duty of care requirements."