The efforts of the valiant team, and individuals who collect litter whilst parading along the highways and byways that lead to Burghwallis may shed a tear. The brigade of anti social half wits have struck again. Blessed from birth with approximately two operational neurones in the grey matter, one of which is sadly misused in controlling life support, the other focusing on where to dump it’s rubbish.
Poor Scorcher Hills Lane has accommodated the fly tipper yet again. This time the jobbing builder responsible (as determined by the nature of the deposit) has become more sophisticated. The Transit van cargo space was first covered in a large plastic sheet before the junk from his or hers building project was loaded on board. Calling in to Burghwallis saves the cost and effort of disposing of the rubbish in an official land fill site, and paying the disposal fee which was included in his quotation to the unsuspecting house holder whose rubbish is being cleared.
The van driver pulls into the roadside in the copse of trees; opens the rear cargo door, pulls the draw sheet complete with the rubbish out of the back and onto the road side in one swift movement. The whole cycle takes as long as the time to read this last paragraph. And he/she is gone.
If we have to live with our friendly fly tippers, motivated towards avoiding the charges levied by the DMBC and government for commercial waste we could do with a reporting system that does not take 20 minutes to complete or assume the elderly residents of the village will want to use a phone app. We live in rapidly changing technological world that unfortunately has established a sector entirely complacent about the effects of chucking litter and rubbish where the mood takes them. Perhaps we should change the term fly tipping to establish a more aggressive stance. Toxic Dumpers might be a start and any miscreant should hooked onto a cable that would run the length of the A1 starting at Newcastle and ending at London. They would have to walk along said cable picking up litter. He or she would released once they have reached the other end or collected 5 tonnes of litter which ever comes soonest. Repeat offenders get to be coupled the cable on the central reservation. That would be a great election manifesto for one of the party leaders and absolutely get one vote! ……and breathe……..
You can contact the FLAG system using on the following contact points
1. Online: Using the webs site and completing an on-line eform (takes around 5 minutes)
2. Telephone the DMBC central exchange on 01032 73600 and give your details ( also takes around 5 minutes once you have got through)
3. Download the mobile phone app. This app is far more versatile that we may have implied! You can use the app to report all manner of issues concerning the the council – from dog fouling, missing man hole covers to failed street lights.