Rubbish is tipped out just yards from dump

Rubbish is tipped out just yards from dump

25 January 2012 - by DAVID TELFORD

ILLEGAL dumpers have struck again in Downpatrick.

A quantity of household rubbish was dumped recently at Old Course Road — just yards from Down Council’s civic amenity site.

The waste included mattresses, chairs, computer monitors, and other household waste including sweet and biscuit tins which was left at the side of the road close to the local authority’s public cemetery.

The latest incident comes just a few weeks after Down Council’s chief executive, Mr. John Dumigan, admitted the council was “fighting a losing battle” against illegal dumpers and litter louts.

The council chief expressed concern at the scale of the problem which is costing ratepayers over a £1m a year to clean up after litter louts and illegal dumpers.

Mr. Dumigan said people who dump waste illegally fail to realise that ultimately they end up paying for it to be removed through their rates and it’s a view shared by council vice-chairman Liam Johnston.

He said it “simply beggars belief” that people would dump waste at the Old Course Road which is so close to the local authority’s civic amenity site at Cloonagh Road.

Councillor Johnston condemned those responsible for dumping waste and said he “cannot understand the rationale for driving to secluded areas to dump waste when it costs nothing to take it to a civic amenity site.”

He declared: “It beggars belief that someone loaded up a vehicle with this amount of rubbish and instead of taking it to the amenity site, decided to dump it at the Old Course Road. It just doesn’t make sense.”

The civic amenity site is currently closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays and while Councillor Johnston acknowledged that this is not an ideal scenario, he said it was no excuse to dump waste illegally.

“The Cloonagh Road facility is open on five other days including the weekend. There is simply no excuse for what happened at the Old Course Road and it mustn’t be repeated.

“Lessons have been learned regarding the closure of the civic amenity site centre over the Christmas period, but there is no excuse for the illegal dumping witnessed at the Old Course Road.”

He added: “Every week there are articles in the local press on either illegal dumping, litter ping, or dog fouling. Due to the inconsiderate behaviour of the people responsible, the bill to clean up the mess they leave is continuously being picked up by hard pressed ratepayers. It’s about time the culprits caught themselves on.”