Flytipping nearly doubles in Richmond Borough during lockdown
It's London's greenest borough, the only one to span both sides of the River Thames, home to the National Archives, Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, Twickenham Stadium and of course Teddington.
In short, Richmond upon Thames is seen as one of the more exclusive parts of the capital.
And it seems its fly-tipping reports are also a cut above the rest.
From dumping a piano, to a chaise lounge, and even eucalyptus trimmings, an analysis of Richmond's fly tipping reports for the past year reveals a list of things that could only ever be found in this part of London.
Since August 2019, 2,697 cases of fly tipping have been raised with the council, with a peak of 314 cases in August this year – up from just 180 in August last year according to a Freedom of Information Request.
This is perhaps due to more people spending time at home during the coronavirus lockdown, giving them time to clear out, as well as see and report on what their neighbours have left behind.
As well as the usual reports of black bin bags, old mattresses and broken furniture, Richmond has also recorded reports of abandoned wine racks, a stolen Marks & Spencer Trolley, a fitness rowing machine, an upholstered footstool, a massage table, and even a chandelier.
Dumped Christmas trees were reported 32 times during the period, with the majority in January, but there were some more unusual cases in July and August this year too.
In April there were also two reports that mentioned PPE items being fly tipped, a sign of the times during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week Richmond Council launched a new campaign, called Fighting Dirty, to tackle fly-tipping, littering and street urination in the borough, which all rose over the lockdown period.
Cllr Julia Neden-Watts, chair of the council's Environment and Sustainability Committee, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:
"Every year the Council spends around £3m collecting and clearing up waste around the borough. We have increased the number of bins, our street cleansing and the frequency of our collections. However, a small number of people still think it is OK to dump their unwanted items on the street.
"Through our new 'Fighting Dirty' campaign, we want to send a clear message to these people – fly-tipping is a criminal offence. If you are caught – you will be fined."
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