City council told to up efforts in Love Norwich campaign

Items such as a TV, sofa, seats and foliage have been spotted fly-tipped in Cadge Close, Earlham, with neighbours calling for stronger deterrents.

Leon Best, who lives in Motum Road, said: "I think it’s disgusting – I know you have to pay to take it to the tip but that's not the point. 

"People can’t just dump this kind of rubbish anywhere.

Items such as a TV, sofa and a computer chair have been spotted fly tipped in Cadge Close (Image: Leon Best)

"It costs so much now to have someone come and take it away people just leave it somewhere and hope someone else - most likely the council - will come and deal with it.

"I see people throwing rubbish out onto the paths around where I live - it's getting out of control."

Despite the fly-tipping in the area, Norwich City Council has this week highlighted the progress of its Love Norwich campaign, which has seen more than 150 streets, cycleways and footpaths, cleared of litter, fly-tipping and overgrown vegetation.

Teams are said to have visited areas around North Earlham, Heartsease and Heathgate, with another eight districts lined up through to spring 2024.

The fly tip was found in Cadge Close, Earlham (Image: Submitted)

Councillor Mike Stonard, leader of the city council, said: "We’re really pleased with how the clean-up has gone in areas already targeted.

"Residents tell us they want to see the city looking its very best with clean streets and less environmental crime such as fly-tipping.

READ MORE: Neighbours told when final details will be submitted for 205 new homes

"The money the council is forced to pay for clearing up fly-tipping, deliberately left on our streets by irresponsible people, is money which would be far better spent on other vital public services."

Leon Best, who lives in Motum Road, said the waste was disgusting (Image: Leon Best)

But Mr Best says the streets cleaned so far is just a fraction of the city's larger issue, adding: "They need to keep it up because it's only a small part of the city.

"The council need to carry on with its clean up otherwise it will just keep happening and those streets will just become horrible again."

The piles of rubbish was found amid Norwich City Council's claim it's cleared more than 150 streets, cycleways and footpaths around the city (Image: Leon Best)

Love Norwich campaign

The city council say the campaign has helped reduce fly-tipping reports by 22.75pc in August, September and October this year, compared with the same period in 2022. 

Love Norwich was launched a year ago after a public consultation revealed that fly-tipping was a key concern, with 6,941 incidents reported between October 2022 and September 2023 - costing over £348,000 from council coffers for collection and disposal.  

The installation of CCTV in fly-tipping hotspots is scheduled for the new year to help identify persistent offenders. 

READ MORE: Estate looking like 'third-world country' after bins not collected for weeks

Teams from Norwich City Council and Norwich City Services Ltd (NCSL) have been working on a rolling programme of neighbourhood clean-ups to remove fly-tipped rubbish, litter and graffiti in public areas, tidy grass edging and shrubs, clean down pavements and sweep hard surfaces. 

So far, the council teams have covered a combined total of 101 roads, two cycleways and 48 footpaths.  

The 14 tonnes of soil cleared - equivalent to the weight of a double-decker bus - from the edging of paths has been recycled across the city by filling holes and sunken areas on verges.