Council calls for action on town’s litter problem

Action must be taken to tackle the ongoing problem of fly-tipping and littering in the town, say town councillors.

Councillors discussed concerns over fly-tipping in  Church Street car park and littering in the Scotland Road and Murray Walk areas, at an asset management committee meeting last month.

“Church Street car park has become a dumping ground,” said cllr Martin Pain. “It is becoming a popular place to dump rubbish and it will become worse.”

The ongoing problem has been reported to Wiltshire Council who have cleared the rubbish away on a number of occasions, only for it to pile up again soon after.

Deputy mayor, cllr Jon Hubbard said, “Fly-tipping is a criminal offence; Wiltshire Council are clamping down and are getting quite tough on this. They can open bags, identify who the rubbish belongs to and issue fines.”

Town clerk Clare Harris is due to meet with representatives from Wiltshire Council this week to discuss ideas put forward by the council to resolve the problem. These ideas include CCTV, signage and patrols from civil enforcement officers.

Councillors also discussed concerns from a local resident about litter from McDonald’s on Scotland Road and Murray Walk.

It was noted that McDonald’s are keen to help with the problem by installing more bins in the area. It was suggested by the council that a bin be placed at the end of Scotland Walk, where most of the litter is left.

Above: the Fly-tipping in Church Street car park.