Burnley's empty homes blighted by backyard rubbish

5:30am Tuesday 7th October 2008

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By Chris Hopper »

SIX hundred empty homes in Burnley have back yards filled with rotting rubbish, it has emerged.

And Burnley Council has only three full-time officers tasked with collecting the waste which is blighting neighbourhoods across the borough.

The revelation has prompted a leading councillor to call on council chiefs to install CCTV to catch the culprits who are leaving bags of rubbish and old electrical appliances in the yards of some of Burnley’s 2,270 empty properties.

However, Burnley Council bosses have said they are getting tough and taking action against persistent fly-tippers.

Labour group leader Julie Cooper said streets including Leyland Road in her Bank Hall ward “sickened” her.

She said: “The council did not put the rubbish in these yards but they have got people next door or opposite living with this rubbish and it is not good enough.

“The homes are sitting empty, often with no back gate on them, and you don’t have to go far in my ward to look at them.

“They are full of TVs, fridges and other rubbish and we could really do with CCTV there because I am sure it is the same people.”

Conservative group leader Peter Doyle admitted fly-tipping is a “problem” but said installing CCTV in affected areas would be “difficult”.

He added: “You cannot put cameras everywhere as they are expensive.

“The council has worked hard to tackle the rubbish but the problem keeps coming back again.”

Council bosses have admitted CCTV is unlikely to be installed to tackle the fly-tipping at empty homes.

But they said officers cleaned out 2,400 back yards last year and hope to remove rubbish from a similar number this year.

Head of Streetscene Angela Culleton added: “Burnley Council is determined to tackle the problem of waste in back yards spoiling our communities but the task we face is a huge one and we need the support of the public.

“We will be targeting areas throughout the borough to reduce the numbers of fly-tipped back yards and will help householders to access our recycling and refuse collection services.

“Wherever possible we will take enforcement action against those responsible for dumping rubbish in back yards or anywhere else "If anyone has any information about people responsible for fly-tipping, in backyards or anywhere else, they should contact the Streetscene unit on 01282 425011.”