"Jobs Worth" Council Contractors Ignore Rubbish Fire Risk

5.09.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 7th Jul 2009

Flammable rubbish ignored by Council contractors

Local Liberal Democrat Councillors were left appalled by Council Contractors jobs worth attitude in ignoring a heap of flammable rubbish left at the site of the popular weekend refuse freighter in Park Avenue, Foley Park, Maidstone.

Local Councillors were incredulous that contractors ignored plastic garden chairs, plastic sheeting and other flammable rubbish left on the wooded open space immediately adjacent to the regular freighter stop - on what was one of the hottest days of the year.

Local Lib Dem Councillor Tony Harwood stated "This unfortunate episode comes as a reminder that residents using the service can no longer expect the Council contractors to assist them in loading their bulky rubbish onto the freighter. I passed the freighter a couple of times during their scheduled stop on Saturday morning and it was clear that the contractors were hardly rushed off their feet. If I had any idea that this heap of flammable rubbish was going to be ignored I would have stopped and loaded it myself."

Tony added: "The crazy thing is that I have now had to contact Maidstone Council to request that another lorry is sent out at the expense of the environment and taxpayer to clear this rubbish up, because it is the Council's legal responsibility to clear fly tipping. The flammable plastic rubbish was tampered with over Saturday night and my big concern was the risk of arson because the surrounding grassland and trees are a tinder box following the recent hot weather."

Local Lib Dem County Councillor Ian Chittenden said, "Like Tony Harwood, I am becoming concerned at what seems to be an increase in local fly-tipping. While it does not help that the times for many of the freighter stops have been reduced, I am particularly concerned that the support vehicle that used to travel with the Freighter lorry, to deal with heavy electrical items, has been cancelled altogether".