Fly-tipping at award-winning Wetherby park costs council over £2,000
Fly-tipping costs over £2k to clear from Wetherby park
Fly-tipping at an award-winning Wetherby park has recently cost the council over £2,000 to clear.
The local authority said that it had seen a rise of dumping over the last 12 months and highlighted an incident at Sandringham Park.
A spokesperson for Wetherby Town Council said: “During routine tree maintenance, an enormous pile of waste was found behind the cover of the tree line.
“In order to access the waste to allow the team to check for any hazardous materials, seven healthy trees had to be felled.
“During a climate emergency, the destruction of healthy trees is devastating and in this situation should have been completely unnecessary.”
They added: “So far, the spend on clearing the fly-tip is £2196 which is coming out of tax payers pockets.
“We would much rather spend this money on improving our playgrounds and green spaces and providing more provision for our community.
During Fly-tipping Fornight (October 12-25), Wetherby Town Council made a plea to residents to use registered waste removal firms and to report rubbish being dumped in public places.
The council spokesperson added: “Over the last 12 months, we have seen a huge increase in fly-tipping across our area.
“The majority are in public areas and we work with our colleagues at Leeds City Council to report and clear the waste as quickly and safely as possible.
“The knock on effect of fly-tipping is huge - from the potential nature of the waste, the hazards it could pose, the threat to wildlife to the cost, the impact has been significant.
Sandringham Park last year opened a newly refurbished play area and announced that it had won its 15th Green Flag in July this year.
The site had for a time been blighted by vandalism and anti-social behaviour but former councillor Kazia Knight, as chairman of the Friends of Sandringham Park, rallied the community.
At the official opening of the new play facility in summer 2025, Coun Knight, was awarded the Wetherby Platinum Award for her long-standing dedication and service to the town. The honour came months before she died last January.