Anger over Catcliffe nature reserve fly-tipping

Bags of waste and even a broken fridge have been found at Catcliffe Flash, which is a haven for wildfowl.

Catcliffe parish councillor Pete Deveaux said he had reported the dumping off Treeton Lane, which is not on parish land, to Rotherham Borough Council’s Streetpride team because he was so angry about it.

Mr Deveaux said: “It’s disgusting. You cannot understand it.

“There have been a lot of complaints about this on the Friends of Catcliffe Facebook page.

“It is listed as a local nature reserve and there is wildlife there.”

Mr Deveaux said he was worried that if waste tip site rules which limit the amount that can be dumped at them continued then this is could encourage even more fly-tipping.

“The one thing that is coming through is that while the tips stop vans going into waste sites then they are going to tip the waste anywhere they can,” he said.

Catcliffe Flash is an open stretch of water formed by subsidence and surrounded by well-developed marshland and willow carr, which is a popular spot for Rotherham birdwatchers and nature lovers.

Lewis Coates, Rotherham Council’s head of service, regulation and enforcement, said the rubbish would be cleared as soon as possible and highlighted the shocking cost to the public, adding: “Fly-tipping costs council tax payers in Rotherham over £1 million each year and we are determined to work with local communities to bring those who carry out this crime to justice.

“If anyone has any information about fly-tipping, they can report it to us at www.rotherham.gov.uk/report.”