An ‘eyesore’ heap of rubbish and fly-tipping has accumulated again behind a block of flats in Slough – but Slough Borough Council says it is not responsible for clearing it.
In August last year, residents of Salt Hill Mansions, a privately-owned block of flats off Bath Road, raised concerns about the health and safety risk the rubbish behind the residential building was creating.
A Salt Hill resident, who did not wish to be named, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the rubbish had been cleared twice since then but ‘it’s just a mess again’.
“You come into the road, it’s a disgusting mess. It’s an eyesore and it’s an embarrassment to have friends and family visit you and have to drive past that,” the resident said.
“When it’s like that and it’s the warmer weather, it absolutely stinks. It’s horrible. When the wind is blowing, we get all the rubbish blown into our gardens as well.”
Gates and a lock have been put up to ensure the rubbish bins are in a locked compound that is only accessible to residents.
But the resident said the gates are open all the time, and other measures, such as CCTV to monitor the area, have not been put in place either.
There is an infestation of rats and foxes, which often rip open the bin bags and leave them on the ground.
Another Salt Hill Mansions resident said that since the summer period last year, a lot of fly-tipping has been left behind the building as well.
He said the last time the litter accumulated that badly, it had spilled on to the main road and pavement, blocking access for cars to get through.
“It was absolutely disgusting. I’ve never seen anything like it,” he added. “It’s been going on too long. No one seems to care.”
A Slough Borough Council spokesperson told the LDRS: “The fly-tipping at Salt Hill Mansions is blocking access to the bins and therefore our crews cannot access the large bins to empty them.”
Previously, two of the dustbins were damaged, so rubbish was not being collected and overflowing as a result, the resident explained.
He said Mint Lettings, the managing agent for Salt Hill Mansions, replaced the damaged bins and brought in a new recycling bin with a lock on it.
