Town centre visitors outraged by eyesore fly-tipping

by Paul Jackson

VISITORS to Warrington town centre have been left outraged by fly-tipping at the rear of the old Woolworths store on Barbauld Street.

A huge, overflowing skip has been left for several weeks following renovation works on the former Carlton Club, which is being converted into apartments.

It has become so full that a huge amount of waste is now building up all around the area causing not only an unsightly mess but also a serious environmental health issue with sightings of vermin.

Most of the waste is discarded cardboard packaging. When asked about the cause of the mess local businesses claimed that it was the result of fly tipping.

A spokesperson from the pop up Christmas shop said that initially they had asked the builders if they could use the skip to put a few boxes in but when the fly tippers threw in their rubbish at night it must have knocked their waste out. She said that the Fire Warden and a council official had visited the scene and she would be delighted to see it cleaned up.

A spokesperson at Poundland, which now occupies the former Woolworths, said none of the packaging was attributable to them. He said all Poundland recyclable cardboard is bailed in store and then responsibly disposed of.

The eyesore has sparked outrage on social media from people visiting the town centre, with many urging the council to take action.

A council spokesperson said:“Warrington Borough Council is aware of this incident and is currently carrying out a thorough investigation.

“It is important that we take steps to identify those responsible for the waste and that we don’t use valuable Council resources to constantly remove other people’s fly tipped rubbish.

“Investigations include contacting the owners of neighbouring premises and related commercial waste companies.”