Hornsey woman's fury at Haringey Council over fly-tipping

Denica Williams, who lives in Palace View, in Newland Road, Hornsey, says she has been reporting the dumps to Haringey Council, its waste contractor Veolia and a managing agent for more than seven years, but nobody wants to take responsibility for the problem.

She says the waste attracts foxes, flies and maggots, creating a terrible smell. She has also had mouse infestations two or three times due to the rubbish.

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Denica said: “It is just an ongoing issue with lots of rubbish dumped, not disposed of properly, so the foxes come and the mess is just disgusting.

“There are maggots all over the door and on the walls, and it is just not suitable – and this has been going on for over seven years.

“It is an absolute mess […] I have to clear it away and the wind just blows it back anyway. There is nowhere to dispose of rubbish now. It is a nightmare.”

Rubbish dumped next to the flats. Photo: Denica Williams

Denica said the council told her the rubbish was dumped on private land, so it was not its duty to clear the mess.

She said the agent that manages part of the block, Allison Lodge, cleans up the rubbish periodically but more waste is soon dumped there again. Denica said the agent had told the council “these are your residents” and asked it to treat the problem as anti-social behaviour.

She said she had suggested several measures that could provide a long-term solution to the problem, including installing CCTV cameras and holding a residents’ meeting where the issue could be discussed, but “nobody has done anything at all”.

Rubbish dumped next to the flats. Photo: Denica Williams

Denica said a councillor told her she had escalated the issue and it was being investigated. “But it is an urgent matter,” Denica said. “There are maggots, and there are children living in the building. My daughter has health needs as well.

“It is having an impact mentally – the smell, the flies, everything. It is just not good.”

A council spokesperson said: “The wellbeing of our residents is a top priority, and we took strong action by issuing a community protection warning on the owners in 2022, which required clearance of the waste. Our waste contractor, Veolia, has also offered to provide larger capacity bins but the owners have not taken up this offer.

Rubbish dumped next to the flats. Photo: Denica Williams

“Although the owners are responsible for cleansing on their land, we continue to take this matter seriously. Following further recent reports our enforcement team have once again instructed the owners to clear the waste to prevent issues for the local community.

“If they don’t comply, we will consider taking formal enforcement action. Officers from across the council will be visiting the property shortly to explore a long-term solution that residents are happy with.

“We work hard to deliver good quality waste collection services and believe we provide sufficient facilities at these flats to prevent the need for waste to be left on the floor, including a total of 20 bins for recycling and residual waste that are collected weekly. The outreach team from Veolia will be visiting the property to encourage and advise on the correct use of recycling bins.”

Allison Lodge has been approached for comment.