Fly-tippers smash roadblocks

Fly-tippers are smashing through heavy-duty roadblocks to dump piles of waste in roads in the Black Country, making them almost impassable.

The problem has got so bad in Holbeache Lane and Oak Lane, Kingswinford, that Dudley Council is now being forced to temporarily close Oak Lane in order to send in heavy-duty diggers to clear up. 

Trees, tyres and bricks have been left strewn across both roads despite the council’s efforts to curb fly-tipping, which has been plaguing the area for more than a year. Concrete road barriers were put at the Wolverhampton Road end of Holbeache Lane earlier this year to stop access to the road.  

But they have been smashed up and ignored by those intent on using the road as a dumping ground.

Highways spokesman Peter Van Geersdale said: “The people doing this have obviously got access to the kind of civil engineering equipment that can break through the blocks we put in place.”

Now council chiefs have signed off plans to shut Holbeache Lane at both ends with tougher road blocks. 

And ward councillor Dave Tyler is also confident a permanent closure of Oak Lane will follow. 

He said: “The closure of Holbeache Lane has now been signed off, and that will be happening very soon I hope. 

“I imagine Oak Lane will also be closed at its bend; in the meantime I have asked for a clean-up of that area.”

On Sunday May 25 Oak Lane will also be closed for the day while workmen move on-site to clear the road of rubbish. Diversions will be via Stallings Lane, Ham Lane and Oak Lane and vice versa.

It had been planned to shut both the roads to traffic at the end of last year.

However, the proposal was put off after objections from residents at the Oak Lane gipsy site.