'West Bromwich is not a dumping ground' - council tells 'disgusting' fly-tippers
A shocking amount of rubbish is being dumped in country lanes linking Birmingham and Sandwell
“Sandwell is not a dumping ground and we will continue taking action," says borough enforcement chief after fly-tippers return to West Bromwich roads three weeks after major cleanup.
Council crews and enforcement boss Councillor Bob Jones have taken to YouTube to show their displeasure after more illegal waste was found dumped at the side of hotspots Forge Lane and Park Lane despite a campaign to deter litterbugs.
Councillor Jones said: "Residents are fed up with seeing their communities treated like a dumping ground."
"We have already removed more than 17 tonnes of waste from this hotspot, identified a number of individuals through evidence recovered at the site and launched investigations."
"The fact that waste has returned only strengthens our resolve to tackle this problem and hold those responsible to account. Sandwell is not a dumping ground, and we will continue taking action against those who treat it as one."
The council said the fly-tipping hotspot will see additional surveillance cameras installed to catch perpetrators in the act.
The return visit follows a major joint operation involving Sandwell Council, Birmingham City Council and waste contractor Serco, during which more than 17.2 tonnes of illegally dumped waste were removed from the hotspot. Before the waste was cleared, officers carefully examined it for evidence, leading to a number of individuals being identified as part of ongoing investigations.
The latest clean up saw council teams remove more rubbish from the site just three weeks after the last operation. The teams were able to gather evidence which will lead to investigations into those responsible for dumping rubbish illegally.
In August the Express & Star paid a visit to the location near Forge Mill Farm which has been blighted by fly-tippers, while West Bromwich MP Sarah Coombes described the situation as “disgusting”.
The council said evidence recovered from waste can help identify both those responsible for dumping it and anyone who may have failed in their duty of care when arranging for waste to be removed. It added that residents should to check that anyone removing waste on their behalf was properly authorised to do so and holds a valid waste carrier licence. Choosing an unlicensed operator can contribute to fly-tipping and may result in waste being dumped illegally.
Fly-tipping remains a significant issue nationally with town halls in England dealing with 1.26 million incidents in 2024/25. Forge Mill Lane continues to be a priority hotspot for enforcement activity due to its location on the boundary between Sandwell and Birmingham.