The draft Pedestrianisation Order for Dark Lane and a section of Berkley Lane to the north of Frome has been published for public consultation (see here). This follows the application by Mendip District Council to the Government in December for the Order to be made (see here) to reduce the excessive flytipping there for many […]

In September 2021, Mendip District Councillors approved a plan to apply to the Government for permission to pedestrianise Berkley Lane and Dark Lane in a bid to reduce flytipping to the north of Frome, after an initial local public consultation backed the idea (see here).   An Application for a Pedestrianisation Order at Berkley Lane […]

Thanks to everyone who responded to the recent consultation on the proposed pedestrianisation of Berkley Lane and Dark Lane to the north of Frome. This is proposed by Mendip District Council (and supported by Somerset County Council, Frome Town Council and others) in order to improve the amenity of the area and reduce flytipping and other […]

Mendip District Council is consulting the public on its plans to continue the road closure at Berkley Lane, to the east of Gypsy Lane just outside Frome, in order to tackle flytipping – and needs your support for the closure to continue. A Cabinet meeting on 12th February will consider continuing to restrict vehicle traffic […]

Please see news out today of action on flytipping at Gypsy Lane – http://www.mendip.gov.uk/article/4566/Mendip-cracks-down-on-fly-tippers Mendip district council is to renew its efforts to identify offenders and reduce the number of fly-tipping incidents in the Gypsy Lane/Dark Lane area. The council’s press release says “The first step is to introduce an 18-month temporary road closure of […]

Supporting Recycling … After Somerset County Council closed Household Waste Recycling Centres 2½ days a week and brought in new charges in 2011, flytipping increased by 50% across the county. Mendip Lib Dems demanded Mendip to take action in 2012 but we were voted down by the ruling Conservatives. But eventually they gave in and […]

To keep local residents informed about the flytipping issue on Gypsy Lane, I sent the following email to those who attended or took an interest in the meeting earlier this week. I will keep residents informed if there is any progress in future. My previous note of the meeting can be found here. “Thank you […]

Thanks to everyone who came to or helped with the first ever public meeting dedicated to the problem of flytipping on and around Gypsy Lane just outside Frome. I arranged this with fellow Mendip district councillor Peter Knibbs, Mendip’s Enforcement Officer Ian Glover and the local Police (Sgt Clark) as this has been a growing […]

For the first time ever a public meeting has been held about the problem of flytipping on and around Gypsy Lane, which has been getting worse for 20 years. I arranged the meeting which was held yesterday evening, with fellow Mendip district councillor Peter Knibbs (Con, Beckington & Selwood), Mendip District Council’s enforcement officer (Ian […]

Press release In response to continued complaints from local residents about the ongoing serious flytipping on Gypsy Lane and Berkley Lane, which has gone on for years just outside Frome, local district councillors Adam Boyden and Peter Knibbs have organised a public meeting on the issue. The meeting is on Monday 28th April, at 7.00 […]

Fed up with the flytipping on Gypsy Lane?  I am working with another local councillor, Peter Knibbs, to arrange a public meeting for local residents to ask questions, raise concerns and hear from Mendip District Council, the Police and other authorities, about how we can work together to tackle the horrendous flytipping on Gypsy Lane […]

Public meeting on flytipping: I am working with another local councillor to arrange a public meeting in the near future, to allow local residents to ask questions, raise concerns and hear from Mendip District Council, the Police and other authorities, about how the community and authorities can work together to tackle the horrendous flytipping on […]

Yesterday Mendip District Council’s Enforcement officers agreed to my suggestion to hold a public meeting with local residents to try and stamp out flytipping around Frome. Mendip District Council officers gave councillors a briefing on how they are tackling flytipping and other environmental crime.  There have been some successes across Mendip in bringing cases and […]

I know people are fed up with the constant flytipping down Gypsy Lane outside Frome. I have asked Mendip District Council to take further action including to arrange a public meeting locally to try and solve the problem. You can help by: (1) reporting flytipping to Mendip on 0300 303 8588 to help catch the […]

Somerset Waste Partnership recently released county-wide figures for flytipping in 2012/13, which show an 8.7% fall across Somerset compared to 2011/12. Mendip district saw a 4.3% fall. It is good to see a fall in flytipping, but of course the statistics released by SWP do not tell the whole story.   In April 2011, cuts to […]

My letter to local newspapers is below, Dear Editor, It has been two years now since Conservative run Somerset County Council cut the waste and recycling budget to such an extent that all household recycling centres were forced to close on 2 days and week and on Sunday afternoons, and new charges were introduced for […]

This week’s Frome Times reports: ‘The problem of fly-tipping in Frome has been highlighted as part of a BBC documentary. BBC Inside Out West investigated the problems surrounding fly-tipping, showing Gypsy Lane in Frome as a hot-spot for dumping rubbish.Fly-tipping is the illegal act of leaving waste on public or private land. As part of […]

Depsite a 9% drop nationally, Somerset saw a rise in flytipping incidents of over 50% in the year after Somerset’s ruling Conservatives cut the recycling budget, forcing recycling centres to close 2 and a half days a week and bringing in new charges to recycle some materials, and flytipping remains much higher than before. Last autumn, I and […]

1. One way people can help tackle flytipping is to report any incidents to Mendip District Council as soon as possible – report a description of the location, type of waste and any suspicious activity around the site, to Mendip District Council on 01749 648999. 2. Ensure that you only use licenced waste carriers to […]

Useful links to reports, news and views about flytipping and recycling and my and cllr Sam Phripp’s motion to Mendip’s full council in September …  Local news story about the motion debate: http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Row-erupts-fly-tipping-claims/story-17033501-detail/story.html Support from David Heath MP for Somerton & Frome (also now Minister for Agriculture), critical of some Conservative councillors’ ‘deranged response’: http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Deranged-response-fly-tipping-alarm/story-17032752-detail/story.html Somerset Waste Board’s meetings, agendas and reports: http://www1.somerset.gov.uk/council/meetings/results.asp?ccode=32 […]