ACTION will soon be taken against those responsible for carrying out the "illegal activity" of fly-tipping in Whitehill and Bordon. That action could come in the shape of CCTV prosecutions for fly-tippers, after the council agreed to use the "Big Brother" style approach to target these "environmental vandals". The move was agreed at the East Hampshire District Council's (EHDC) overview and scrutiny committee, where the community safety partnership agreed to lend their CCTV cameras to provide evidence in high-profile cases. Mr Turner added: "I think that surveillance is our best bet. If we can put CCTV cameras up in fly-tip hotspots it will work as the best deterrent. "We need to catch these people in the process, have them prosecuted and put that message across to others. "We can't stop all cases of fly-tipping but we can certainly show people we mean business." The news comes after concerns have been continually raised by Hogmoor district and town councillor Philip Drury. Mr Drury has held a combative stance on the matter in the Whitehill and Bordon area for many years and the Hogmoor Enclosure – which is a well-known are fly-tipping hotsot – is in his ward. After a number of meetings with East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) a series of measures were agreed to combat the issue. And now the councillor is aiming to introduce the measures in order to deter fly-tipping throughout the summer months. He said: "I hope fly-tippers will get the message loud and clear that we are taking this problem very seriously. "There are no excuses for fly-tipping. It's an eyesore and it is bad for the environment. "Worse still, it is the rest of us as taxpayers who have to pay to get it cleared, even when rubbish and garden waste can be disposed of legally at our recycling centre (on Station Road) or by contacting the district council." Mr Drury also expressed concerns over the inreased tonnage of waste when the Ministry of Defence pull out which is set to take place in 2012. The move will include the exit of Bordon's REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) and SEME (School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering) battalions, but a small section will be retained for REME vehicle recovery training. The MoD has confirmed that up to 150 hectares of land it owns in Bordon will be privately sold after 1,800 military and civilian staff and students leave the town and will be the focus for the construction of 4,550 new homes. He said: "We need to think about how we are going to deal with the town's waste. "Any increase in population which will obvisouly happenas a result of the new housing proposals will need a corresponding expansion of our town recycling facilities." He concluded: "We need to encourage households, schools, community groups and businesses to recycle. What we don't want is more landfill or illegal dumping." But there are measures now in place to combat fly- tipping and work is noticeably under way to stamp it out. Brian Turner, EHDC's environmental services manager, said: "We are particularly interested in the Deadwater area, town council areas and the Hogmoor Enclosure and have discussed strategies to put in place. "We are trying very hard to get the public message out there and to give people more information about fly-tipping and how it can be dealt with." The district council is working closely with the MOD who own the land around the Hogmoor Inclosure. The MOD has been digging holes in the ground paving the way for bollards to be put into the ground to restrict vehicular and wheelbarrow access and so block out fly-tippers aming to target the land. Mr Turner said: "We have already seen piles of rubbish in the Enclosure with an upturned wheelbarrow lying on top and we want to stop this 'over the back fence' type attitude." In the past rubbish has been cleared in partnership with EHDC and Whitehill Town Council at a cost to the taxpayer. Fly-tipping has featured on the agenda of EHDC's overview and scrutiny committee meetings held in March and April, at the request of councillor Drury and Walldown district and town councillor Adam Carew. Further to these meetings, EHDC has decided to write to residents around the Hogmoor Enclosure by Sutton Field detailing ways in which fly-tipping can be halted. He added that he actively encouraged people to keep a log of fly-tipping events. Mr Turner said: "We want the people to be our eyes and ears on the ground and want them to make a note any fly-tipping they see. "Information such as vehicle registration numbers, times and how frequently items are dumped is very useful to us. "With this information people can give me a call and we can hopefully track down the culprits." If you wish to anonymously report fly-tipping activity, please contact Brian Turner, head of environmental services at East Hampshire District Council on 01730 234283. For more information on green waste collection and for assistance on the disposal of bulky items please contact East Hampshire District Council on 01730 234295.
