Residents win year-long fight to get rubbish removed from Trafalgar Square

Despite the community’s best efforts to tidy up the area, Trafalgar Square had been beset by fly-tipping for years.

A run-down caravan had been left parked up in the square, a damaged car filled with rubbish bags had been abandoned on North Marine Road and, more recently, a local peddler started running his business from the top end of the square, occupying two parking spaces with piles of wooden planks.

Charlie Reid, who has lived in the area for the past 12 years, said: “There’s a caravan parked in the square that’s been left there for three years, a car on North Marine Road, which has been parked there for a year and it’s full of rubbish and flies. In the back alley where the entrance to the cricket ground is, it’s always full of rubbish and now we’ve got a peddler running his so-called business from the street. It’s horrendous.

“There’s a strong community feeling between residents and businesses but then you get a couple of individuals who don’t comply with the regulations, don’t listen to what they get told and just act like they’re above the law. It’s not fair.”

Martin Whelan, Chairman of the Residents and Friends of Trafalgar Square, echoed Mr Reid’s concerns, adding that he felt like there was “a big barrier” between residents and the authorities who had previously failed to intervene.

However, a few days after coming forward and publicly speaking up against the issues, the turning point came.

Mr Whelan said: “A few days after we spoke we had a residents’ meeting and councillors Eric Broadbent, Martin Smith and Neil Price assured us that things were going to get done. Within a couple of days, the council turned up with lorries, picked all the loose rubbish up and took it away.

“They showed us that things are happening so we’re very pleased.”

The piles of wooden planks have been almost completely removed and a notice has been issued on the car on North Marine Road stating that the vehicle will be taken away and destroyed, should no-one turn up to collect it by Friday 14 September.

Councillor Neil Price, who represents the North Bay ward, said: “We were all aware of the issues and problems in and around Trafalgar Square but I think there was a bit of miscommunication between the borough council officers and the county council.

“Unfortunately it took a bit longer than anybody had anticipated but I’m glad to say that it’s now being resolved and hopefully no more items will appear in that particular area.”