Vining Street has become a fly-tipping hotspot as Atlantic Road businesses are penalised for the rest of Brixton’s rubbish.
Businesses on Atlantic Road have been served with a Section 74 notice by Lambeth Council, which requires them to remove bins and rubbish from the road or suffer a court fine. According to business owners, restaurants from other parts of Brixton are using Vining Street (just off Atlantic Road next to Lounge and Fujiyama) as a place to leave their rubbish at the end of a night.
Punters finishing off their night with a takeaway are also adding it to the existing pile.
“Vining Street is basically a dumping ground,” one Atlantic Road business owner told The Brixton Blog, “Because there’s lots of rubbish already people think it’s ok to dump their own and there doesn’t seem to be anything stopping them. With the influx of new businesses this is only going to get worse and it needs to be addressed.”
Atlantic Road businesses have been told by the council not to leave any bins on the main road and keep all rubbish inside – which they’re finding difficult to store – or face court fines. No further action has been taken to prevent the fly-tipping.
In response, councillor Jenny Brathwaite, Lambeth Cabinet member for Environment and Sustainability, told The Brixton Blog: “It is often very difficult for us to prosecute fly tippers for lack of evidence – just like any crime, we need the help of witnesses. If anybody witnesses fly tipping in the borough I’d encourage them to come forward and give us all the information possible so we can catch those responsible and reduce the rubbish dumped on our streets.”
“The council is currently working with businesses to find a better way to deal with their waste in Vining Street,” she added, “There is CCTV in the area and enclosed bin storage has now been installed for residents [of the Metropolitan Housing estate nearby].”
The Metropolitan Housing bin storage has resulted in the bins from Fujiyama and Lounge being forced closer to the street (pictured), in easier reach of those looking to get rid of rubbish from elsewhere in Brixton.
Have you seen anyone fly-tipping on Vining Street? Report it to the council online here, or call them on 020 926 9000.
