Fife clean-up champion 'disgusted' at huge fly-tipping site near Westfield Biomass Plant

Andrew Dunlop from Dundonald, who has been hailed as a local hero for his efforts in cleaning problem fly-tipping spots around Fife, has been left ‘shocked’ by the ever-growing pile of waste at the site near Ballingry.

He said: “I first saw the fly-tipping at the start of the year, but it has definitely been there for a while and it is growing all the time.

"There are car parts, building waste, and even half a boat! You name it it’s in there.

"I’ve been asking around to see if I could find out who is responsible for the patch of land, but no one seems to know who actually owns it.

"It is too much for a litter picking group like the Fife Street Champions to tackle, although I have contacted Fife Council to see about putting a skip in place so I can make a start, but I’ve not had any luck.

"I’m truly shocked and disgusted by the amount of waste that has been dumped there.”

Andrew said the site an eyesore, but it could potentially be extremely dangerous.

"There are rats running everywhere, as well as piles of used nappies and drums full of chemicals,” added Andrew. “I keep asking myself, why would anyone do this?

"I’m actually surprised it has not been set on fire yet by vandals, which would be catastrophic as with its proximity to the biomass plant it could take the whole thing down!”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said: "Fly-tipping is not only unsightly but, depending on the nature of the waste, it can also be hazardous to health and cause environmental damage.

“We are currently working with partners to investigate fly-tipping outside the Westfield Biomass Plant and considering enforcement options in line with our enforcement policy.

“If you see anyone dumping rubbish illegally, report it to the Dumb Dumpers Stop Line online report: www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/DumbDumpers.”

Thank you for reading this article on our free-to-read website. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Please consider purchasing a subscription to our print newspaper to help fund our trusted, fact-checked journalism.