Dumped, discarded, fly-tipped – the world as created by the inconsiderate and damnably stupid

It truly is a privilege to represent Milton ward on Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. This exciting ward has many wonderful things. However, it has to be said that there are parts of Milton that repeatedly come to my attention. This, usually, is because of rubbish. Dumped, discarded, fly-tipped. Sometimes this rubbish includes excrement, sometimes drug paraphernalia.

I am reluctant to name and shame areas, largely through fear of stigmatising it. The reality is that those inconsiderate, and let’s be honest, damnably stupid people who think it acceptable to deposit their crap wherever their laziness takes them are a minority. The areas thus blighted are still largely inhabited by decent people who deserve better neighbours and visitors.

What this means is that I have to contact the Council and request that an area be cleaned up, and this comes at a cost. Every council tax payer in Southend-on-Sea is footing the bill for the wilful and ignorant whose ideas of civic responsibility would certainly intrigued this councillor.

It is not always possible for the Council to clear up rubbish – it largely depends on where that rubbish is found. The public highway and land owned by the Council is quite straightforward, private property is much more difficult.

Thus, my travels have ensured yet another missive about rubbish, another visit by the Council’s contractors to an all too familiar black spot, blighted by the inconsiderate and damnably stupid.