Southampton City Council has launched a community-led fly-tipping intervention in a city district that has become a hotspot for illegal waste dumping.
The council has come under fire from Newtown residents in recent months, with 23 tonnes of waste being cleared from the district in July and meetings being set up to tackle the recurring problem.
Street cleansing crews will now start applying temporary chalk stencils on pavements immediately after clearing fly-tipped waste in hotspot areas.
The council says that the stencils highlight where waste was dumped and will serve as a visible reminder that dumping waste is not acceptable.
READ MORE: Southampton residents' fury as fly-tipping returns to Newtown streets
Councillor John Savage, cabinet member for environment and net zero, said: “Fly-tipping is a blight on our communities. It damages the environment, erodes local pride, and places unfair financial pressure on council taxpayers.
"We’ve listened to residents in Newtown and are proud to launch this intervention in direct response to their concerns."
The chalk paint used with the stencils will disappear over time and will only be used after sites are cleared, with the intended effect of prompting behaviour change and deterring repeat offending.
READ MORE: Southampton: Over 20 tonnes of rubbish cleared off streets
In July, a council-led clean up removed over 20 tonnes of waste, which included furniture, contaminated recycling, mattresses, overfilled bins and black sacks.
But fly-tipping remained a problem after this, with residents sharing frustrations just a week after the clean up had taken place.
Trustee of the Gurdwara Guru Tegh Bahadar Sahib on St Marks Road in Newtown, Narinder Singh, said: "I'm furious - we need to take more pride in the community we live.
"The council and Balfour Beatty have done us a real favour and it feels like the Newtown community have thrown it back in their faces by continuing to fly-tip.
"Not only is it an eyesore but the mountains of rubbish attract rats and maggots - I feel deeply let down by the community and I know we can do better.
Alongside the stencilling scheme, the council is also working with local volunteers to monitor known hotspot locations, encourage residents to report incidents, and raise awareness about responsible waste disposal.
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