I used to love walking around the farm in spring. I still do if I am honest but the enjoyment of seeing winter sown crops grow, spring sown crops germinate and spring flowers emerging along ditches and banks is tempered these days by the detritus left by fly tippers.
I don't know how bad it is in other area's because I only walk this farm in detail. But the amount and variety of rubbish left in gateways and on roadside banks around here seems to increase annually. When the hedge cutter has tidied up last years growth and before this years has had time to sprout and cover up some of the evidence the mess looks worse than ever.
This year we have had tyres of all sizes, matresses, cupboards, heaps of tin cans, a calor gas cylinder, refrigerators, TV sets, garden rubbish of various sorts and on a neighbouring farm someone even tipped a load of gravel part way across a lane so that traffic had to drive up the opposite bank to pass. The Council even brought cones to surround it so that cars would not drive into it in the dark. But did they clear up any of the above? Good gracious no, that's down to local farmers.
So, when we get time we clear it - and under the new regulations have to pay, not only for the time taken to pick it up but also a fee for officially disposing of it to a licenced site. Some neighbours refuse to touch it because of the cost. And so the problem gets worse.
We know why. It's because the Council makes charges for rubbish taken to their dumps so unscrupulous householders and local businessmen drop their unwanted stuff in our gateways instead.
Last week I received the council tax bill for my house. It was for just over £2,200. We have no sewage service because we are too far from the main. If our soakaway becomes full after wet weather we either have to pay the Council extra to empty it or do it ourselves with the slurry cart. We have no street lighting in our tiny village. In fact virtually no services apart from dust bin clearing once a week.
Ten percent of the charge is for the local police force. That's another joke. We had two burglaries on the farm last year and on neither occasion did the police even come and look for evidence let alone apprehend the culprits. All we got was a crime number for insurance purposes and a letter offering us counselling. Is our Council Tax value for money? What do you think?
Comments (2)
Everything David Richardson says can apply equally well to my farm in Great Massingham, though there is some footpath lighting in the village. Norfolk Spring Blooms in the form of Plastic bags!
Posted by olaf brun | March 25, 2007 1:05 PM
Posted on March 25, 2007 13:05
This year thats just one of the many things that have turned up when we have been clearing round. I don't understand why people thing they can dump anywhere.
It seems from reading your posts that the useless police forces are the same down south as they are up here... and still the council tax goes up!
Posted by Lawn mowers in my hedge | March 27, 2007 1:12 PM
Posted on March 27, 2007 13:12