Action to tackle electricity substation fly-tipping

Fly-tipping has been a persistent problem in Erleigh Road, Reading

A bottle bank will be closed and an electricity substation fenced off after years of rubbish being dumped at the site.

Part of the area in Erleigh Road, east Reading, is managed by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), which has decided to shut the site.

The bottle bank can regularly be found full of dumped waste.

Green party councillor Kathryn McCann, for Redlands, said SSEN had announced it would be “closing the site to the public from March 1 due to the persistent fly-tipping".

The council added warning signs to try and stop the rubbish being dumped

Ms McCann said: “We had been discussing possible solutions to the issue with the council for some time.

“Our suggestions included adding warning signs, which was done, installing CCTV and reorganising the site to reduce space for waste to be dumped.

“While the outcome is frustrating, it will remove a significant fly-tipping hotspot."

A spokesperson for the electricity company said: “SSEN has been working with Reading Borough Council to address security and safety in relation to the substation...

“...an agreement has been reached with the local authority that will enable SSEN to securely fence off the substation.”

The site is managed by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN)

Residents have been told they can recycle their glass at the nearby bottle bank outside the Monkey Lounge bar in Erleigh Road, and also at the bottle and textile banks at Palmer Park Leisure Centre, Cintra Park and Whitley Street.

It is not the first site in the road to attract problems.

Last March, an area opposite the bottle banks that had been used for advertising and unauthorised parking was sealed off.