Elections 2021: Rubbish woes dominate around Normanton Road

This patch of green was filled with discarded rubbish and food waste

On 6 May people across the country will be taking to polling stations to have their say on who runs their local area.

Derby City Council is one of 143 local authorities in England hosting elections, with a third of the seats up for grabs.

We went to Normanton Road - a busy and diverse street that cuts through some of the city's most deprived areas - to ask people what matters to them.

'Stop ignoring Normanton'

Sukhwinder Singh said if there was a list of places with the most rubbish in the country, "we'd be right at the bottom"

Shopkeeper Sukhwinder Singh, like most people we spoke to, is fed up with the amount of rubbish he sees in the area.

To illustrate his point, he takes me to a small patch of green between Whitaker Street and Whiston Street.

Filling the space are discarded fridges, bin bags, dozens of discarded burger buns, and a man sleeping on the ground.

One women puts on a mask as she walks through with her two young children. "Because of the smell," she says.

Mr Singh said: "It's filthy and it's getting worse.

"The authorities don't want to talk about Normanton, and it shouldn't be like that.

"It's not the council's fault, it's the people who are littering - but they're the authority that can do something about it.

"Stop ignoring Normanton."

Mohammed Tair, 71, who lives nearby, added: "It's horrible. For two years we've been having problems and the council has said they'd build houses there, they'd do this, they'd do that.

"My message to them would be - hurry up and help us."

As we speak, a woman wielding a plank of wood starts berating a man sat on a dumped fridge.

"How would you feel living near this?" asks Mr Tair.

A spokesman for Derby City Council said they were aware of the problem at Whitaker Street, adding it "will be addressed".

Residents want something done about rubbish and anti-social behaviour near a Derby cut-through

This photo from Google Maps, taken in 2012, shows the area in a tidier state

'I'm already thinking of leaving'

Cleaning the streets is the responsibility of the city council, and almost everyone we spoke to said they wanted more to be done to reduce litter and fly-tipping across Normanton.

Suggestions included tougher fines, more regular patrols by authorities, cheaper bulky waste collections and more communal skips.

Gareth Evans, 38, said: "The area needs a daily clean.

"I could furnish a house out of what I find on the way to work.

"Last night at 03:30 someone dumped a load of rubbish behind my garden.

"I can't open my back gate because of it. I've lived in Normanton two months and I'm already thinking of leaving."

Gareth Evans said the area "needs a daily clean"

Julie Aitken, 58, said: "There's always something on the street that's been thrown away.

"There's a bit of everything, I'm never shocked by what I see any more."

Julie Aitken wants more to be done about the litter in the area

The council said it provides street cleansing and waste collection services along with patrols and enforcement, and "resources [are shared] based on demand".

A spokesman said the Normanton and Arboretum areas are cleaned twice a week, and Normanton Road is cleaned daily.

Between January and March this year, council officers visited the area 352 times to deal with fly-tipping.

The spokesman added: "The council also works with local community groups and businesses across the city and is keen to do more partnership work in this area."

Analysis: Tony Roe, BBC East Midlands political editor

Voting by thirds means that local elections are held three out of every four years in places like Derby. So in Derby, where there are three councillors in each of the 17 wards, one has to go through the election process.

There was a time when this system was seen as a way of ensuring greater accountability. But it is a system with drawbacks too.

Once power is gained, it can be quickly lost 12 months down the line. It makes any long-term decision-making harder to take for fear of the public reaction.

There's also an argument that voter apathy increases if you have to turn out so often to vote and that electing a whole council on a single day every four years might help increase the turnout.

'The roads are jammed'

The situation on the roads was another key issue for many people we spoke to.

One shop worker said it could get so busy that customers struggled to cross the road to reach their shop, and would sometimes give up.

Julius Mutyambizi-Dewa, 47, wanted to see better public transport to reduce this congestion, and the pollution that comes with it.

Derby was among five UK cities previously told to establish clean air zones, while parts of Normanton Road are among the worst affected when it comes to air pollution in the city, according to council data.

Mr Mutyambizi-Dewa said: "There's so many cars. I moved here in 2002 and the number of cars has just multiplied and multiplied, while the road infrastructure has not improved.

"There needs to be more policy orientation to deal with what is clearly an existential threat to mankind."

Julius Mutyambizi-Dewa is concerned over air pollution and the impact it can have on people's health, as well as the environment

Imran Mushtaq, 34, who works in a shop on the road, said: "First of all I think they need to deal with the roads. There's parking problems, the roads are jammed all the time.

"It can cause a problem for customers, as well as for us.

"I don't think we're asking for too much, and I want them to make promises that are actually doable."

Mr Mushtaq lives in Littleover but feels Normanton needs more support from authorities

Green spaces

In contrast to the busy streets, just off Normanton Road lies The Arboretum, Britain's first public park.

Many of us have discovered the importance of green spaces during the pandemic, with scientists saying visits to a park can boost your health and wellbeing.

The Arboretum was first opened in 1840

For Imran Akbar, it is one of the most important topics in the upcoming local elections.

The 38-year-old has lived in a house just off the historic park since he was born and now runs an ice cream van in it.

He said: "People have been raised on this park, it's a beautiful place and the heart of the community.

"And it has changed for the better, no doubt about it."

But he believes it could be improved to encourage more people to use it.

Mr Akbar is passionate about the park

For example, he said a new block of toilets was rarely ever opened and a water park that had been installed was almost never turned on, unlike those in other Derby parks.

"Those improvements are just a waste of money if they're not being used," he added.

"They say they're too expensive to run but I think Normanton deserves a fair share if other places are getting them too."

The council said the water park was decommissioned "several years ago" to save money.

But the spokesman said the toilets had been closed during the pandemic because they had been "regularly subjected to vandalism and drug use".

He said they were hoping to reopen them after lockdown eases further on 21 June.

Caroline Andrew wants more to be done to preserve Derby's historic sites and buildings

Caroline Andrew, 59, is one of those who has been visiting the park regularly during lockdown.

She said: "It gets you away from it all and helps you forget about it.

"You'd never think there'd be something like this in the city centre.

"I want to see keeping it nicely maintained on someone's agenda - it's very important to me."

Soumya Daoud said the park is "really important" as a place for her and her daughters to enjoy themselves

Clearly, while there is much to be proud of in and around Normanton Road, there are a number of problems facing residents.

It is now the job of the council candidates to convince people living here that they have the solution.

On 6 May across England millions of people will be voting for new councillors, mayors and police and crime commissioners. Register to vote here.