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Urine, faeces and other waste dumped in unofficial lay-bys in Bishopsbourne

By: Anna MacSwan

Published: 00:01, 24 September 2018

Bottles of urine, bags of human faeces and cigarette packets are being dumped in unofficial lay-bys which have become a hotspot for ‘fly-parked’ lorries.

Residents are calling for HGVs to be banned from parking on the verges at the top of Bonny Bush Hill above Bishopsbourne.

Chartered surveyor James Martin, who lives in Kingston and drives past the spot between Frog Lane and Rose Lane most days, says he regularly finds at least two and sometimes as many as six lorries parked on either side of the road.

Litter and excrement in the verges and layby

The vehicles have ruined much of the grass and created ‘potholes’ as large as four to six feet wide, and foul rubbish is frequently left behind.

Mr Martin said: “I do feel sorry for the drivers, but it’s horrible. And councils are spending a fortune on clearing this stuff up.

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“It’s the unpleasantness, risk to wildlife, and risk to children.

“I understand that roads are hard and costly to maintain, but they should be maintained.

“They should limit the parking to stop all the lorry drivers from using these illegal lay-bys at the top of Bishopsbourne. That would do away with a lot of the litter and other untoward things.

“The litter is quite disgusting. It’s just not acceptable in a tax-paying, rate-paying society.”

Robert Prestige, chairman of Bishopsbourne Parish Council, is also keen to see action taken to stop lorries fly-parking.

Urine and human faeces have been found in the laybys

“It’s a major litter problem and it’s a health risk, because of the bottles of urine and the defecation on the trees,” he said. It’s a major concern.

“It’s become a lay-by because so many people have driven onto it. If it’s an official lay-by, they should tarmac it and install bins, and if it isn’t, we want it bollarded off to stop lorries parking there.

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“We are fed up with the litter and all the rubbish and unpleasant stuff that comes with it.”

Canterbury City Council spokesman Leo Whitlock says the stretch of road is cleaned weekly.

“The responsibility for littering always rests with the person who is too lazy to find a bin and dispose of their rubbish properly,” he added.

“Their actions affect the quality of life of those living nearby and cost the council taxpayers thousands of pounds every year to clear up their mess.

The verges and layby at the top of Bonny Bush Hill near to the Bridge and Bishopsbourne A2 junction. Picture: Chris Davey

“Lorry drivers in particular have plenty of room to store their rubbish until they find a suitable bin. There is no excuse to throw it out of the window or cab.

“The council can now take action against the registered keepers of vehicles for littering, fines have increased and we are starting to use CCTV cameras in lay-bys to catch the culprits in the act.”

Thom Morris, spokesman for Kent County Council, said: “The county has suffered from issues resulting from HGV parking for many years and the increasing numbers of lorries is only making the situation worse.”

He added that repairs are being carried out to one of the lay-bys, which the authority owns, but there are no plans to install bollards. He says KCC will ask the city council to supply bins.

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