Residents in South London have raised £3,000 to clear a notorious fly-tip near Sutton Station that had been attracting rats and antisocial behaviour for years. The community-funded cleanup began on July 15 and is expected to take three days to remove the waste from the strip of land adjoining Albert Road.
Community takes action after years of neglect
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) had previously highlighted the scale of the dumping, with local Green Party campaigner Helen John describing it as the largest fly-tip she had seen anywhere in the borough. The site had been used for illegal overflow parking, and after cars were removed with council support, large amounts of rubbish—including mattresses, furniture, and suitcases—accumulated.
Local resident Tom Saunders told the LDRS: "For six years we've looked out onto illegal dumping, rats, antisocial behaviour, abandoned cars and an eyesore in the heart of our community. Today, thanks to the generosity of local residents and businesses, that finally starts to change. This clearance has been paid for by the people who have had to live with the problem every single day."
Ownership dispute complicated cleanup
The land is subject to a long-running dispute between two landowners: Czech developer Charles Stein, whose company Metropolitan Resources Limited owns the land where the fly-tip is located, and William Batchelor, who owns the adjoining strip on Albert Road. Residents believe this dispute made it harder to clear the site. Rather than waiting for resolution, they launched a GoFundMe campaign that raised the required £3,000 in just under a month.
Helen John, who helped with the campaign, said: "Thank you to everyone who donated, shared the fundraiser, helped with CCTV and signage. We even received recent donations from people associated with Patriotic Millionaires UK. The community has come together to take practical action and should be incredibly proud of what has been achieved."
Future hopes for the site
Residents hope the clearance will prevent future dumping. CCTV and signage installed as part of the effort will remain in place. Tom Saunders added: "We're incredibly proud of what our community has achieved together, but we also hope this is the catalyst for lasting action so this land can never fall into this state again." Landlord Andrew Devlin, who owns property on nearby Victoria Road, welcomed the cleanup: "Potential tenants have commented on the fly-tipping and its negative implications. It's been there far too long, so it's a good day."
Campaigners would like to see the land turned into a community garden or allotments, though they acknowledge they do not own the site. They hope the success of the fundraising encourages lasting action from authorities.
