Waste being 'dumped' in Brampton cemetery

Several items dumped at the cemetery over recent weeks and an ill smelling bag of waste was left on Old Church Lane last week.

Cumberland Council encouraged residents to notify them of any fly tipping in their area and added that they would ‘seek to respond promptly’.

Local resident, Paul Grindley said that there is a fly tipping 'problem' in Brampton and said that items were being 'dumped' on a regular basis. 

Figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show there were 1,485 fly-tipping incidents in former Carlisle City Council area in the year to March 2023

This meant there were 13.3 incidents per 1,000 people in the area.

More recent fly tipping in Brampton Cemetery (Image: Paul Grindley)In the former city council area which includes Brampton, most fly-tipped waste was discovered on highways, accounting for 44 per cent of recorded incidents. This was followed by 16 per cent in back alleyways.

The largest proportion of discarded waste was household waste, making up 43 per cent of all incidents.

The problem is not just located in Carlisle and the surrounding area.

Former Penrith town councillor, Jonathan Davies has called for more to be done to prosecute and catch fly-tippers after he believed one incident 'could have caused a nasty accident' when rubbish was found dumped on Mile Lane near Penrith on Saturday, May 4.

The number of fixed penalty notices issued across the country fell from 91,000 in 2021-22 to 73,000 in 2022-23, with 58 in Carlisle.

While the average court fine increased by 13 per cent to £526, there were fewer fines given last year with a total value of £785,000 compared to £837,000 in the year before.

In Carlisle, just £803 was paid by those found guilty of fly-tipping.

Brampton Parish Council have previously posted on Facebook about the problem of fly tipping at the cemetery and have asked people to use the 'excellent' facilities at the household waste recycling centre at Townfoot Industrial Estate. 

A Cumberland Council Spokesperson said: “We are working closely with Brampton Parish Council, who own and manage Brampton Cemetery, to understand if they want more support from us with fly-tipping and have scheduled visits from our Enforcement Officers to ensure prompt clearance of any incidents.

“When fly-tipping is reported we seek to respond promptly. Cumberland Council take fly-tipping seriously and will always seek to bring those responsible to justice for such an offence.

“If anyone would like to report incidences of fly-tipping, we encourage them to report such incidents through our website for swift action.