Until a few years ago, it was a car park for customers nipping to buy essentials from their local shop.
Now, anyone who cares to look behind the former Tesco Express in Stockport’s Heaton Chapel is in for a shock.
A filthy old mattress; endless lengths of black plastic piping; a fence panel; and a rotting plywood board are just some of the things dumped by fly-tippers.
Nearby, wheelie bins overspill with various rodent-attracting junk, while sundry, barely identifiable pieces of rubbish complete the scene.
It’s just one of Stockport's grotspots brought to the attention of the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Half a mile away, at Blackford Road, there’s a similar scene. Black bin bags have mounted up in piles in the nettles – and there’s the odd cracked plastic container.
Not that the south of the borough is immune from environmental vandals.
Sacks of what appear to be building waste can be found among the undergrowth in Old Wool Lane in Cheadle.
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And in neighbouring Cheadle Hulme, another pile of rubbish has built up at the side of Tenement Lane – a notorious spot for fly-tippers.
It’s unsightly, affects people’s quality of life and often creates a health hazard.
To add insult to injury, the offenders leave it to taxpayers to foot the bill for clearing it up.
There were nearly 2,500 recorded instances of fly-tipping in Stockport over the last municipal year.
Now Stockport council is bringing in CCTV cameras to catch the culprits and bring them before the courts.
At a meeting of its communities and housing scrutiny committee, members warned that they would seek the harshest penalties possible for those who trash the borough.
Councillor Matt Wynne called for a clampdown on ‘prolific fly-tippers’ – adding it was important offenders got the message they would face ‘the worst amount of punishment possible’ – if caught.
Caroline Simpson, the authority’s director of place, said that was ‘absolutely’ the council’s approach to the issue – and would continue to be so.
“If we can evidence to the wider community that there are consequences for that kind of behaviour, that’s the strongest message you can put out there.
“But having said that, gathering the evidence going to through the prosecution – the level of resource and effort that requires is substantial."
There are currently six prosecution files awaiting a court date for large scale fly-tipping incidents in Stockport over the last 12 months.
However, council bosses say they have often been disappointed by the fines imposed, believing they do not reflect the amount of time and effort required to obtain a prosecution.
One offender, for example, was fined £40, ordered to pay £200 in costs and a £30 victim surcharge.
But Ms Simpson told the committee that, while fines were out of the authority’s hands, it was working on tightening up its cases.
“What we can do is make sure we have the most robust evidence base possible, which is why we’re investing in CCTV.”
She added that taking a ‘very targeted approach to fly-tipping’ over the last 12 months had been a more effective strategy.
“Rather than trying to spread ourselves too thinly and not getting to the prosecution element, which is perhaps where we were a few years ago,” she continued.
“We have had a change of approach it has resulted in some success, but there’s a long way to go. I think there’s a broader recognition about the impact this kind of crime has on the wider population and wider community.”
She added that communities and housing portfolio holder Coun Sheila Bailey was keen to keep the issue high on the agenda over the next 12 months.
