RESIDENTS on a historic estate near Essex Road have accused the Council of “neglecting” them after rampant fly-tipping problems.

The Popham Estate Tenants and Resident Association (TRA) told how a lock into their estate was broken by council contractors a year ago, and has seen people drive into the estate and dump rubbish.

The fly-tipping problem has become so bad, they say, that there is constant “stench and vermin”, and despite countless messages, emails and calls to the council, the problem persists.

They submitted a letter to the Tribune about an oil cannister that was leaking foul liquid in the communal area, which was removed by the council almost instantly.

But Patricia Nolan, a member of PETRA, told the Tribune that this is only the tip of the iceberg, and they are calling on the council to take better care of the estate more generally.

She said: “We are proud of our estate, it is a historical estate and it should really be properly kept up by the Council.

“The problem is that rubbish invites more rubbish, people come and just dump anything here because they see piles of rubbish.”

She added that residents were frustrated by years of neglect, and that the fly-tipping issue has become “dramatically” worse over the last two years after the council installed a new bin system.

“I am tired of just constantly having to fight,” Ms Nolan added.

“You walk around the corner and you’ve got beautiful, clean streets. Why are we just ignored? Why don’t we deserve the same treatment the streets are given?”

Ms Nolan, who has lived on the estate for 26 years, said that the council had worked positively with the TRA previously, but that communication had “broken down” over the last few years.

She said: “I’ve noticed a massive decline, and it’s not just the locks. Our issues just get passed around, and no one takes responsibility.”

Cllr Jason Jackson, the Town Hall’s housing chief, said: “We take residents’ concerns about fly-tipping and the condition of Popham Estate seriously and are continuing to take action to address them. We understand the impact these issues can have on residents and we want residents to feel that the estate is clean and well-managed.

“Fly-tipping is against the law. Where we have evidence of who is responsible for fly-tipping on our estates, this is referred for potential enforcement.

“Residents can help us by reporting fly-tipping to our anti-social behaviour team. We will continue to inspect the estate and work with residents and partners to tackle the underlying causes.”