Residents are supporting a petition to clean up an estate in Wandsworth that has been nicknamed “The Fly Tip of West Putney”.
Ashburton Estate has been on the receiving end of fly tipping for over a year, and residents are appealing to Wandsworth Council for improvements to be made, with 37 people signing the petition so far.
The petition was started by Andrea Gilbert, 33, the chair of the West Putney Labour Party and a learning disability advocate, who has lived on the estate for two years with her daughter.
Gilbert raised issues around the fly-tipping, but additional issues include cash machines fees, poor lift maintenance, and poor mobile phone signal.
Gilbert said: “It’s turned into the fly tip of West Putney now.
“Enough is enough, people are fed up with how it is here.
“The lack of phone signal is the worst thing about the estate. It’s been absolutely isolating for some people.”
There is one mobile phone mast for the thousands living on the estate, and signal issues have been exacerbated during the pandemic.
Residents are struggling with online schooling and general communication since daily activities were moved online.
Credit: Andrea Gilbert
While canvassing during the 2019 General Election, Gilbert asked residents about their experiences living on the estate.
Their responses were presented to the council in early 2020 but with no success.
The residents’ association of Innes Gardens now look out for fly tippers to report to council officers.
Some have witnessed landlords and builders guttering their properties and leaving the contents in communal parts of the estate.
Gilbert expressed that residents are not listened to by their councillors, and she wants this to change.
MP Fleur Anderson stated on the Labour site: “Having good quality mobile reception is vital to local communities.”
Although this statement is accompanied by a survey for residents, the petition’s concerns suggest that there remain issues to dissolve.
Gilbert also complained about petty crimes and bike thefts in recent months, which she attributed to the lack of funding for youths on the estate.
She said: “They don’t fix up these places and young boys are going round to the houses now and robbing them. There’s nothing for these kids to do here.”
The petition also demands for a crossing near Ark Putney Academy as the “rat run” on Carslake and Tildesley Road poses a danger to pedestrians.
A Wandsworth Council spokesman said: “We welcome all forms of feedback from our residents and will always listen to their concerns and take positive steps to address any issues they identify, but we simply don’t recognise the bleak picture that’s being portrayed here and know that the vast majority of estate residents are happy with the services they receive and are proud to say they live on the Ashburton.”
Featured image credit: Andrea Gilbert
