Fly-tipping fury over 'dumping ground' on former church site

Residents have raised concerns over a former church that has become a fly-tipping hotspot. St Thomas' Church in Brambles Farm, which was once the "heart and soul of a

community", was bulldozed back in 2007. Now, 16 years later, the land off Pallister Avenue remains nothing but a field that residents argue has become a "dumping ground". The

landowner is aware of the fly-tipping woes and erected a fence two years ago in a bid to clamp down on the issues. However, the acting planning agent said this did not prevent it as people

continue to "fling their waste over the fence" despite the "monies and time" the owner put in. READ MORE: Mum's new-build drain hell with sewage 'gushing'

into bath and garden 'smelling to high heaven' The church closed its doors to worshippers after falling into disrepair, which was due to both a lack of funds and vandalism. The

final service at the Middlesbrough site took place on October 22, 2006. A planning application for the erection of nine two-storey homes and one detached bungalow was registered with

Middlesbrough Council back in July 2019. While this was approved with conditions in November of the same year, the decision expiration date was in November 2022. 'FRIDGES, BEDS,

SOFAS' LEFT ON LAND One Brambles Farm resident, who wished to remain nameless, has called for action to be taken. He said: "The old St Thomas' Church, on Pallister Avenue, has

been demolished for a number of years now and is used as a dumping ground. "The grass is all overgrown [and], as shown on photos, there's even fridges, beds, sofas, even bags of

rubbish containing dog food. The area is absolutely riddled with rats." The 54-year-old, who has lived in the area for 19 years, said that many members of the community are asking

"why we should live like this" and questioned why nothing is being done. He added that it is "unfair" to the residents of Brambles Farm. "I know a few of the

residents around the estate have contacted the council but they can't do anything as it's privately owned land," he added. Labour Cllr Jack Banks, who represents the Brambles

and Thorntree ward alongside Labour Cllr Stella Tranter, said this is a "very serious issue" and has been dealing with it alongside Middlesbrough Council. He explained: "The

council issued a seven-day order to the landowner which has expired, as of Tuesday. Further enforcement will now take place due to the order not being complete." He added that it was

"unacceptable" for the area to be left in a state. LAND OWNER SPENDS 'OWN MONIES AND TIME' TO FIX ISSUES On behalf of the developer and landowner, the acting planning

agent told Teesside Live: "My client has spent his own monies to erect a perimeter fence over two years ago around the whole site to prevent fly-tipping, which has not prevented this

matter, as they simply fling their waste over the fence line. "Within 24 hours of this tipping being reported by the council to my client, he attends the site himself and spends his own

monies and time to clear the site. He has been carrying out this matter for over a year with no assistance from the council." The landowner is set to re-submit a revised housing

application very shortly for additional housing. The developer cited issues with nutrient neutrality as a reason why the development has not yet gone ahead. This refers to the "level of

nitrogen discharging from a site and ending up in the River Tees" according to Middlesbrough Council. The statutory advice, brought in by Natural England, means certain developments

that could lead to nitrogen levels increasing in the Tees cannot proceed without reaching 'nutrient neutrality.' Therefore, the council should not grant planning applications until

it is satisfied this can be done. The acting planning agent continued: "This has been ongoing for over a year. With this consideration along with construction and material costs

escalating due to the economic climate, you can understand the client's frustration in not developing the site as soon as possible. The client is local resident who is investing a lot

of monies and time into the local area for regeneration." Teesside Live has contacted Middlesbrough Council for comment on the acting planning agent's comments.