An ongoing issue with fly tippers on our street has led to the the council suggesting they place a camera on our building that records movements and car number plates and the likes.

The problem with the fly tipping is one that makes me really angry. We’re not talking about a few old TVs or mattresses – this is dumping on an industrial scale. Building site rubble and general site waste – they drive up with a flat bed truck, open up the back and tip it out. This picture here is taken on our road about a year ago – it literally blocked the road until the council cleared it up about 4 days later.

So the idea of putting up a camera on my building sounded like a good one – why should some rogue builders (its mostly building waste but not all) be allowed to save a few quid by dumping their crap on our road? It also meant the prostitute’s clients who leave used condoms stuck to my car windscreen and the kids smoking drugs on our door step might think twice too.

There was one problem though – the landlord was against it – said no outright. This really pissed me off – without a good reason why should he just be able to say no. Its where we live, I own the leasehold on my property, we pay council tax, he doesn’t even live here.

Finally I managed to speak with him direct and he threw a curve ball. His objection was on civil liberty grounds. “Why should the council/government be allowed to put up more cameras to track out every movement” and then went to basically say when you choose to live in London you choose to accept these social issues. Hmm – I’m a liberal guy. When I first moved to London I lived in squats for the first 3 years but I’ve put the graft in, studied and worked incredibly hard and now I can afford to live in a lovely apartment and drive a nice car. I can deal with the social point – prostitutes and drugs are complex issues – but some idiot dumping their crap on my road is just plain illegal and anti-social on many levels.

Do we trust the council? Will they just track the fly tippers? Did I make too much of a point about the drugs and prostitution to make my point? Should I put my foot down or should I listen to the civil liberty POV. Not really sure.

Freaking hates those fly tippers though…