National Trust left with bill to clear fly-tipped kitchen

The broken-up kitchen was reported to the trust’s land manager Mike Brown on Tuesday and it is believed it was dumped in the last week.

Mr Brown said he did not want to publicise the exact location, in case it encouraged others to dump there, but this was not the first time the charity has been forced to clear other people’s waste.

‘It’s going to cost us money to put right and that is money donated to the trust to look after the island, not to clear up other people’s rubbish,’ he said.

‘We have one part-time employee, who went out in his van to clear it. But that is time that he could have been doing good work for the trust. It’s very inconsiderate [of the fly-tippers].’

This is not the first time the trust has suffered from fly-tipping. In the past builders’ rubble has been dumped at a beauty spot and last year several doors were dumped over the cliff and had to be retrieved by specialists using ropes. Fortunately that was not needed in this case.

But as well as the inconvenience, the charity is left paying any rubbish charges, as the States does not waive these for charities.

The National Trust owns several sections of land on the south and west coast, which makes it vulnerable to inconsiderate dumpers.

Mr Brown said the flytipping was even bigger burden this year, as the charity was having more difficulties financially than usual, and did not have spare money to clear up other people’s rubbish.

‘It has been a bad year with Covid,’ he said.

‘The Folk and Costume Museum has been deserted and there was no Viaer Marchi this year. It’s been a bad year and we do not need this sort of thing.’

Mr Brown said if anyone spots fly-tipped rubbish on the cliffs, it was important to report it as it could be a danger to wildlife and the public. If it is on National Trust land, contact the trust through its website - www.nationaltrust.gg/.