A FALLS Road woman has expressed her frustration at the state of an entry that backs on to her home after a recent spate of dumping.
Fionnuala Burke lives on Rockdale Street where a large alleyway between her street and Rockville Street is used for bin collection.
The entry has attracted rubbish and fly-tipping in recent weeks, leaving the alley strewn with litter, including an abandoned shopping trolley.
Fionnuala has previously called for the entry to be spruced up, similar to an initiative by residents in other West Belfast streets who have adapted their alleyways into community spaces where neighbours grow flowers and vegetables.
Speaking to the Andersonstown News, Fionnuala said: "I have been living here for five years and there has been constant issues with rubbish and dumping in the alleyway.
"I went out on Monday morning and couldn't believe the state of the place. There was rubbish dumped everywhere and even an abandoned trolley has appeared.
"I don't know where the rubbish is coming from but it is terrible to see.
"I would really love to see people take pride in the alleyway and keep it clean and tidy. People need to have a bit of respect for themselves but also for others.
"I’m aware of how your surroundings can affect your mental health and when I go into the entryway it just leaves me feeling really depressed and angry."
A Belfast City Council spokesperson said: "Belfast City Council cleansing teams work across the city each day, removing rubbish from alleyways, including dumped items, and responding to requests for service from residents.
"We would ask that if residents hold responsibility for unlocking alleyway gates, this is done by 7am on collection day. We cannot collect bins which are overflowing. Bin lids must fully close and no plastic liners should be used.
"We encourage residents to use our recycling centres and the free bulky waste collection service.
"Instances of fly-tipping can be reported to us directly so we can take prompt action. Reports can be made online at https://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/streetcleaning or by calling 028 9037 3006.
"Fly-tipping is illegal, and every report we receive is investigated. We take enforcement action against those responsible when we have the evidence to do so. Anyone caught illegally dumping waste or leaving excess rubbish on our streets can face a fixed penalty notice of £80 or £400, depending on the scale of the offence."
