A pile of doors and windows were eventually removed, but only after a bit of sleuthing
11:21, 14 Aug 2025Updated 11:23, 14 Aug 2025
Doors and windows were left here for months(Image: Alex Seabrook)
At least once a week I run along the Chocolate Path next to the New Cut of the River Avon with mostly beautiful views. But a few months ago a huge pile of doors and windows appeared, around the corner of one of the giant bonded warehouses, blighting the otherwise idyllic route.
In April I took a photo of the ugly pile for an article on fly-tipping, and it was probably there for a few weeks before that. I didn’t report it to Bristol City Council straight away as I either cynically thought nothing would happen or optimistically hoped somebody else would sort it out instead.
Then out of interest, as a test I sent a report in July to see what would happen next. The result was confusing and disappointing, leaving me £14 out of pocket and with shards of glass all over the floor. The windows and doors were eventually removed — but only after a bit of sleuthing.
You can report problems in your local area, such as fly-tipping or dodgy potholes, through a website called Fix My Street. Whether or not anything happens afterwards is another matter. Two people reported the fly-tipping next to the Chocolate Path in April and June, via the site.
The first report said: “Council land has inappropriate waste storage and fly-tipping that has not been removed for some months and is recurring because the site is insecure. It’s a threat to the river, wildlife and amenity.”
The second report added: “This is a well used walking and cycling path. There is dumped double glazing with plenty of smashed glass, it is a genuine hazard to the community and wildlife. Please remove it ASAP.”
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Responding to both reports, the council said staff would aim to remove the fly-tip within three days, depending on the size, scale, location and any hazards. Nothing else happened after the first report in April. Responding to the second report in June, made by Green Councillor Lisa Stone, staff from the council-owned Bristol Waste Company investigated the fly-tipping there.
However, Bristol Waste was “unable to address it due to a lack of appropriate equipment”. The response added: “Further investigation will be required to find a solution.” It was initially unclear exactly what equipment would be needed to take away the pile of doors and windows.
There are a few options when you report fly-tipping on the Fix My Street website. You have to choose the size of the issue — such as a single black bag, a car boot load, a transit van size, or a flatbed truck — if it’s affecting public safety, or if it’s a hazardous substance, and whether you have evidence of who left it there. It’s a pretty simple form to fill out and only takes a minute.
Shards of glass were left on the floor(Image: Alex Seabrook)
The remains of the fly-tipping near the Chocolate Path(Image: Alex Seabrook )
I reported the fly-tipping on Wednesday, July 23, and then I waited. I carried on running along the Chocolate Path, enjoying most of the views, and running past the pile of doors and windows. I wondered who left it there and whether they’ve since dumped other piles elsewhere in Bristol.
Two days later, I received a response that Bristol Waste had investigated and found that the fly-tip was on “adopted or private land”. This means the landowner is responsible for removing it, rather than the council or Bristol Waste. So I then checked on the Land Registry who owns the land. I paid £7 each for both the title register and the title plan, which was money well spent.
These documents revealed the land is in fact owned by… Bristol City Council. The plot thickens. The next step was to contact the council’s press office and ask them to clarify the situation — a process which usually takes a couple of days as their team then has to find out the information, get a statement signed off from somebody senior and very busy, and send it back to a reporter.
After waiting a few days, some good news finally landed in my inbox. The fly-tip needed a grabbing machine to clear up, and this would happen “within the next two weeks”, which sounded like a great result. The response also confirmed that the fly-tip is on land owned by the council, and added that the highways department is responsible for its maintenance.
Green Councillor Martin Fodor, chair of the environment policy committee, said: “Since March we have received over 1,400 fly-tipping reports each month via Fix My Street. Dealing with such large numbers of reports means it may take longer than anticipated to clear large fly-tips, so please bear with us.
“Due to the amount and type of waste that has been fly-tipped at this particular location, a grabbing machine is required to lift the waste. The site will be cleared using this specialist equipment within the next two weeks.
“Reporting issues on Fix My Street helps to improve the cleanliness of the city and we thank everyone who does this. We would also encourage you to include photographs and evidence of where the waste may have come from when submitting reports because this helps us to resolve issues faster and identify fly-tippers so we can take appropriate action.
“Upgrades made to Fix My Street in February mean that issues can be reported with more accuracy by including a precise location, and any reports already made for a specific location can be seen which avoids duplication. We’re working closely with Bristol Waste Company and other council teams to improve our responsiveness to the large volume of reports we receive.”
The day after I received that email, the doors and windows were gone. Two temporary fences were put up and shattered glass was left all over the floor. I hoped this too would have been cleared up within two weeks, as promised. But a fortnight later, unsurprisingly, shards of broken glass remain next to the footpath — still posing a risk of sore paws for anybody walking their dog.
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