The local community recently came out to help the father and son clear the site up after a fire
Nelson Shardey (front),and his son Jacob on derelict land that’s been abandoned near their home(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
A father and son took it upon themselves to tackle an “open bin” in their backyard after years of it being used as a dumping ground.
Nelson and Jacob Shardey, from Seacombe on the Wirral, with the help of others in their community have tried to clear a barren patch of land next to their home on Borough Road. Nelson is a long-standing figure in the local community having run a newsagents there for years.
Once derelict shops that were knocked down in the 1990s, the ECHO understands the site is made up of three different plots of land from 174 to 178 Borough Road. Only 174 has been sold in recent years going for £10,000 in 2017.
According to Seacombe councillor Kaitlin Stuart, the site was added to a list of target areas in 2017 which led to a fence being installed. As the site is privately owned, it is the responsibility of the landowners to remove, though local authorities can take enforcement action.
However the fence later blew down and it became a dumping ground for people walking past. On social media it’s been described as an “open bin,” an “overgrown jungle,” and a “wasteland.”
Jacob Shardey (left) said they had found dozens of nappies(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
It wasn’t until a fire lit by a throwaway cigarette butt on August 22 this year that the Shardeys who live next door decided to take matters into their own hands. Jacob said he was woken from a nap by his neighbour shouting outside and saw smoke billowing past his window.
Jacob immediately rang the fire brigade who put it out. He claimed he was then told the site was now a threat to their property and needed to be sorted.
After the fire, Nelson told the ECHO: “I sat down and said to myself this can’t go on. The main reasons I was so concerned is the the rubbish found there like nappies that stunk. We have been breathing this in for all these years.”
The pair decided it couldn’t go on any longer and posted on local Facebook group Wallasey Gossip appealing for help. In the rubbish, they found vapes, gas canisters, deodorant cans, and mounds of rubbish bags.
Jacob said: “It was right there next to our property, god knows what would have happened.
“There was just so much rubbish. The bin bags had been there for who knows how long. I didn’t pick them up because they would just rip.
“People dumped all sorts. It’s horrific. We knew it was bad but it wasn’t until the other day when we moved one of the boards, there was just heaps of rubbish and nappies. We must have removed about 20 nappies, it was vile.”
Councillor Kaitlin Stuart praised the family’s efforts(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Cllr Stuart said the Shardey’s efforts are “commendable, but it should never have come to this,” adding: “I have raised this with Wirral Council and I will be urging enforcement officers to investigate and prosecute those responsible for this disgusting and dangerous fly-tipping.
“This behaviour is not only illegal, it is a blight on our community and a threat to public safety. The private landowners must also take responsibility. The lack of fencing and maintenance has allowed this land to become a dumping ground.”
She said they would be asking the council along with Wallasey MP Angela Eagle “to contact the owners and demand that they reinstate proper boundaries and keep the site secure and clean,” adding: “This situation is unacceptable. The community deserves better.
“We will continue to push for accountability and action to ensure this land is no longer a dumping ground or a danger to local residents.”
Wirral Council were approached for comment.