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City street plagued by fly-tipping shut

Lee Bottomley
BBC Radio Stoke
BBC There is a heavily graffitied wall to the bottom right of the picture, followed by metal security fencing, overgrown bushes and derelict properties in the distanceBBC
Concrete barriers are being installed on Pyenest Street, Shelton to try tackle the fly-tipping problem

A street in Stoke-on-Trent described as being a "magnet for fly-tipping" has been closed until 2027 in an attempt to tackle the problem.

Anti-social behaviour and illegal dumping on unoccupied Pyenest Street in Shelton has been going on for years, the city council said.

Concrete barriers are being installed to try to prevent more waste being dumped, ahead of the derelict land being cleared in readiness for redevelopment, which local business owners have welcomed.

The council says it then plans to give the green light to the construction of up to 141 homes on the site.

A man in a blue polo shirt looks at the camera, smiling. He has short grey hair, and his arms are crossed. To the side of him is a screen displaying a picture of a fire
Tim Sherwin says he apologises to his customers for the appearance of the area opposite his showroom

Tim Sherwin owns Stoke Flame, a fireplace business that looks out onto the land, and has a car park on a corner of it.

He said staff have to apologise to customers for the state of Pyenest Street

"It's been a central hub and hotspot for fly-tipping, drug dealing, stolen vehicles, prostitution, and there's quite a few homeless people living in these derelict businesses opposite us," he said

Mr Sherwin said as "proud Stokies" they do not want to move out of the area they have been based in since 1970, but it is embarrassing, and they welcome the prospect of the site being re-developed.

"Anything is going to be better than what we've got at the minute," he added.

A man in a checked shirt, with short grey hair and stubble, smiles for the camera. He is stood in front of a bar, with a sign saying Mirchi over his shoulder.
Kishore Jammula owns Indian Restaurant Mirchi, which overlooks the derelict land

Kishore Jammula has owned nearby Indian Restaurant Mirchi since 2012 and is pleased that redevelopment work is planned.

"It is really good for me, and the whole community around it," he said, describing repeated fly-tipping on Pyenest Street as "very frustrating."

The road closure will be in place until 1 May 2027, with some of the remaining buildings on the site set to be demolished in the near future, subject to consents, added the council.

"This area has been a magnet for illegal dumping for some time. It has also attracted anti-social behaviour," said councillor Amjid Wazir OBE.

"The area has so much potential to be a cleaner, greener and safer corner of the city."

Bags of waste lie on overgrown grass and weeds, with derelict buildings in the distance
There are ongoing issues with anti-social behaviour and illegal dumping on the street, say the council

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