Surrey is famed for its green scenery, so it may come to a surprise to come readers that there are some areas plagued by littering. Rubbing shoulders with the wealthy settlement of Virginia Water, with a private estate and world class golf club, is a tiny village called Lyne.
In the south western corner of where the M25 meets the M3, Lyne is a leafy destination with a school, village hall, church and a great farm shop with a fabulous brunching spot. Interestingly, Lyne has a community recycling centre.
Despite the "well organised" recycling centre, Lyne falls victim to fly tipping, with residents anonymously confirming with SurreyLive that it is an ongoing issue. Large piles of waste have manifested on residential roads, tucked off of Hardwick Lane.
Hardwick Lane is a two mile long stretch wrapping the north eastern edge of Lyne and connecting Chertsey to Virginia Water. Drivers can also use Hardwick Lane to get to the Lyne Community Recycling Centre.
Travelling along the stretch of Hardwick Lane, drivers can easily spot piles of rubbish including bags, food take out packaging and even an old mattress. Two roads in particular in Lyne, have fallen victim to the same messy fate.
On Saturday, December 7, a SurreyLive reporter saw a large pile of general rubbish and wood panels with large nails sticking out, blocking the route. The council confirmed that the majority of the rubbish was collected on Tuesday, December 10, with the rest taken away on Wednesday, December 11.
Lyne Crossing Road has had six reports of fly tipping in the last year, Runnymede Borough Council confirmed. Worse still, just three quarters of a mile up the road, is another road with around one fly tipping incident every month.
Runnymede Borough Council confirmed there have been 12 incidents of fly tipping this year on Lyne Road. Our SurreyLive reporter also witnessed bags of rubbish, alongside an old dog crate, pieces of skirting board and a pink wicker bassinet.
The culprits of the fly tipping incidents have not yet been caught or prosecuted. Runnymede Borough Council released a statement: "We are aware of the fly-tipping on the grass verge and can confirm the waste was cleared from here on Tuesday 10 December, and the rest was collected on Wednesday 11 December. Items included general waste, and no photos were taken by Runnymede Borough Council."
Lyne Community Recycling Centre has a rating of 4.3 stars from visitors. Many praised it for not having booking slots, and friendly staff.
One wrote via Google : "Well organised during pandemic," another added: "All large skips Labelled clearly.Well maintained and friendly staff."
