A street in Leeds has become a mess because students who moved out left piles of unwanted items on the pavement.
Helen Haigh, whose 97-year-old aunt has lived on Trelawn Avenue in Headingley all her life, is upset with both the students and Leeds Council.
She says this problem has been happening for about 20 years and this year is the worst she has seen. The rubbish includes bedding, mirrors, and clothes.
There was so much rubbish that Helen had to push her aunt’s wheelchair onto the road to get past. Helen estimates that out of around 40 homes, only two people are paying Council Tax because the rest are students who are exempt.
Helen told LeedsLive that the students made the mess over the weekend and it was still there on Monday. “The students just dumped all their stuff on the path, blocking it. We had to walk into the road.
“My aunt and a neighbor are the only ones paying Council Tax. The rest don’t pay anything.
“The students were picked up in big cars. That mess is disgusting. They just leave their stuff on the street and go back to their nice homes while Council Taxpayers pay to clean it up.” Helen saw a post online suggesting that skips would be provided, but she hasn’t seen any.
“We have never had a skip around here.”
Helen says her aunt is also upset. “She watched them from the living room window. She is appalled. It’s a throwaway society.”
Helen claimed that authorities would take stricter action if non-students were caught dumping rubbish, adding, “If it was you or me, they would act quickly. They ignore it because it’s students. It makes you dislike students.”
Leeds Council has been asked for a comment.
