North Ayrshire Council found itself on the end of criticism this week after it emerged that they refused to action over an area that become prominent for fly-tipping.
Jamie Greene MSP had previously written to the council and taken to social media to highlight the problem of fly tipping in Largs.
In May, Mr. Greene contacted North Ayrshire Council about the problem, he was told that they would make contact with Burgh Properties Ltd to address the waste problem and to ensure that the area is maintained to an acceptable standard.
Six months later there has still been no action taken.
Mr Greene said: " Amongst the litter left on Bath Street there are fridge-freezers and other appliances that pose environmental damage if not dealt with properly.
Private companies such as the Bank of Scotland on Main Street have been forced to hire a private drainage firm to ensure that the drainage problems in the car park on Bath Street are not preventing employees and customers from parking in the area.
Now North Ayrshire Council have responded by saying that Burgh Properties Ltd, who, so far, have been unresponsive to the council’s correspondence, owns the land. They go on to say that under the Environmental Protection Act, the council can exercise enforcement rights to make the private company pay for the costs associated with removing the fridges, mattresses and other waste on Bath Street.
However, this will not be discussed until early next year, according to the council.
The West of Scotland Conservative list MSP highlighted that this has continued to be a persistent issue and called on the authorities to take swift action regarding it.
Mr Greene MSP commented: “The rubbish heap on Bath Street must be cleaned up. Either the local council or the property managers need to take action.
“It is now affecting local businesses who are having to shell out money to keep the street to an acceptable standard. This should be the council’s job not businesses’.
“By the time the council begin discussing exercising enforcement rights it will be nearly a year since I first raised to issue. It should not take this long for the local authority to realise that there is a problem with fridges and mattresses being dumped.
“Not only is this an environmental problem, it is rapidly becoming a public health hazard. The site is ample for the build of vermin in our town centre.”
A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson: “As this area remains in private ownership, the council’s Streetscene team does not have the power to enter the site and clear the waste.
“We have made various attempts to contact who we understand to be the landowner in recent months to ensure the waste is removed and the land is maintained to an acceptable standard.
“Clearly this has not had the desired effect. We are however committed to finding a long-term solution and are currently considering a number of options available to us, including enforcement action if appropriate.”