A COASTAL estate is in danger of becoming a rat-infested dumping ground, according to residents concerned about growing piles of rubbish.

The Bel Air Chalet Estate, in St Osyth, boasts a number of privately-owned chalets located only a stone’s throw away from the picturesque seafront.

Some of the properties can be lived in all year round, while others can only be used during certain periods, due to the risk of flooding in the area.

Residents now fear their quaint coastal retreat is becoming plagued with waste which has either been fly-tipped or left uncollected.

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

Albert Phillip, 88, lives on the estate and says more and more people are using the area to dump rubbish, which is tarnishing the site’s image.

He said: “Most of the owners hire a skip when doing up their chalets, so the rubbish is only there for a short time.

“But now there is fly-tipping happening in the car parks and once one person does it, others follow, so then there is a big build-up.

“The site is becoming a rubbish tip and it will soon be rat-infested.

“I have been helping to keep the site clean for a long time, but I am now too old to do all the lifting.”

Another resident, who has lived nearby for 20 years, says the area is gradually becoming more run down.

Speaking anonymously he said: “The chalets were made for old people who were retired, but now this beautiful area is being ruined and destroyed.

“It was not like this 20 years ago, back then if you walked across any of the grass you had a ton of old people shouting at you.

“Now you have so many cars coming out and delivery vans coming out of Bel Air all day long, so the road is absolutely destroyed.

“It wasn’t built for that type of traffic.”

According to Mr Phillip, after numerous attempts to flag the problems with the estate owners, he has been told get a quote from a rubbish collection company to have the waste cleared.

The Gazette contacted the owners of the Bel Air Chalet Estate, but they did not respond.