Hampshire straddled the land bridge from Europe during the last great ice age. Mesolithic hunters gathered in river valleys where they hunted giant beasts. Until these became extinct and they began to experiment with agriculture instead. Roman and Norman colonists added to the genetic chain during several invasions. This contributed to a rich culture still evident in museums and antique dealers. I am mindful of this when clearing a hoarded home in Hampshire for I never know what I will find.
A Display Cabinet Filled with Old China Pieces (Image Avery and Associates ©)
The 21st Century Scourge – Fly Tipping in Hampshire
I was traveling down to Southampton a few months ago to attend a hoarded house clearance after the occupant passed away. I left London early to avoid the worst of the morning rush, and followed a more leisurely route branching off from the motorway.
On an impulse I headed down through B roads to visit a village I always wanted to see. It was everything I expected and I was thoroughly enjoying the experience as I travelled onward. However, I never expected to stumble over something as horrible as this!
A Dumped Caravan by the Side of a Road in Hampshire (Image R Oakeshott BY CC 2.0)
Are We Bystanders on the Other Side of the Road?
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven us in the direction of a more solitary existence. I prefer not to engage with strangers, and maintain a safe distance. Perhaps that was what caused the inhabitants to look the other way. As that dumped caravan trundled down the road past their houses to end up where it did.
I can’t begin to understand why the owner did not advertise the caravan on the internet on caravan club sites. Surely somebody could have used it as a work-from-home office, or a riverside holiday home. Somebody’s pride and joy will probably end up in the jaws of giant mechanical crushers now.
Old Cars and Caravans in Birmingham (Image Oosoom BY CC 3.0)
Clearing a Hoarded Home in Hampshire – Recycling for Life
I approach home clearance projects as my personal contribution towards a greener economy. While also earning an honest living helping clients dispose of their assets, and sometimes sell them to recover their capital.
While I was growing up these things mattered less to our parents though. ‘Put that out with the rubbish,’ they often said. ‘The council will take it away.’ If I thought about it at all, I probably imagined the item going to a smelly dump somewhere I never intended to visit.
Nowadays English counties are taking a more responsible approach by re-greening the countryside with landfill sites. However, this can only be an interim measure. Or else what would future generations say when they discovered what’s lying underneath those shrouds? My personal take is clearing a hoarded house in Hampshire has everything to do with this.
Landfill Site Covers Over an Embankment Where Trains Ran (Image P Facey BY CC 2.0)
My Friends Sometimes Say I Am Over the Top on This
My friends sometimes say I am over the top by criticizing landfills that ‘get away with the problem responsibly’. However, the Circular for Resource and Waste Professionals might not agree with that. They say London cannot continue ‘generating the equivalent of 67 double-decker buses of waste per hour’.
They say this approach ‘is exacerbating climate change as well as causing nature to decline’. Moreover, they believe it is well within our reach ‘to stop the trashing of precious resources and make the economy circular’. In terms of this everything has a potential second life. Somebody somewhere will appreciate what we no longer want.
Vintage Motorcycle Lingering in Hope of a New Life (Image Avery and Associates ©)
The UK Environmental Protection Act of 1990 (EPA) governs dumping throughout Britain. As such, it places an obligation on Hampshire county councils to prosecute fly tippers and habitual dumpers. They may issue on-the-spot warnings. These can escalate to criminal records, and even vehicle confiscation if ignored.
Please bear the following extract from the EPA act in mind when clearing a hoarded house in Hampshire, or anywhere else in United Kingdom for that matter. ‘Depositing, knowingly causing or knowingly permitting the deposit of controlled waste or extractive waste on land without, or other than in accordance with, an environmental permit’ and this can lead to a criminal record’.
Call Avery Associates for Assistance and Further Advice
Avery Associates is the smart alternative when clearing a clearing a hoarded home in Hampshire, or anywhere in London and southern England. Please inquire about our services if you have a house to clear. You can rely on us to work quickly and responsibly, as we take your unwanted problems away and account for them.
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