Forum Topic

The Councils Rubbish - literally !

Bob Crossley ● 4274d29 Comments

Bob Crossley ● 4274d

That's Exactly how Acton has become over the years (a slum)  you could always ask for a rebate on your council tax as you have photographic evidence at hand. Perhaps this is a prelude to the dreaded wheelie bin (before and after) instigated by those in office!Why not go public with your evidence to a national TV Network and see if they can slot this piece in their News coverage alternatively if no one is interested in keeping Acton clean you can always Comment on a film review!

Ricardo Pelc-Wesoly ● 4273d

The situation deteriorated when tne new contractors took over and have been on a downward spiral ever since.

Jean F Fernandez ● 4273d

Our black bags were collected today, but they have yet to collect paper, cardboard, food containers and plastics.Have they been to other streets in Acton today?What a rubbish service!

Jean F Fernandez ● 4271d

Yes they came here - but we had forgotten to put the recycling out. Ho hum.

Sara Nathan ● 4271d

You are absolutely correct - well done on your proactive efforts!I must also add that we need to tackle the root of the problem, i.e. we British have a very poor attitude to rubbish disposal. In general, we don't use bins, we don't recycle, and this is the result.We need a local authority-wide campaign to make people thing before they drop litter. Having Ealing place bins in more appropriate positions in public areas (e.g. NEXT TO park benches, instead of 100 metres away) might help, too.I'd encourage everyone to use the www.fixmystreet.com website to report rubbish/fly-tipping to Ealing, too. The more reports, the more it's highlighted as a problem.

Malcolm Pacey ● 4271d

Well my street was done after my complaint. One day after I had done it myself. However no other streets have been touched.

Bob Crossley ● 4270d

They say it was cleaned the day after I did the whole street myself.There is nothing about the actual complaint of why the streets here were not touched for two weeks over the Christmas period.There is no name or contact number for further follow up.They waste council money on paper and postage when an email would do the same job.

Bob Crossley ● 4253d

Missed collection yesterday Thursday, my food box was not emptied. I have telephoned twice but the box is still waiting to be emptied!No wonder some people dump their rubbish everywhere!

Jean F Fernandez ● 4251d

I heard the other day that most of the dumped rubbish in streets is left there by 'trade'. I.e. builders renovating apartments or landlords cleaning house after tenants. The suggestion was that commercial rubbish is not taken at local depots, so it is cheaper to leave stuff on the street for the Council to pick up eventually. Is this other's experience? Of course, this doesn't apply to legitimate business who organise regular collections.

Maire Lowe ● 4251d

I agree, Maire, re landlords emptying properties (and, it seems, new tenants unaware of when to put rubbish out, etc).  Something must be done about such practices, but nothing is.  However, the Contractor is underperforming.  Again and again I email Robin Williamson with "my street hasn't been litterpicked or refuse collected today" or "can the refuse and recycling collectors please pick-up what they drop".  I am beyond exasperated.  Any ideas, Maire?  I litterpick my street and the streets around us when I can.  Never has the saying "if you want a job done well, do it yourself" been more true.

Angela White ● 4251d

Saturday morning and my food box has still not been emptied despite 2 telephone calls to Streetwatchers.The contractors are obviously not up to the job but it seems we are stuck with them.

Jean F Fernandez ● 4251d

I must acknowledge that the suggestion was made to me by a serving Councillor who had just done a tour of the neighbourhood with an Officer from the safer neighbourhood team. If her theory is correct, then a possibility is for the Council to address licensed landlords, warning of sanctions if they don't organise their staff and tenants. It doesn't apply to most. The houses behind and beside me are in multiple occupancy and I never have a problem. Perhaps we can help to to identify the careless few? Last Thursday I counted 18 separate bags and boxes of rubbish between my house and Sainsbury, an 8 minute walk. Collection was the previous day.

Maire Lowe ● 4251d

Our Envirocrime Officer for Acton Central is a gem.  He responds very quickly and keeps us informed of progress.  It's probably fair to say that we aren't aware of homes/flats that are rented out where there's not a problem....simply because they never draw attention to themselves.  Wish there were more like this.One landlord, when tracked down, lives next door to the property which looks like a war zone.  Absent?  No - just not bothered.  Fine them.  Big time.

Angela White ● 4251d

Day after the collection ! Dropped by bin men or put out after. Either way not cleared up. Talk about litter knocking 12% off house prices

Bob Crossley ● 4251d

A neighbour told me he saw someone come out of a house and take the mattress down to another house and leave it outside. But didn't call the council. There is always a large increase in mattresses and broken furniture at tenancy change over times. For instance in the autumn when the university's restart.Dont know how you can fine them if you can't spot who is dumping them.

Bob Crossley ● 4251d

You won't be able to fine them all, as you say, but those the Council do know about, then fine them heavily.....will deter others.

Angela White ● 4251d

It can't be too difficult to identify registered landlords in any street. Those records exist. Along with instructions to service gas boilers. Would it be possible to increase sanctions for flytipping to such a point that it is cheaper for landlords to take the waste to the commercial dump at Greenford?Hounslow are making a big thing of fining unlicensed landlords heavily, and I hear that there is a new suspect increase in applications for licenses as a consequence. Landlords are in business to make a profit. Pointing out that any profit will turn to  heavy loss of caught flytipping might focus minds. What do people think? Actually increasing fines for flytipping, all proceeds to day centres at risk of closure might be a popular move.

Maire Lowe ● 4251d

You get my vote, Maire.

Angela White ● 4251d

Good idea as long as its not perceived as just an empty threat.

Bob Crossley ● 4251d

Some residents must also take part of the blame, we have persistent offenders nearby who dump their unwanted rubbish out on the street without a care in the world.This week they have started again only 2 days after the rubbish has been collected.This has already been reported and hopefully some action will be taken against the residents.

Jean F Fernandez ● 4250d

Monday morning and still no sign of my food box being emptied, they also missed my neighbour's 2 food boxes! These should have been emptied on Thursday.  It will be interesting to see if they do turn up today.My neighbour said he had to order another green box because they didn't bother to return the green box on Tbursday!All the above has been reported to the council.

Jean F Fernandez ● 4249d

Monday evening and still no sign of our green food boxes being emptied.....perhaps they are practising for fortnightly collections?

Jean F Fernandez ● 4248d

Tuesday morning...food boxes still not empties. Foxes manged to pull some of the contents out, I finally managed to lock the food box (a hit and miss affair).Sent another email and just hope the food boxes are emptied sometime soon, they are full to the brim!

Jean F Fernandez ● 4248d

When the rubbish is the tenants it is classed as household waste but when it has been left behind by the tenants who have moved on then it becomes classed as business waste.Under a tenancy agreement I think you'll find that the tenant can have money deducted from the deposit if they have not cleared their rooms.  This might also not help the situation.In some cities (I have seen something in Oxford) the colleges together with charities and presumably also the Council (they advertise it) have worked together to organise help for students moving out.  This seems a logical way to help those who don't have transport and parental help and have been challenged by the lack of time they've allowed for organising and arranging their moving out.

Philippa Bond ● 4247d

I notice that there is an increase in properties being rented.I think that the owners and agents should take more responsibility for making sure that their tenants have the requisite information and bins/bags.  Why isn't it part of the contract?After struggling along a street littered with Christmas trees being blown around just after New Year it was obvious that not enough information (is any?) is being given to tenants.  Certainly not enough responsibility is being taken by people to look after their waste and to make sure that they put it out where and when there is a collection and in the manner requested.

Philippa Bond ● 4247d

Weddnesday and our green food boxes have not been emptied sinse last Thursday - is this a record?Hopefully they will finally collect the food scraps tomorrow which is our normal collection day.If they ever decide to do fortnightly collections I think the rats will be very happy, it is bad enough now as it is!

Jean F Fernandez ● 4246d

I've actually missed the food waste collection myself for the past three weeks as I wasn't around at the right time on the right day so I was really pleased this week when I got it out in time (it was a struggle and I must endeavour to squeeze the water out of the teabags to lighten the load).  Thankfully our collection crews are good. I'd hate it if they missed it and I didn't know whether to bring the box back in or not.We hardly have any food waste nowadays - it's mostly egg shells, tea bags, banana skins and a few peelings.  I've taken to cooking and eating potatoes in their skins and chopping and cooking apples with the peel on to go on top of pork loin chops (a great way to deal with wrinkly apples).  It's quicker, less fiddly and makes less waste as well as tastes good.  We changed the way we bought bread which we found to be one of the foods we wasted most.I don't think the street was cleaned for quite a while after new year which was disappointing.  There were bits of Christmas trees and tree needles all over the pavement and rubbish and recycling in the gutters for a long time.We can easily go a month without putting out the black sack and I put that out for the first time this year this week because I had some polystyrene that finally filled it.

Philippa Bond ● 4239d

http://www.oxford.gov.uk/PageRender/decER/University_Waste_and_Recycling_occw.htm

Philippa Bond ● 4239d