Forum Topic

Rubbish

See the front page for an account of a walk about Councillors Gulaid and Walker did with me a week ago. I'd be glad of some comments. In particular I don't understand why people are dumping rubbish on the street near their own homes. Do they really think the Council does daily collections?Councillor Walker remarked that on a recent visit to San Paulo, she noticed people took their rubbish to a giant bin at the end of their street. Is this what people think they are doing when they drop bags of rotting meat by the waste bins in Horn Lane?On a separate note, I see the pilot project of.  spot fines on Ealing Broadway have fined someone £80 for dropping a cigarette butt. What do you think?

Maire Lowe ● 3953d14 Comments

I remain convinced that there is a problem with landlords not providing and retaining the necessary bins and bin space for tenants.Also when their tenants leave what they leave behind then becomes business waste and so becomes chargeable at Greenford (no business waste allowed at Stirling Road) to dispose of rather than free.  They can't obviously make their tenants separate their waste but every encouragement at the start would be helpful.  Neighbours often don't want to get involved and it is more difficult to once upset. They could probably help their new neighbours and themselves and their neighbourhood and environment by getting involved earlier. It is rather Catch 22.Nobody really wants to "shop" neighbours but being able to get them assistance by informing the Recycling Department (is there one any more?) that there are new tenants needing info would help.  I believe there are also letting agents who are not pulling their weight.  Landlords should be requiring their letting agents make sure info and bins are available on change of tenancy.  Communities can help by advertising second hand sales, jumble sales, yard sales and school sales etc - there aren't as many now because so much happens online. 

Philippa Bond ● 3946d

Thanks for all the further comments, especially to Philippa. We await some information from the Assistant Director, whose department does this co ordinaton.In between, we have done another walkabout and it is agreed generally that the majority of the waste is being dumped by tenants who either have no idea of our rather complicated arrangements, or have no place in their apartments to store rubblish until the day of collection. The other day I bumped into a new neighbour who is Hungarian. She was staring helplessly at a mixed green box of various waste which the binmen had ignored. As English is her third or fourth language it isn't that surprising that she couldn't understand the system. I think Councillor Walker is right. Newcomers to the parish need some additional help. I also think that Councilllor Gulaid is right when he wants the people dumping hugh mounds of waste heavily fined. Lets see what happens.

Maire Lowe ● 3946d

I don't suppose there is any co-ordination between anyone on anything.  That will be the point I'll start from!So how about this:http://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/200508/street_care_and_cleaning/220/street_cleansing

Philippa Bond ● 3946d

SallyHave you tried www.fixmystreet.com  It is very easy to use. If you photograph it as well the photo will go up and anyone who has just paid money to a cowboy to take their bathroom suite away may suddenly recognise it.  (If the fly-tipping can be traced back to you even if you didn't fly-tip it you can be fined a lot of money.)  It will mean that your neighbours will also be able to see that it has been reported. They can also add comments/update.  You can report anonymously. Most people don't fly-tip and like their enivironment to be tidy.  There is strength in numbers.

Philippa Bond ● 3949d

I do think the frequency of street sweeping has declined.  Certainly our road was getting quite bad with several areas around trees attracting cardboard, broken furniture and black bags. It is a busy time of year for the street team with the extra work of fallen leaves to be swept up. I have recently photographed fly tipping and used the on-line reporting service.  You are given a reference number and informed it will be dealt with within a specific time period but in each case this was exceeded.  Why is it that the weekly bin men seem able to ignore these piles?  Can't they be told to tidy up as they go where possible?  I appreciate this will not be feasible in all cases.  Use a bit of common sense.

Sally Rivlin ● 3950d

Thanks for the thoughtful comments. I've passed them on to the Officers responsible. Councillor Walker has written to me and others to tell us that there will be a service meeting tomorrow, Monday to discuss what might be done. I look forward to hearing the new plan. This might be a suitable opportunity to remark that none of us hold the contractor responsible, nor Council officers or even the ruling Labour party. No Council has ever offered a daily clear up service, even when there was more money sloshing about. I think I will only be informed about Acton Central Ward. So, I suggest that Beryl,Tatiana and others living in the other two wards should get on to one of their Councillors without delay.

Maire Lowe ● 3950d

I don't think everybody realises that "fly tipping" = the illegal dumping of rubbish.  If English wasn't my first language I don't think I'd know.  I also think that there are quite a lot of people who pretend that they don't know.I've always felt that it was better that people knew that they weren't supposed to do something before you fine them.Dumping under the sign just shows the contempt these people are showing for their community and society in general.  You've got the sign you now need to follow through.What happened to the stickers that used to be put on bags  saying that the dumping of waste was illegal and that people who dump rubbish can be the subject of a large fine if caught?  If it is just cleared away the dumpers just think that they have succeeded in finding a collection - and does the Contractor gain?Re the cigarette butt:  I remember reporting on here about seven - yes 7 - years ago that my son got caught in Oxford stubbing out a cigarette in the street and was spot-fined.  He was a student who had just left home and it was a bit of a shock.  I don't think he has ever done this again!

Philippa Bond ● 3953d

Maire,Last Sunday evening Highlands Avenue looked liked like the local tip!Some 'nice' people had decided to leave their rubbish at the Cumberland Road end, another lot had chosen outside of number 6 and round the corner in Summerlands Avenue, and more had been left opposite!As we drove up the road, people were adding things to the pile outside number 6.I contacted 'Streetwatchers' and some of it was eventually taken away, but not all of it - no explanation why they left stuff!Regarding the residents dumping rubbish near their own homes, in some European cities there is a daily collection, so maybe they think the same happens here?Larger fines may deter people from dumping their rubbish - but how are they going to spotted doing so? There aren't CCTV cameras covering every dumping place. I didn't know the people I saw adding rubbish to the pile so couldn't have reported them. If you approach people who are littering, you may well end up with verbal or physical abuse, so most of us would wish to avoid confrontation.My mind goes back some 28 years ago when my son was small. He asked me rather loudly why a lady had dropped her rubbish on the ground - she was so embarrassed that she immediately turned round and picked it up! A comment regarding the £80 fine for a cigarette butt being dropped - it does seem a little over the top. I know we want the streets to be clean, but surely a smaller fine would be more in order. Where is the money from the fines going I wonder? Paying for the inspectors who spot these people?

Amanda Knights ● 3953d

Philippa,Sadly, one of the biggest piles of domestic rubbish on Horn Lane is directly under the sign promising massive fines. Beryl, Im sure that the South Acton Councillors are just as upset as the Acton Central Councillors about this level of rubbish. Have you written to them?Threats are no good unless they are likely to be carried out. Im not sure why officers don't seems able to fine regular offenders. Councillor Mafouz has begun a pilot project in Ealing Broadway where an external organisation has accepted a self funding contract to identify and fine people dropping rubbish on the street. Hence the story of the £80 fine for someone dropping a cigarette butt. Im not sure what I think about giving that kind of power to an external organisation. I will be asking Councillor Mafouz why Officers feel the current system for fines is inadequate. One thing I do know. We can't afford the current level of street rubbish. For Public Health reasons alone, we must find ways of ensureing that our neighbours respect the environment in which we all live.

Maire Lowe ● 3953d

Fly tipping is illegal under The Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the maximum fine is £50,000 and/or up to five years in prison. The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 has introduced a fixed penalty fine of £300 for people transporting waste without a license and people who fail to produce a waste carrier note.

Philippa Bond ● 3953d

Unfortunately there can be a problem with more waste bins as they can attract the fly-tipping of bags of rubbish.  More education on what people should be doing with their waste and recycling is constantly needed because people move in and move out.  More community involvement eg residents' groups and talking to neighbours and offering to share and order bags and bins until new ones arrive is helpful.It is easier to talk to new neighbours before they become overwhelmed with their rubbish and start dumping vast amounts out at the wrong time and picking up the bad habits of any others in the neighbourhood.  They need to get the right message from the start but unfortunately many landlords and letting agents are failing...  I think we should take more note of those letting agents who are failing the community - and quite possibly the landlords as well - by not informing tenants properly of their responsibilities.

Philippa Bond ● 3953d

Well Maire..the horrors or fly tipping are ot limited to the area youpatrolled. You should see whay piles up every week at the Junction of Wilcott Road and Hillcrest Road. Also the piles of dog pooh bags at the base of trees in Hillcrest Road and Wilcott Road. Old toilets and bed bases seem to be latest items to be dumped One toilet  outside Hillcrest Surgery for a month which had been used by a passer by one night !! Time we had a litter warden and heavy fines. Also more waste bins in the side roads would maybe " help"  the lazy folk who can not walk a few more yards to the street corner to deposit smaller bags of filth

Beryl Bashford ● 3953d

Fine or Community Pay Back.  Name and Shame.

Philippa Bond ● 3953d

Well done, Maire.Someone has to start the war on rubbish. Acton is drowning in it - rubbish from shopkeepers, the market (one of the worst offenders), illegal multi-occupancy houses, even rubbish from well-educated residents who think it is OK to dump their unwanted stuff by public bins.

Tatiana Collins ● 3953d