New bin moves around the front of the block on its own

It seems the new recycling bank has been left with no brakes, or at least brakes that work, and so now every day it is in a different position outside the block.

If you are injured I have emailed the council about this already should you complain.

(This just continues to make me laugh, the council has £100millions and cannot get a recycling system or infrastructure that works)

Any progress?

A letter from the council apologising for the delay in response and that a "full investigation" is underway. I look for the action plan in dealing with this years old problem but I am not, based on experience, sure they will actually do anything.

As the recycling bin has been moved slightly there is now more room for tipping.

And it grows ....

Further to the last two posts.

The only response to the email sent to the Recycling Team, Cleaner Greener Team and my local councillors (that include the leader of the council), was that I was copied into an email sent from the Cleaner Greener Team to the Recycling Team leader. Otherwise NOTHING has been forthcoming. Clearly the silence indicates that the council are impotent when it comes to dealing with estate issues.

We do have a new Smart Bin which is now padlocked.

To prove the point below

I give up on Recycling

I have finally given up on bothering to recycle. It is far too much hassle for a disabled resident like myself. For those copied in you can see the history here - http://arthurhendersonestate.blogspot.com/

1. Over the last few months I have had to report our overflowing bin to just be emptied as this system of weekly collection is going awry - AGAIN for the up-tenth time.

2. I am fed up with the building entrance looking like a tip with ORANGE BAGS filling the bin and being left around it.

3. This encourages fly-tipping, as I write there is a pint of semi-skimmed milk on the bin, two cardboard boxes & a plank at the side of it.

4. I have GIVEN UP asking for a KEY for the recycling bin as after almost A YEAR of ASKING for one - this seems an impossible thing for you to organise. I cannot use the bin when it is locked.

5. This is the FINAL STRAW. On Monday, we had a collection for the 1st time in 2 weeks. The caretaker knocked on my door with an envelope addressed to me asking why I had left my recycling outside the bin, especially as I had always complained about it. I explained to him that I had placed my recycling in the bin the Tuesday before and had another black bag of recycling waiting for the bin to be emptied. As explained I have facilitated my recycling by having a 50l bin in my kitchen which takes black bags. I told him that the bin had been overflowing with ORANGE BAGS with 4 ORANGE BAGS left, 2 either side all over the weekend and to CHECK with the caretaker who was on the estate at the weekend to confirm what I was saying. I went down to the front entrance with the caretaker to find my two recycling black bags outside, which I identified to him. He then presented me with another black bag of recycling which was not mind. It then became apparent that whoever is doing the rounds to collect the recycling has been taking out black bags assuming they are domestic waste. Clearly NO ONE had COMMUNICATED with them that estate recycling has no 'code' for the type of bag to be used, it varies from carrier bags etc.... . Of course they had TAKEN all the ORANGE bags which are supposed to be left out on the street by OFF ESTATE RESIDENTS.

I have enough to deal with, and frankly, historically you have done nothing that has made a difference to this problem.

The bin is currently locked so I cannot dispose of my rubbish as I cannot get a full 50l black bag in through the "cleverly" designed pizza box slot.

You can treat this as a complaint but my expectation is that nothing will be done nor achieved, lets be frank it is beyond the council to organise and implement a solution here.

Until such time as you can demonstrate and facilitate as originally promised, residents being able to dispose of their recycling in a tidy & safe manner I shall simply go back to using the domestic waste bin. I am not going to contribute to the recycling rubbish obstacles etc... anymore.

I note that the local political administration, following the report from Localis (http://www.localis.org.uk/images/Localis%20Principles%20for%20Social%20Housing%20Reform%20WEB.pdf) don't seem to appreciate council tenants sometimes do treat their homes and estates with care. Without the drive here I do understand why it is difficult for you to do anything. As nothing is what I have become used to.

I have copied in South Fulham Housing Management though expecting a response has longer odds than potentially winning the National Lottery. They NEVER respond.

Body of email sent to my local councillors in Town Ward & various departments within the council responsible.

Our front door the rubbish dump.

As the recycling bins were designed without any consideration of how they were to be used. The slot is not able to take the bags that residents use to recycle. Leaving the bin open means that off estate residents use it (you will note the orange bag) and it gets full and overflows, again leaving residents unable to use it. Either way it over flows. The council, has been told, and does nothing.

Tory councillor 'sorry' she blamed Indians for litter thrown out of the windows

Thanks to Stephen Cowan for this.

You can see the story at "Tory councillor 'sorry' she blamed Indians for litter thrown out of the windows" on the Daily Mail web site.

You must draw your own conclusions on this story. Personally I find it's overtones racist and would be concerned at future decisions she is involved in and more particulary the motivation. I don't care about the political affiliation she has. I do think however that any party should be very hard on any elected member who is this foolish.

If this were a council employee I am sure they would have been subject to a disciplinary process possibly loosing their job.

Maybe I should ask her to deal with the rubbish that is dumped in our estate and more often than not by private residents from the gated estate and surrounding large houses, mainly orange bags, because our homes are less important.

Maybe she would have more effect than our local housing office with the trees that over hang from the gardens from the gated estate, that drop leaves and sap on our parked cars. They have been told to cut them back but they feel they can just ignore the council.

I wonder why white middle class private residents are allowed a permanent amnesty from tidying up thier litter. You will have to draw your own conlusions on this.

Looking at the part of Fulham in which I reside. I have noticed the signs about fines for littering have gone up but the number of street side bins has decreased.

Monday - the weekend rubbish removed & replaced.

So the rubbish from the weekend was removed Monday morning. Only to be replace by the evening with more - still there at time of writting.

Sunday 13th April 2008

Locking the bins though probably stops Orange Bags being dumped also stops people from the block being able to dump there carrier bags of recycling. When will we see some proper thinking on this. The bins need a redesign to make it possible for people to dispose of smaller bags. Action other than letter writing which is a waste of time and council tax money. As it achieves nothing as evidenced by the orange bags still being dumped after several years of sending them. There needs to be a proper, thought through system if the council is going to win the arguments and encourage and keep the goodwill of those of us committed to recycling. There needs to be some other methods of changing adverse behaviour.

THIS IS MY HOME NOT A RUBBISH TIP!!!!!!!

Orange bags on estate today & Update

The Street Scene Enforcement team are to be thanked. Though not in there remit. They have monitored the estate and reported back to H&F Homes. What happens next is now in the hands of the Housing Office.

The Recycling Bins have been locked so that you can only dump rubbish into the slot at the top. However, today (Thursday 10th April midday) we can see that the Orange Bags are just dumped, as always, outside.

The orange bags & flytipping.

Though our entrance way was saved this weekend. This picture was taken Sunday 6th April 2008. As you can see not everyone escaped the dumping of rubbish in particular. The orange bags from those living off estate.

It is also clear that addtional recycling bins only add to not deal with this problem.

I understand that the estate. As it is now managed by H&F Homes is a "private estate" and not part of the general highway. For that reason. The Street Enforcement Team have no powers as there remit is the highways. It is down to H&F Homes to deal with this. I have been made aware that a Senior Housing Officer is now dealing with it. Though again they seem limited in what they can do.

Well I think there needs to be some thought here. It is not fair on residents. It is not fair on the caretakers as this is an additional burden to their jobs. H&F Homes need to seek the apprioprate powers and more importantly USE THEM. As far as this problem is concerned. They do have an ASBO team. I wonder why flytipping & the abuse of our recycling bins is not considered Anti Social Behaviour?

News from Street Scene Enforcement Team.

Following my regular emails, with photo's attached to our local councillors & the relevant council officers.

Having heard nothing for over a week. I received a response from a Supervisor within this team.

They visited the estate this morning. They will also visit & inspect again in the next 7 days. After which they will send a comprehensive report of there actions & findings.

Not bad given this problem has been going on for years and only recently. Through exasperation at in action on the part of the council. The major reason for this blog.

It won't surprise you to learn that I have sent many emails and photographic evidence to the council in the past prior to this internet presence.

So where do I put any of my rubbish this morning???

Another weekend and no where for me as a resident to put my recycling or domestic waste. The council seem to be doing NOTHING about this problem. I send them the photographs. I have received no response to my previous email. Asking the council what actions they were undertaking. This is also a hazzard for anyone who is unstable on their feet.

This is NOT rubbish left by the contractors who are doing the Decent Homes works. They clear their rubbish away at the end of every day.

I can only assume it is now council policy to allow council estates, our homes. To be used as an additional municipal dump for rubbish. Maybe I should submit a question to the next council meeting.

Sunday 30th March carrying on from the week.

Where do we put our recycling rubbish ??

Midday 25th March 2008. The council said they would get their "Street Enforcement Team" to look at the mis-use of the recycling banks on the estate by resdients using the orange bag scheme. So far this involves placing orange bags left outside these bins into them.

So our bin is almost full with non-resident recycling waste. So where do we put ours? I thought the bins were to be exclusively for the use of residents.

Elsewhere on the estate this Monday.

Just a little further into the estate from our entrance the bags have been dumped instead!

Residents should note that any items they have to "dump" should be placed outside the caretakers building, opposite the green, near the centre of the estate. There is a weekly collection for these items.

Orange Bag Problem Elsewhere on Estate.

Well, further to the post below. The orange bags were placed in the recycling bin. Thought I was told that the "Street Scene Enforcement Team" would investigate. I would have thought they would have collected the bags to scrutinize the content - seems not.

And if you think the problem is just outside the block I live in. The picture above taken half an hour ago demonstrates it is a estate wide problem.

So H&F council - I ask why you allow us to be treated with less respect than the residents that are dumping this rubbish, repeatedly?

Not yet the weekend & guess what? as usual

Midday on Friday and our usual rubbish mound has already started!

Only one day this week clear of rubbish. Orange bags or otherwise.

Rubbish finally cleared

Finally. For the first time since the 5th March over a week ago. There is NO rubbish outside the building.

Lets see how long that lasts.