Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
DEFRA Tidiness Survey - How Haringey Fared
Defra commissioned ENCAMS (Environmental Campaigns), who run the Keep Britain Tidy Campaign, to undertake an independent survey of local environmental issues, such as litter and graffiti, in every district council area in England between April 2006 and March 2008.
The aim of this work was to report on how much litter, graffiti and flyposting are found in each council area - on the street, in parks, town centres and other places that the public visit for work and recreation. It will give councils detailed information on the nature and scale of any problems, helping them to target resources effectively and improve standards.
I attach Haringey's results for the first year - 2nd year results for Haringey don't seem to be in yet.
To read more (or if someone wants to do a comparison with other councils) visit the page on Defra's site.
The aim of this work was to report on how much litter, graffiti and flyposting are found in each council area - on the street, in parks, town centres and other places that the public visit for work and recreation. It will give councils detailed information on the nature and scale of any problems, helping them to target resources effectively and improve standards.
I attach Haringey's results for the first year - 2nd year results for Haringey don't seem to be in yet.
To read more (or if someone wants to do a comparison with other councils) visit the page on Defra's site.
Tags for Forum Posts: defra, litter, rubbish
- Attachments:
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by John D on
-
"There is an absence or insignifiant level of flyposting " ???
Come on !!!
These were all along Priory Lane last week on every tree.
OK, the survey wasn't last week but the above is typical.
-
Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
-
As a local councillor I have a serious problem with these surveys. Plainly, there are significant overall successes - for example, cleaning graffiti and removing fly-posting. And even when it comes to litter and fly-tipping, there are large parts of the Borough where these are not huge problems.
But in Harringay ward? Photos from Liz and other people illustrate the problems - despite her determination to balance the picture with every beautiful bush, flower and stretch of the New River.
I also wonder how Encams surveyors managed to miss the stuff I see all the time where I regularly walk and take the bus. I couldn't smile widely enough if I could really give a "good" or even just "satisfactory" grade to: Tottenham Hale; Bruce Grove; Tottenham Green; and the parts of Northumberland Park ward I see regularly. But right now nobody would believe it - least of all the residents.
One day I'd love to come home to Haringey and not see dumping as we reach Wood Green; which then gets worse as we approach Tottenham. In fact, to make it easier for Encams, let me set the bar even lower. Perhaps one day I'll leave my house and walk for ten minutes without coming across dumped garbage.
The danger with an Encams false positive like this is allowing the existing complacency and mediocrity to continue. Fly-tipping? What flytipping? Encams rates us “good”. Litter? Well, alright, Encams says “unsatisfactory”. But hey, that’s not “poor”.
-
Permalink Reply by Alison P on
-
Couldn't agree more with Alan. The thing about surveys like this is that the results are entirely dependent on where the researchers go and look. We all know how diverse Haringey is; spending a few days in Muswell Hill or Crouch End will give you a very different answer to a day spent in Tottenham or Harringay.
I'm sure they did their work far more rigorously than that, but with no info on the Defra site about where ENCAMS went, how they selected the areas, how much time they spent there etc. how would we ever know? (There isn't anything I could see when I had a look).
-
Permalink Reply by Liz on
-
I would agree totally with Alan that surveys like these only reinforce a complacent belief that the council have little to worry about when it comes to the urban environment and it worries me that when people like me and him complain we'll have such surveys waved in our faces to suggest that we are making a mountain (of mattresses) out of a molehill.
I am faced on a daily basis (outside my window) with dumping and littering. I am happy to let the Defra boys survey from the comfort of my front window if they want to see what really happens. The sofa that has taken up residence has now become a repository for the chicken boxes and cans that no doubt some of our less socially responsible citizens enjoyed while taking advantage of the new comfy outdoor seating. I just hope I don't find a pair of trousers on there like on the last sofa that I spent a few days asking to be removed from mattison road!
I also am inclined to agree with John with regard to the plastering of small notices all over the place. This is not I know a popular view but it seems if a multi national sticks up an advert for a pop band this is illegal but a little laminated paper advertising a workshop sponsored by the council is not a problem. Hmmm. If there is an urgent need to advertise in this way then the council must sponsor more community notice boards and ensure they are looked after.
On the whole I would move every segment of the pie down a notch and suggest that fly tipping go down two. If you want to see flytipped black bags, walk down Green Lanes or the head roads especially Duckett and Cavendish, any day of the week at any time and you will find them.
-
-
Wow! One thing that's not snail-like in Haringey is the spin-speed.
Hugh has hardly spotted the Encams report before Cllr Haley is about to head-off to the next Scrutiny Committee with a briefing which includes it as one of the Key achievements in 2008/09.
Street cleanliness "Independent monitoring by ENCAMS indicates that the cleanliness of Haringey's streets has improved considerably since 2006/07. Resident satisfaction with cleanliness also increased significantly in 2007, with 56% of residents satisfied with street cleaning, a 9% increase over the previous year, placing Haringey above the London average for the first time. A key factor in this success has been implementation of the council's NI 195 (previously BV199) cleanliness action plan to improve levels of cleanliness and resident perception. A new litter picking service was rolled out to all wards in the borough earlier this year following a successful pilot scheme in 2007/08 in five wards that suffered most from litter. Residents will be consulted during the autumn for their feed back and views of the new service."
Plainly, missing this significant improvement must be our fault. So everyone, stop tripping over dumped bags and couches. Look up instead! And admire the neatly brushed pigs' nests in every street tree and hanging basket.
-
-
Is that the resident's survey which appeared to be based on the perception of 14 people in a focus group? I have not seen the litter pickers out at all this month and judging by the number of chicken boxes gathering at the bottom of the road, they are not doing a great job. It's my understanding that the bottom of roads that lead onto Green Lanes are swept everyday. This is clearly not happening. At the risk of sounding very obsessive, I would like to know what the street cleaners define as the bottom of the road and at what point on the street the cleaning passes to the twice weekly cleaners...I bet no one can answer that question! The cleaners can't be blamed though, anecdotally I'm told their rounds have been extended, they have less time to do them and as we have discussed on Flickr, Alan, they have inadequate resources. So long as Clr Haley believes that the street cleanliness is fine, he's hardly going to go after the company, Enterprise, to ensure more cleaners and better resources. Wouldn't want to rock the boat, maybe?
-
-
Interesting point, Liz. And other people have raised another. I've emailed Cllr Haley, the "Cabinet" member for the Environment.
_____________________________
Cllr Haley,
I note that in your briefing for the Scrutiny Committee you state that:
"Independent monitoring by ENCAMS indicates that the cleanliness of Haringey's streets has improved considerably since 2006/07."
I looked up ENCAMS reports but can't find the data your refer to. I did find this
DEFRA webpage, headlined: How tidy is your local area?
The first paragraph says that the ENCAMS' survey was "in every district council area in England between April 2006 and March 2008". (This included London Boroughs.) However, two paragraphs later - headlined How to find results for your council - states: "one survey was conducted for each council in either 2006/07 or 2007/08".
The report states that the survey in Haringey was "during the 2006/2007 year". In other words, only a single ENCAMS survey was carried out in Haringey at some point between April 2006 and March 2007.
As you refer to a considerable improvement since 2006/07, I presume you have access to a more recent comparative survey from ENCAMS. Could you please let me have a copy of this more recent survey or send me the website link where I can download it?
Your briefing to Scrutiny Committee also says:
"Resident satisfaction with cleanliness also increased significantly in 2007, with 56% of residents satisfied with street cleaning, a 9% increase over the previous year, placing Haringey above the London average for the first time."
Could you please refer me to the source of these data and arrange for officers to send me a copy - or the website link if possible. I'd like to know the number of residents who gave their views; and their distribution across Haringey.
I'm sure you're aware of the old statistical adage that: 'a percentage of an unknown number remains an unknown number'. Also, as I recall, the most recent conclusions about residents' perceptions were based on a focus group where some fourteen people from the east of the borough took part. Of course, I'm sure you would not have based your comment on a sample this size.
Alan Stanton
Tottenham Hale ward councillor
Photoblog
-
-
Must be your magic, Liz!
I actually got a personal reply. Within 24 hours.
----- Original Message -----
From : Cllr Haley Brian
To : Alan Stanton
Sent : Monday, September 29, 2008 1:24 PM
Subject : ENCAMS monitoring
Dear Alan,
Thank you for your email.
I have asked Officers to make sure this information is sent to you.
Cllr Brian Haley
Cabinet Member for Environment and Conservation
-
Permalink Reply by Hugh on
-
Just following this up in looking at another story and see that the survey this post refers to seems to have died in its first year. 2nd year results were only ever published from Kensington & Chelsea as far as London was concerned.
Given the premature death of this survey and the distinct lack of enthusiasm from Haringey to supply an answer to Alan Stanton two years ago, I can't help wondering if this was a deeply flawed piece of work.
(I think the link above won't work for long since at the time of writing the page linked to carries the following message:
Whilst we develop a new Defra website we continue to make regular factual updates to this content. However this website may not necessarily reflect the policies and priorities of the current government, which can be found at http://ww2.defra.gov.uk
© 2024 Created by Hugh.
Powered by
