Last Night BBC Rubbish Dump Britain

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Permalink Reply by Kate on March 3, 2021 at 12:27

I have mixed feelings about reporting fly tipping in Haringey- it’s a huge problem but the council just come and pick it up so there are no consequences. There is a block of flats near me who flytip on the pavement outside pretty much daily, they must be delighted to be getting such an efficient and free collection service! We need more feedback from the council about enforcement 

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Permalink Reply by Bob Ruggles on March 3, 2021 at 12:33

They give phone numbers that come back unobtainable. Emails, that state Not longer accepting emails.

They Cry that large numbers of fines are issues. When I ask how many was paid never got a response

Joys of Lock down and Elected Ward Councillors, who was reported to live in the Borough at Election Time. But do Not use local Forum Boards

As a Retired Borough Enforcement Officer , find it very annoying 

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Permalink Reply by Rosamund Tomlins on March 7, 2021 at 8:55

The system seems to be flawed at many stages. Veolia's teams on the ground have different information than those who set the schedules in the offices. The estate where I live isn't correctly logged as to which block has what collection for which day in the postcode day finder system. When the new schedules rolled out a lot of emptying wasn't carried out. So some areas had increased nearby dumping at the usual hotspots, & by the street bins.

I too no longer bother with the time consuming process of taking a photo & loading it up to the reporting site. What's the point? It doesn't do anything to prevent further dumping nor me having to do so every day. I'm not getting paid to help Veolia do their job & I can only see the point if Veolia would carry out adequate measures for prevention as a consequence of me reporting.

The added complication to this is the unintentional encouraging of street dumping in the designated spots for flats & businesses. These are right on the pavements where we walk (1 right in the middle of the pavement on the West Green Rd near the Houghton Rd 'tropical garden') so I pity those who are blind or are wheeling pushchairs etc,  they cause a blight on the neighbourhood, & make other people think that they can dump there too "as everyone else does" as 1 resident I caught in the act told me. Of course the argument is that they're only supposed to place rubbish there at specific times, but people don't follow this mainly because the hours are not practical. Of course it's going to encourage dumping 24/7. Veolia/Haringey does next to nothing for prevention except deliver the odd leaflet & put up pathetic unreadable signage. The whole approach is wrong!

My estate should have a communal food waste bin for each block. We don't for some & I can't order for them as I don't live in the block, Veolia won't accept it from me. Verified residents can & although I've asked those I know to do so it hasn't happened yet. I'm a director of the Management Company & yet Veolia still won't engage with me on this, they say only a resident or the Managing Agent. The Managing Agent won't do this either - the reason being that they don't want a communal food waste bin for the main block I know to be missing one because their staff store up all the dumped waste & furniture etc that they find all over our estate in the very bin store that clearly is designed for a food waste bin, for an efficient bulk collection. This does reduce costs to the property owners in the service charges as each bulk collection costs £250 a time, at the commercial rate which is applied to estates, so it makes sense to store it up until there is a viable load. The individual householders dumping this stuff would only pay £30 a time to Veolia to collect it & it's not provable as to whether the stuff comes from within or without the estate. Management Co. says there is nowhere else to store this bulky dumped waste. So we are caught between a rock & a hard place.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on March 7, 2021 at 9:03

I think there is also an unintended consequence of reporting repeat culprits Rosamund.  On my street (as on many others I imagine) there is an HMO and at every change of tenant the landlord dumps rubbish on the pavement outside the property.  I report it and it gets cleared at no charge to the landlord.  The landlord obviously thinks they’ve hit on a real money saver so it goes on and on.  

I’ve taken to adding text to the report along the lines of “Please don’t just pick up the rubbish - knock on the door and get the landlord’s details so you can contact them with a warning”. No idea if it makes any difference.

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Permalink Reply by Rosamund Tomlins on March 7, 2021 at 10:23

Exactly relevant to one of my points, as the comment 2 above mine also outlines. I saw no need to reiterate it here, as its implied. I've also, on the reporting sites, urged them to take further steps towards prevention but I never get a reply through those channels. When I have received any kind of email or Facebook reply the answer is that these are the measures currently taken, there isn't any more money for adequate CCTV, or stake outs, & so it's their policy for the time being. I've replied that its not working, but that's not responded to. I can imagine a mental shrug.

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Permalink Reply by Hugh on March 7, 2021 at 10:54

I understand the dilemma about repeatedly reporting dumps.There are a couple of spots on my street which are favoured spots and I've been reporting dumps there for years. 

I see reporting the dumps as a sticking plaster solution rather than a permanent one. I don't see any other option. If we don't report the dumps we have to live with them. I also give credence to the broken windows theory. So, I believe that not reporting dumping will exacerbate the problem still further.

In the longer term, I don't believe that the problem is insoluble. I don't know what the answer is, but I'm quite sure it starts with political engagement and smart political pressure at both the local and national level. I certainly don't see citizens turning their back on the issue as part of the solution. 

In the meantime, the reporting app is useful to do what it says on the tin - to report a specific issue at a particular moment in time with the aim of getting it fixed. I don't think it's the medium to seek longer term solutions. I'd like to say that the way to do that is by talking directly to senior officers and councillors - and whilst I know that people will reasonably say that's been tried before and hasn't worked, I think people have to keep up the pressure until change comes.

Happy to listen to other constructive solutions if anyone has any.

I sympathise with your particular situation, Rosamund. It seems like a very complex one with a lot of players in the game. It sounds like a situation where your councillor should be negotiating / fighting for a solution on your behalf. 

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Permalink Reply by Bob Ruggles on March 7, 2021 at 14:44

Haringey is paying Extra to have Scavenger crews picking up these dumps 7 days a week. Must be costing many Millions Extra on Contract. Councillors claim they have issued many fines. But my money on the majority not being paid

In my time, they went before the Court and, unpaid Fines was passed onto recovery.

Especially as Councillors I have discussed it with believe its not fair that Trade Customers should pay, to have their rubbish, regardless of how much or times collected

Yes the Council report via their Facebook page, they have taken on a New Team of Officers and a couple of times you see picture reports of investigations and Fines issued

But as they Say you get what you pay for , Or who you elect as Ward Councillors 

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Permalink Reply by KTwok on March 9, 2021 at 18:40

I have two neighbours who I'm sure both regularly dump rubbish on the path in front of their houses. The flats must be like the TARDIS inside as the amount of stuff that arrives on the pavement is neverending. I had been reporting each pile hoping an high number of reports may trigger further action. But as I've never seen anyone doing the dumping I couldn't say it was them or someone else using a spot that has been used before. It's likely all I'm doing by reporting is getting their rubbish taken away for free. There 's a sofa arrived out there tonight that has been down the side of the neighbours house for weeks so I can say it came from that property but it seems like nothing would-be done of I reported that information. It is blocking the pavement though so I'll probably report it just so it clears the paths for those who may not be able to step into the gutter to get past it.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Ruggles on March 10, 2021 at 13:07

Haringey / Facebook. Has posted pictures of people dumping in Ashley Crescent N22 

Aware that if they see the post, if they will own up or await for others to see them

Cameras are best way.  Aware they are able to move them around

Best one was camera supposed to be covering Gladstone Mews. Was set to cover the back yard of Argos

Another issue, majority of the Borough , do not see the posts. Often because it's other material posted

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