Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Petition - Changes to Haringey Waste Services
Hi Everyone [click here for the direct link to the petition].
The recent changes to Haringey's waste service have been well documented on this site in recent days. To recap, these include charging for garden waste collections, replacement bins (unless damaged by Veolia) and bulk collections. If you're familiar with the context, then please feel free to head straight to the petition here. NB... Per Michael's comment please scroll to the end of the next page on the petition site to register your signature.
If not, then read on... Charging for these services isn't uncommon in London - a number of boroughs now do so. However, the basis and evidence case that Haringey Council have used for this is questionable. Papers presented to council members for the Medium Term Financial Strategy (of which this forms part) shows the impact assessment of these changes on residents. There are seven potential negative outcomes on residents identified in Council decision papers as a result of implementing these changes. These are:
- An increase to fly tipping
- Increased use of Recycling and Reuse Centres (one of which I believe is earmarked for closure)
- A decrease in overall resident satisfaction
- An increase in side waste
- Discouraging recycling
- An increase in stolen bins
You can see the assessment here. No single positive outcome to residents was identified. For the council, a positive benefit of £775k in year one, dropping by 30% in year 2 to £525 suggesting the sustainability of these proposals is poor. In order to implement the changes, the Council will be investing at least £150k (IT systems, comms etc). Furthermore, no evidence was presented that a saving will be realised on the Veolia contract due to the reduction in scope.
Given the issues of fly tipping across the borough continue to gather pace, the council have had evidence provided to them that these changes will only serve to increase the problem. Personally, I don't find that acceptable. Things are pretty bad as it stands (example view of a local road today attached). If you agree, please do take a couple of moments to sign the petition by clicking on the link at the top.
Could I close with a small favour to ask? If anyone knows any means to spread this petition to other community sites, blogs etc in Haringey, please do so! Thank you for reading.
Tags for Forum Posts: waste collection charges
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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1408 signatures when I signed this evening.
A clunky sign-up process. It told me three times that my signing-up had failed. Eventually I ignored that and pressed "continue". That worked.
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Thanks for the update Peter S. But by October it's all done and dusted isn't it?
So in the meantime is there any possibility of fresh thinking and new evidence? Who is counting the incidents of dumping? How are they ensuring some objectivity and an accurate baseline starting point? The free collection of bulky items has ceased so what's the assessment of the impact? More old fridges standing sentinel on pavements? More armchairs in parks and carparks?
My probably unrepresentative impression is of a recent and significant increase in dumped rubbish.The fallen cans
Roll past my window
The fast food garbage
Growing cold
I see the mattress
There on the pavement
It's frayed and stained
And very old
More papers driftWedge into corners
Abandoned fridges
They used to shiftAs charges rise
The piles seem higher
To what bright future
Do we aspire?
But I miss you most of all
Dear Council
When mattresses
on pavements fall
https://twitter.com/MartinBallN17/status/909759566832914432https://twitter.com/MartinBallN17/status/909759566832914432
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Permalink Reply by STEPHEN BRICE on
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I did post on this some time ago, but I think my ineptitude at this sort of thing meant it didn't find its way in.
At present, LBH recycling is done through the NLWA, which is unnecessary. Although the NLWA has a statutory responsibility for N London waste, its only actual statutory disposal duty is residual (black bag) waste.
Enfield has for some years made its own arrangements for recycling, which, it says, saves it £3m per year. Camden made a similar arrangement last year, and all five councils in the West London Waste Authority arrange their own recycling as its to their financial advantage. The WLWA says that if that changes they will get together to discuss doing it collectively.
I've never been aware of any discussion about such an idea in Haringey. If our Council is trying to save money medium term, this would seem a very sensible way to achieve it.
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arrgh - a leaflet received through the door this week states the changes to the refuse service will launch 23rd October, I can't see the meeting on the 16th October overturning this.
Glad to see HoL on this and good points have been made in the posts and the petition. The impact of the changes proposed I can only see having a negative effect on the borough. Be good to know how the council will measure the impact of the changes and if there will be a review at some point in the future.
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The only chink of light in this situation about waste charges seems to be an encounter I had with some group called 'Noel Park Big Local' who have been funded by Haringey 40/20, Cleanup UK and 'Live East Recycle' to do promotion sessions in my local park about recycling food waste and picking up park litter. I told them I would no longer be recycling my own food waste for my allotment because I shall now need the composting space for my garden waste, whilst the council still take away food waste for free. This led to a discussion about garden waste, in which my suggestions seemed warmly received; a) a bring-your-garden waste site in every park for collective composting, free of charge, and subsequent distribution of the compost; b) an annual bonfire party on or about Nov 5 for people to bring large tree prunings.
I do hope something comes of this, as an experimental offshoot of the 'Big Local' project at least.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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That's a great initiaitve Anne. But it still leaves a huge problem - which groups like those you mention simply don't have the resources to solve.
Disposing of garden or bulk waste will now require people to have the money to do so. People will either have to be able to part with the money to pay for disposal through Haringey or be able to afford a car to transport it. Haringey's waste policy changes will directly impact on the poorest and will only exacerbate the east/west spilt that is obvious to see for anyone who travels around the borough.
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Stoopid Haringey again....
I do not own a car as I do not need one. Now either I pay to have a large bin or bag for the occassional unwanted green waste - already compost most of my green waste. Nah....It will now go into the normal bin. This is just counter productive. Some contribution Haringey Council is making towards increased recyling. Hypocrisy as usual. Have a bigger PR budget to say one thing and do the opposite!
Furthermore they are closing the Park VIew and if I do take a car club to take stuff to the dump it will take longer.
Stoopid Haringey!
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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They're trying to raise money from people who can afford it. Their assumption that people with gardens are the wealthy has some truth to it but I think that there are enough "renters" out there with gardens that their landlords force them to "maintain" that will not be able to afford £75 a year for a bag, on top of their rent. Presuming that they do want their deposit back and maintain the garden they'll just put it in their rubbish bins.
Much better would have been to do some creative accounting with the waste collection and move it into the transport department (transport of waste). That way they can use their other income stream (from parking fines and CPZs) to pay for it.
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Love to see someone try that one John. I suppose what they could do is create a passenger transport fleet that just happened to carry rubbish in a trailer at the back!
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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The Noel Park Big Local was part of the Cameron sponsored Big Local movement. Set up under led the Local Trust, it was designed to get local people to fill in some of the gaps left by cuts It was funded by the Big Lottery and is essentially a residents' network sponsored by a state sponsored body.
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Although the garden waste collection is going to be charged from October 23rd, neighbours can possibly share the service, splitting the bill.
After all, I doubt that any single household will produce green waste every week, so it makes sense to get organised with our neighbours (far and near) and maximise the benefit of the annual fee.
Personally, I am not going to pay the extortionate cost of £75 for a service I use only a few times a year (I'd rather drive to the recycling centre as needed), but would be very happy to make a subscription if shared with as many neighbours as practically possible.
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