Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Street Cleaning

Has anyone else noticed a steep decline in the cleanliness of the Harringay Passage? The section between Hewitt and Falklands has not been cleaned for many days and the Fairfax Rd. park is awful. There are broken bottles, cans,litter, discarded clothes etc. - not to mention the red bins which are overflowing and smelling.

The Passage is used by many young children on their way to and from school and the park is equally used by several different groups.

I spoke to a street cleaner who told me that several street cleaners had been "let go due to cut backs" and that the cleaner who covered this area was one of them.

I fear that this is becoming an Environmental Health issue, particularly as the weather improves.

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Permalink Reply by anne-marie on April 16, 2015 at 10:07

I noticed the same about the area around st anns last week and logged it on the website. I thought perhaps it was related to the bank holiday (less frequent cleaning) but I fear it may be something deeper and what you've said therefore makes sense.

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Permalink Reply by stuart on April 16, 2015 at 10:16

I complained by email to the council about the amount of dog mess yesterday . But what can they do ???

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Permalink Reply by anne-marie on April 16, 2015 at 10:38

My concern is general Street upkeep but also safety. Along Cornwall road last week there were 2 lots of broken glass on the footpath which, to avoid meant walking in the street. They were both there for almost a week. Also lots of food waste lying about. I wondered if Street cleaning had been reduced or rotas changed, or perhaps increase in foxes going through bins (although that doesn't explain the glass). I can't imagine it's merely a sudden spike in people being sloppy (although I guess, easter holidays, more kids about, etc). Anyway I Would hope that haringey council would know how to go about analysing patterns of required Street cleaning.

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Permalink Reply by Liz on April 16, 2015 at 10:58

If what the street cleaner says is true and there is no reason to doubt them, this is very disturbing news Bridget. I have asked our local councillors and the cabinet member for Environment for a comment via Twitter.

In the meantime, keep complaining, *every day* if you have to. And take photos. Post them here, on Twitter, send them to your councillors.

Ways to complain

Frontline - frontline@haringey.gov.uk
Haringey council app
Report it page on Haringey Council website
Love Clean Streets app
Fix My Street
Telephone 8885 7770
For litter and fly tipping Twitter @VeoliaUk

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Permalink Reply by Mark B on April 16, 2015 at 14:05

I think fix-my-street is OK as it let's you send pictures - but I think you have to keep reporting every incident. What I mean is if you report a couple of open torn black bags, if they leave it for a few days, odds are a cleaner will have already taken it away. And then they didn't have to do anything about it.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on April 16, 2015 at 14:49

Can I endorse Liz's general approach. For many years I and other people suggested that Haringey could and should extend the pool of people reporting not just dumping and litter, but other obvious faults in the streets, parks, alleys etc.

Ways to achieve this include making it as easy as possible for us, the public - including residents and traders - to do the reporting. This falls under the label of "co-production" ; a word Haringey politicians use, without always understanding what it means.

Using websites and mobile apps are excellent ways to do this. So credit to Haringey for putting these in place - eventually. Because it was behind several other boroughs on this. The Council has also refused obstinately to let most of its staff view some websites on which residents post photos for information about "streetscene" problems. (Though not HoL!)

To be fair some parts of the Council were well ahead. For years most street lights have had a unique tag which makes it easier to identify the particular lamppost which has a fault.

Another method of improving reporting is to have systems which enable Council staff on the street to report problems - again as quickly and easily as possible. Ideally with GPS enabled smartphones which mean that a street cleaner or a parking warden or any member of staff who happens to be there, can in seconds send a report of anything needing attention. From a pothole; to a broken bollard; to a street light fault; to a fly-tipped pile of waste. The last time I asked, street cleaners did not have this option. If that hasn't changed it needs to.

But in some ways, I suspect we may have gone backwards on this. What you were told by a street cleaner may be one factor. If they're cutting staff then those who remain may still be keen to provide the best service they can, but they'll be under pressure to focus on their core tasks.

Regularly reporting problems such as dumping can be dispiriting. You can feel like a hamster on a wheel. But keep at it and you may find that you are part of a "virtuous circle. In the same way that people seem to add to piles of existing rubbish, a clean street can discourage them.

It's important as well for children. A pile of rubbish bags on the pavement is part of the "hidden curriculum" which teaches children what adults consider acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.

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Permalink Reply by Your Majesty on April 17, 2015 at 0:26

Yes. I too have noticed that either there has been an increase in dog defecation or a drop off in bin emptying all along the passage, but specifically around Fairfax / Falkland / Frobisher area - which is pretty awful considering all the kids who walk there to get to school. I agree with Liz, lets all complain, every day, to get it sorted out.