Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Filthy

Anyone else noticed how filthy the streets of Harringay are at the moment? It's not only our road but the corner of St Ann's Road and also the area around the barber's next to the Salisbury. Clothes, fag butts, discarded meat... you name it, it's there. I don't know if people are dumping more or the council is cleaning less (I saw a council chap sweeping on Harringay Road just this morning but you would need a jet washer to get the disgusting gunge off the pavement near the pub).

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on April 18, 2016 at 12:21

Are you sure these aren't pieces, interventions and assisted ready-mades from the 2016 "Art in the Open" Festival? Possibly later today some artists will be along to paint the fag butts and stencil spray the meat?

Our new Schweppsie sculpture was on its way to the auction rooms in Miami almost before the paint dried.

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Permalink Reply by Liz on April 18, 2016 at 12:31

I agree and this is in part to do with the reduction in street sweeping to once a week. I suggest you use the report a problem button to report poor street cleaning. Do it every time you notice it. Also you should complain to your ward councillors with photos if possible - they should take it up with the neighbourhood manager in that area.

Finally, if you find an intractable problem area, use the complaints page at Haringey Council. This, I discovered was the way that the council is alerted to and forced to investigate a problem with contractors. Complaining directly to Veolia has limited succes but I have managed to argue the case for clean ups there although this does not solve the problem in the long term.

Cleaning up again and again only reinforces the view held by some that if something is dropped or dumped, it will get cleaned up and they will not be held responsible for it. Businesses should start considering how tolerating this kind of behaviour impacts on them, their 'kerb appeal' and the impression it creates of their business i.e if they don't care what the entrance to their business looks like, what is the likelihood they'll care about giving a good service?

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on April 18, 2016 at 13:04

Nick you are making a serious allegation on a public website about an identifiable individual. Can I suggest you remove this posting and make a formal complaint via Haringey and Veolia so that proper process can be undertaken. Golden Rule applies.

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Permalink Reply by Nick G-T on April 18, 2016 at 13:16

Done, I agree that was poor judgement.

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Permalink Reply by StephenBln on April 18, 2016 at 13:05

That really sounds like a good way to build up a good relationship with him. It's surely not a 'them and us', but a 'we' situation.

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Permalink Reply by Xavier on April 18, 2016 at 13:06

Many of the bags on the main streets are dumped by local businesses (I've seen it). If it is left overnight foxes rip the bags open hence litter strewn everywhere.

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Permalink Reply by Peter Chalk on April 18, 2016 at 13:40

Somehow we should return to shops having secure bins, preferably out of sight, rather than dumping bags for collection. In Muswell Hill they still have roads behind the shops for this. Why not this side of the borough?

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on April 18, 2016 at 14:36

Alleys or other storage behind shops may offer a partial solution, Peter. But not always.

It's a while since I walked along the alley called Dovecote Avenue, behind the shops in Wood Green. So maybe it has improved enormously since these photos from a resident. But I see Amber Mews when I go to the Big Green Bookshop. Despite positive efforts by Cllr Stephen Mann, this was what the waste bins looked like on 18 March 2016.
Clicking on the photo takes you to a webpage with my response from Veolia who replied:

"Unfortunately Veolia has not enforcement powers, this has been forwarded to Haringey Council Frontline Services for investigation."

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on April 18, 2016 at 13:50

One problem in High Road Tottenham is that not only do traders and residents ignore the permitted hours for businesses to leave out waste for collection, but even if they stick to the official collection times, this can in practice mean that waste remains on the pavements into the small hours.
For months our friend and neighbour Martin Ball has been documenting this with "walks of shame" photographs as he heads home from the station.

I don't know whether or not the same applies to Green Lanes, But there are nine councillors representing wards north of the Hackney border to Turnpike Lane. Including the Council Leader. So maybe keep up pressure on them.

I see from Twitter that the Noel Park councillors (who represent Wood Green) have been out and about reporting stuff.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on April 18, 2016 at 13:43

Interestingly Wightman Road is noticeably cleaner since it closed which make be wonder how much of the litter was from pedestrians and households and how much came out of car windows.