NOTE TO NEIGHBOURS ACTON STREET ABOUT THE RUBBISH AND RECYCLING

Meeting with the Camden Director of Environmental Services, Richard Bradbury

On 14/2/2020

On Thursday I sent Mr Bradbury a list of eight opinions by different residents with names and addresses removed,  all taking different angles on the issue. On the following Friday, we walked through the three streets Acton Street, Swinton Place and some of Swinton Street and I showed him examples of different properties on the street and how some have not many options for storage outside. There was rubbish deposited on the street to underline the issues. 

Whilst walking, we met four more residents, whom I introduced to Mr Bradbury and who also spoke to him, three of whom had not been in contact before, adding to the voices. They highlighted space and bulkiness issues, rubbish on the street depressing them, and having to walk far now to find the next recycling container and confirmed that the issue needed addressing in a new and better way.

I felt that he has full understanding of the difficulties in the street and appears to view it with sufficient sympathy that people find it difficult to store it all indoors and that there was no ability to leave it outside for some of the addresses. Mr Bradbury conceded that developments of flats over many years has continued with little attention of where the waste should go.

He also explained that the Camden recycling containers (in different areas of Camden) were so misused that most of the content had to be destroyed. He understood the problem of lack of storage facilities for residents in their small flats. We spoke about the different options available to the area and to  Camden Council.

The possible solutions are:

Through the possible sacrifice of parking space or other space for either 

1. A key or card-operated communal facility (the advantage is the control of knowledge on who puts in what and when, However, it requires ideally somebody to check the waste and who deposited from time to time, typically an estate caretaker.  It is trialled at a Camden estate at the moment.). Mr Bradbury emphasised this was a less option, though not totally out of the range. 
2. an On-Street Communal Waste containers that allow depositing different kind of waste including recycling and household (the problem is businesses downloading in them, 

For either of these options, the facility would have to be in public view rather than hidden to lessen abuse and dumping of larger items. Where this could be is subject agreeing on the right space.

Other options.

1. Huge golden big sacks (three times size of normal waste sacks, allow depositing of waste between the collections outside and trialled in Handel Street).  These would hang on the fences. There was a question as to whether this can be done for different kinds of waste, eg. household and recycling.
2. More collections (there is no budget for this and a question if it helps with the recycling brief)
3. An option of individual solutions in accordance to household and addresses in Acton and Swinton Street/Place, e.g different bins for apartments,  where possible, and other communal solutions, where this is not possible

Mr Bradbury will get back to me and will keep thinking through the options with colleagues.

Daniel Z.