Lack Of Respect For Local Environment!

[Ubique]

Flamboyant , I contacted them last Friday. See post 109 . Still waiting for a reply , guess I will have to wait 7 more days or more if it's working days !

 

Does anybody know what EHTS is short for ? I don't nor do the three Posters who pm me !

[megilleland]

Environmental Health and Trading Standards?

[flamboyant]

Sorry Ubique I was being sarcastic.

 

The Council will send you around in circles! Trust me when I say front line staff are just as frustrated as you.

 

What absolutely no one considers is the fact that all this going around in circles is costing money! The Council talk about Lean processes and I've heard Councillors spout crap about how efficient Lean systems are. No you idiots it's another fad!

 

The ultimate question being. Who is the Captain on this ship? Because it's sinking fast!

 

The left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing. If someone doesn't take charge and start holding Senior Managers to account the ship will sink and when it does I hope to god those heads will role! The only thing that will save Hereford is the Government stepping in and taking over before it is too late!

[Denise Lloyd]

Well EHTS is Marc Wilmott isn't it?

[Aylestone Voice]

As do many threads - this is turning into another slag off the Council/Balfour Beatty saga.

"Why are they not cleaning up other peoples mess immediately"?

There is a great deal of truth in the criticism but lets not forget that the thread started around the issue of how people just ignore their local environment.  If we just rely on the mess being cleared up by someone else then the dumping, be it tins or settees, is just going to continue.

How do we educate the scum who dump stuff that they should not?

[SON OF GRIDKNOCKER]

Or....how do we manage to educate plonkers like Aylestone Voice to ALWAYS come along and throw cold water over a lively topical issues being discussed on The Voice?

 

This man (person) is surely a Wilcox nark!

[Aylestone Voice]

There is nothing better than someone with obviously a massive IQ such as Grid Knocker (the username says it all!) attacking you. As one politician famously said - "it is like being savaged by a dead sheep". Except in this case the dead sheep probably has more intelligence

[twowheelsgood]

+1 to AV methinks ... a fine riposte! I didn't see any cold water being thrown, it was a valid point. But, the Council/Balfour Beatty will continue to be slagged when they are being paid for a service which they are not delivering. It is well documented that a clean and tidy environment is better respected than a dirty and litter strewn one. So, we need both - education (and that will take time) and action - which can be done immediately IF there is a political will. If not, the ballot box will out.

[Ubique]

I do wonder how AV would feel if a scrap settee was dumped within 50 m of his home in a country lane ! It has now been joined by a TV stand and a kitchen cupboard - perhaps I presumed wrong and people are setting up home in this ditch !

 

I may also suggest that if it's Flytipping , the persons ( Company , HCC , BALFORD BEATY ) responsible for removing it should certainly remove it within two weeks , that has now passed . They should also reply to emails sent over 6 days ago . And remove this settee , which is FLYTIPPING ASAP not leave it there for over 2 weeks.

 

So AV , I respect your opinion ( which is wrong ) but do not support a system that is failing - thank you .

[flamboyant]

I think AV has a point but only on the issue of litter. Fly tipping is completely different I am entirely sure that people don't need educating on dumping a settee in a ditch, not sure any court in the land would believe the person responsible, didn't know it was wrong?

 

As far as litter goes people are driven by a sense of pride, if they have no pride in their surroundings they will abuse it. It's much harder to throw an empty can on freshly mowed lawn edged by flowers.

[twowheelsgood]

I do wonder how AV would feel if a scrap settee was dumped within 50 m of his home in a country lane ! It has now been joined by a TV stand and a kitchen cupboard - perhaps I presumed wrong and people are setting up home in this ditch !

 

I may also suggest that if it's Flytipping , the persons ( Company , HCC , BALFORD BEATY ) responsible for removing it should certainly remove it within two weeks , that has now passed . They should also reply to emails sent over 6 days ago . And remove this settee , which is FLYTIPPING ASAP not leave it there for over 2 weeks.

 

Have you contacted your ward councillor about this and if so, what was their response?

[Aylestone Voice]

Ubique - I do wish I lived in the country rather than in the city and up to my waist in litter!!

The Council/BB are in a total mess I agree, but whether it is fly tipping or litter if people think that by just dumping it away from their property, in a bin or at the waste site it will be collected then even more money will be needed to tidy it up.

What is need is more personal responsibility (fat chance in this society) or relentless investigation and prosecution - but then again that requires more of our resources to pay for it. The problem is there is no more money in the Shire Hall coffers

[Ubique]

Yes, I reported this FLYTIPPING to my Cllr and the PC at the same time as I reported it to HCC two weeks ago. I advised my Cllr when it had not been collected / removed in 10 days , the reply from my Independant Cllr follows .......

 

 

". Dear Ubique , I have reported this too and send a further report this morning when hubby came back from walk. "

 

It's very easy for me to form an impression that " they " do not give a rats behind to the Council paying public. Still waiting for a reply from EMPS ( or similar ) to my email I sent last Friday ...,. As I have said previous if they replied that they are going to leave it in the ditch ( with the TV Stand and kitchen cupboard ) to let it rot or it will be collected in the next 10 days fine - but to say nothing is a disgrace -

 

The Environment Health will suggest that it's not in there remit perhaps because no danger to public health - Trading Standards will want to know if there is a lable stating Fire Resistant or how old is the settee .....!

 

I know that I have been going on about this settee but only last weekend our Parish organised a street cleaning programme , Mrs U and I were involved, we litter picked about 700 m of our lane ( except for the settee plus the TV stand and kitchen cupboard ) we do it regularly - sad you might think but we have pride in our area and County .

[Ubique]

Please , somebody must know what EHTS means ?

[Ubique]

 

 

Silly me ..........EHTS, Environmental Health and Trading Standards (UK).

[Chris Chappell]

Ubique, if you let me have the details, parish, name of road etc I will get on to it. Are you sure it is not on/ in a private verge or road?

[Ubique]

Cllr Chappell thank you for your kind offer , I have messaged you.

[Ubique]

Had a reply from my Cllr today........

 

". I have been chasing up this issue today with Balfour. There seems to have been an increase in flytipping in the area which I have alerted the police to and they are going to pay extra attention to the area. "

 

I sent a photograph plus comments to the HT yesterday.

[dippyhippy]

It strikes me that whoever dumped this sofa, obviously had a vehicle......

 

Why go to the trouble of loading it into a van, and driving around looking for somewhere to dump it?

 

Why not load it into a van and just drive it to the tip?

 

I just do not understand the thought processes of some folks.

[flamboyant]

Dippy you need a waste permit to take a van to the tip.

 

If it transpires that ditch is part of someones property I.e a farmer then BB won't remove it, it becomes the responsibility of the farmer or owner of the ditch.

 

Ubique who maintains the hedgerow?

[dippyhippy]

Is it not the case that only "works/business" vans need a permit? Basically, anything with sign writing on the side!

 

I thought private ones were ok?

 

There used to be a service, whereby if you had a bulky item, like a sofa/mattress and no means of getting it to the tip, you could request a pick up from the council? I believe there was a small fee for this, but definitely worth it. If this scheme does still operate, it would be well worth highlighting it, as perhaps folks don't realise this is an option.

[Ubique]

Some 12 months ago might be longer 500m of this lane was resurfaced and the ditches cleared by the Council contractors , not sure if it was Amey or BB , took them 6 working days . So , in view of all the work carried outby the Council Contractors I must presume that it's the Council.

 

Was very surprised when is was done because the lane is only used by a very small number of cars and within 200m is a lane in far worse state of repair.

 

Yesterday I sent the above photograph and comments to the HT , a reporter phoned me this morning for more details so hopefully it will get publicity. Included in the comments I added that somebody may well know the owner of the settee or recognise it and tell the Council or Police , slim chance I know but worth a try.

[flamboyant]

Dippy the list below is current. It doesn't matter about signage, if it isn't classed as a domestic vehicle then you need a permit. If you're a business you won't get a permit.

 

Vehicle Type Requires Permit

Pickup e.g. Hilux, Ranger, L200. YES

Crew Cab Pickup. YES

King Cab Pickup. YES

Any listed above with hard or soft top over the load bay, with or without windows/vents. YES

4x4 / utility vehicle fully glazed with rear seats and no load bay, e.g. Landcruiser, Shogun, Frontera, Rangerover, Landrover 110 with rear side glazing and rear seats. NO

4x4 / utility vehicle without rear seats and rear side glazing (i.e. panel van or pickup style) e.g. Landrover 110 without rear side windows and rear seats, Hilux with windowed hard shell over load bay. YES

Small car-based panel van (i.e. no rear side windows or no rear seats) e.g. Escort van, Astra van YES

Any vehicle clearly used as a commercial vehicle with commercial livery or sign writing, except Taxis. e.g. estate car with 'Jims Plumbing' livery

[Roger]

Had a reply from my Cllr today........

 

". I have been chasing up this issue today with Balfour. There seems to have been an increase in flytipping in the area which I have alerted the police to and they are going to pay extra attention to the area. "

 

I sent a photograph plus comments to the HT yesterday.image.jpg

 

So a sofa getting dumped instigates 'extra attention' ? Commendable but  .... Is sofa dumping even a cop issue anymore? That is the Council remit surely? 

[twowheelsgood]

Had a reply from my Cllr today........

 

". I have been chasing up this issue today with Balfour. There seems to have been an increase in flytipping in the area which I have alerted the police to and they are going to pay extra attention to the area. "

 

I sent a photograph plus comments to the HT yesterday.image.jpg

 

But did BB tell the Cllr they were actually going to do anything?

[megilleland]

Friday 13 March 2015 The Independent

Littering becoming 'endemic' after dramatic rises in fly-tipping and Government inaction

 

A committee of MPs has suggested tougher littering fines should be considered to ease the huge financial burden of the clean-up operation

 

Dramatic increases in fly-tipping and the number of fast food outlets combined with a lack of action by the Government have contributed to littering becoming “endemic†in England, according to a report published today.

 

Tougher littering fines should be considered to ease the huge financial burden of the clean-up operation, the report by a committee of MPs suggested. Littering costs taxpayers up to £850 million a year in England, but the standard on-the-spot fine is only £80.

 

Ministers should urgently introduce a national litter strategy to deal with the problem before struggling local councils become overwhelmed, the Communities and Local Government Committee recommended.

 

Fly-tipping and fast food litter have both jumped by 20 per cent in the past year, the report said, while the overall level of rubbish on England’s streets has “hardly improved†in more than a decade. Chewing gum and cigarettes are the most frequently littered items.

 

“England is a litter-ridden country compared to most of Europe, North America and Japan,†the report stated. “The failure to make a noticeable improvement in litter levels in the last 12 years points to a lack of vigour, if not complacency, within Government over the past decade.â€

 

The Labour MP Clive Betts, who chaired the committee, said litter was now “endemic†in England and that councils had spent hundreds of millions of pounds “fighting a losing battle†against the problem. “Litter is a blight on many of our communities and the public are rightly disgusted when they see discarded fast food packaging, cigarettes, and chewing gum strewn across our streets,†he added.

 

Fly-tipping has seen a “significant upsurge†in the last year, the report said, with 852,000 recorded incidents but only 2,000 convictions in the courts. The cost to local councils in 2013/14 stood at £45.5m, a 24 per cent increase on the previous year. Giving evidence to MPs, some councils said the introduction of charges for the collection of household waste may lie behind the rise.

 

An increase in the number of fast food outlets may also be contributing to littering, the MPs said, calling for the creation of new laws to force all shops and restaurants to tidy the area around their premises. The fast food industry should also put reminders on packaging to remind consumers to dispose of litter responsibly, they said.

 

The committee concentrated on litter in England as it is a devolved issue in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland is the only part of the UK with its own litter strategy.

 

Jeremy Paxman, the BBC broadcaster and supporter of the Clean Up Britain campaign, told The Independent “serious behavioural change†was needed. “This country is in a disgusting state,†he said. “We need to get to a point, I think, where dropping litter is as socially unacceptable as drink driving or smoking in the workplace.â€

 

He added: “I don’t think people are deliberately fouling their own nest – I think they just don’t appreciate what the consequences of dropping litter are. If we don’t do something now, there’s going to be a really serious, long lasting problem which cannot be reversed. We’ll be handing on the country to our children and grandchildren and inviting them to live in basically a rubbish tip.â€

 

The MPs said they had “deliberated at length†about calling for the introduction of a 5p tax on chewing gum, which is both difficult and expensive to clean off pavements and walls. They stopped short of recommending the measure, instead giving manufacturers 12 months to prove they are contributing to the clean-up bill.

 

However, the committee said the Treasury should give councils a portion of any increase in tobacco taxes to cover the cost of clearing up cigarette-related litter. It also called on tobacco manufacturers to provide free portable ashtrays so smokers would be less tempted to throw their cigarette ends on the street.

 

Kirstie Allsopp, the television presenter and ambassador for Keep Britain Tidy, said it was “economically suicidal†to ignore littering as it may seriously harm the country’s image. “We are a tiny, tiny island which relies enormously on tourism,†she told The Independent. “There’s something so self-destructive about allowing our country to look like this.â€

 

She added that “every single child†should be sent on a litter pick at least once a year to educate them about the issue. “If you involve children in picking up litter, they don’t go on to drop litter,†she said.

 

David Sedaris, the American author and humourist, told the committee in January that he spent “between three and eight hours a day picking up rubbish on the side of the road†near his home in West Sussex.

 

He argued that littering was far worse in Britain than in other countries, suggesting it was a “cultural†problem. He also suggested that poorer people were more likely to litter. “Maybe people are thinking, ‘I don’t get to live here,’ and so maybe they are throwing things out the window as a way of saying, ‘Screw you people who live here. I know this will upset you’,†he said.

 

Phil Barton, the chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: “We have only scratched the surface when it comes to understanding the real cost of littering to our society. It is time for those in power to step up and take a lead. We know that people value and want to live in clean and tidy places – it is time for the Government to recognise this and take action.â€

 

Local Government Minister Kris Hopkins said it was “up to everyone to clean up the litter scourge, including asking industry to play a part where appropriateâ€.

 

“We are abolishing backdoor tip taxes and have supported weekly bin collections to help stop fly tipping and bin blight,†he added. “We have funded projects through councils, Clean Up Britain and Keep Britain Tidy to help find local solutions to littering. And we are organising a huge Community Clear Up Day across the country next Saturday 21 March which I urge everyone to join in with.â€

 

Rubbish: in numbers

 

20% increase in fly-tipping in  the past year

 

20% increase in fast-food litter  in the past year

 

35.2% of total litter consists of smokers’ materials

 

26% of total litter consists  of chewing gum

 

16% of total litter consists of food packaging and food

 

£717m-£850m - Estimated annual cost to  local authorities of clearing up litter

 

£56m - Estimated annual cost of clearing up chewing gum

 

852,000 - Incidents of fly-tipping dealt with by local authorities in 2012/13

 

5,500 - People convicted in magistrates’ courts of littering in 2013

 

£140 - Average fine

 

[Ubique]

So a sofa getting dumped instigates 'extra attention' ? Commendable but  .... Is sofa dumping even a cop issue anymore? That is the Council remit surely?

 

Roger , I am sure that the Police say to a lot of people who report anti social happenings that they will " Pay extra attention in the area " .having lived in my present home for 10 years and never seen a West Mercia Police Officer in the Parish I will not hold my breath .

[Denise Lloyd]

The police have actually said they want everything reported.  If they do not know what is going on in their area how on earth can they argue a case for more staff.

[dippyhippy]

Interesting report there, Megilleland.

 

I wonder how much money the council receives each year, from the costs of these permits?

 

I then wonder about the cost of clearing up fly tipping?

 

Perhaps it's time to try something new.... some sort of amnesty, where large items could be taken to the tip without charge?

 

Maybe we should trial it for twelve months. See if this makes a positive difference.

[dippyhippy]

Great to read the report over at HT, about the Trinity School children helping to clear the Yazor Brook, as part of an eco project!

 

This is in partnership with Cargill.

 

This is just the sort of initiative that needs to be encouraged. A big WELL DONE, to all involved!