Frank Smith Posted March 21, 2015 Report Posted March 21, 2015 I'm not sure what I think about this, I do think its a good idea but are we not already paying a contractor to do this??? Clear Up Herefordshire! On behalf of Balfour Beatty Living PlacesHerefordshire Council contractor Balfour Beatty Living Places (BBLP) is backing the first national Community Clear Up Day on Saturday (March 21), the first day of spring. A hundred “available to borrow†litter pickers are being lent to community groups and BBLP has arranged to pick up all the extra rubbish at pre-arranged collection points. Cllr Paul Rone, Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for transport and roads, said: “This is a call to arms for communities great and small to help us end this litter scourge by taking greater pride in our neighbourhoods. “It is time to roll up our sleeves and bring the broom back out of the cupboard because by looking after our local areas we can help make them better places to work and live.†The Bromyard Downs Common Association, working with the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, is leading a big clear-up on Sunday. Project Manager Hannah Welsh said the Downs was a popular beauty spot: “There’s quite a bit of rubbish and we want to clean up this beautiful area. Volunteers are welcome to come and join us.†Herefordshire Council spends nearly a million pounds every year on street cleansing. Cllr Rone said that people had to recognise that dropping litter and forcing councils to clear up the mess meant that they had to divert cash from key areas like caring for the vulnerable. He said: “Those irresponsible individuals who are dropping litter divert our limited resources away from the elderly, very young or a whole range of vital services.†BBLP supports community clear-ups picks and supplies litter packs and can arrange rubbish collection. To request a litter picking pack which contains litter pickers, gloves, high visibility vests, hoops and black rubbish bags, and arrange for collection following a litter pick, please call 01432 349504 or use the “contact us†link on the Herefordshire Council website: https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/contactus Quote
megilleland Posted March 21, 2015 Report Posted March 21, 2015 You are right Frank. The short notice of this event appears to have been triggered by HV comments and photos. I saw someone yesterday clearing a stretch of highway verge from Mordiford to Hampton Bishop wearing a Streetscene hi viz. Today the collected rubbish in 6 black bags is waiting to be picked up. Quote
megilleland Posted March 21, 2015 Report Posted March 21, 2015 This piece on fly-tipping in Wales highlights the scale of the problem. Also this report provides information and facts: Waste Crime: Tackling Britain’s Dirty Secret A report commissioned by the Environmental Services Association Education Trust (ESAET), written by Eunomia Research & Consulting. Plenty of other useful information here. Quote
Mick Posted March 21, 2015 Report Posted March 21, 2015 I don't mind joining and lending a hand in this type of project but by doing just that starts an ongoing expectation. Quote
Bill Thomas Posted March 21, 2015 Report Posted March 21, 2015 Should criminals with community service orders not be seen to be clearing up litter? I do not think I have ever seen anyone with community service clearing up litter, unless I am going around with my eyes closed. Quote
dippyhippy Posted March 21, 2015 Report Posted March 21, 2015 Organised community litter picks can be a great idea! It would be wonderful if even just once a year, children of all ages were encouraged either by parents or schools, to go and pick up litter. Getting into good habits at an early age, pays dividends later on. If young people can see that littering is not socially acceptable, then perhaps the next generation will live in a more pleasant environment! Quote
Ubique Posted March 22, 2015 Report Posted March 22, 2015 The area where I reside ( Burghill area ) organised a Community Litter Pick a couple of weeks ago , as they have done for the last few years. Think that it's a very good initiative because with the best will in the World no Council Contractors can cover all the highways and Byeways in this County. Mrs Ubique and I did our lane leaving the Flytipped Settee which has been the subject of a previous post to BB to collect. Quote
twowheelsgood Posted March 22, 2015 Report Posted March 22, 2015 Litter picks are all well and good in low trafficked areas - on many roads it can only safely be done by BB, who don't bother because they'll get paid anyway. I've reported the state of the this entrance to the City several times over the last two years - nothing done at all. The badger graffiti has been there at least a year. There's also a road junction sign just out of the picture which is covered in mould. Quote
Bill Thomas Posted March 23, 2015 Report Posted March 23, 2015 Litter picks are all well and good in low trafficked areas - on many roads it can only safely be done by BB, who don't bother because they'll get paid anyway. I've reported the state of the this entrance to the City several times over the last two years - nothing done at all. The badger graffiti has been there at least a year. There's also a road junction sign just out of the picture which is covered in mould. This is the gate to our city and look at the state of it! Council should be ashamed, pity Cllr Phil Edwards did not highlight this sign in his recent photo shoot in the HT Quote
Biomech Posted March 24, 2015 Report Posted March 24, 2015 Herefordshire Council contractor Balfour Beatty Living Places (BBLP) is backing the first national Community Clear Up Day But of course, just more of the council expecting everyone to do the work for them while they reap in the money from the public for not doing their job Quote
Roger Posted March 24, 2015 Report Posted March 24, 2015 Bewell Street ~ opposite the entrance to Tesco ... Quote
dippyhippy Posted March 24, 2015 Report Posted March 24, 2015 That has got to be in breach of one regulation or another. Ironically, a flammable product almost blocking the fire door...... Not good. Quote
Roger Posted March 24, 2015 Report Posted March 24, 2015 That has got to be in breach of one regulation or another. Ironically, a flammable product almost blocking the fire door...... Not good. It's fly tipping and a fire hazard ... I don't know if it was a temporary situation or if it's there tonight ... Quote
twowheelsgood Posted March 24, 2015 Report Posted March 24, 2015 A picture is worth etc … I was going to suggest a wall of shame highlighting all these derelictions of duty, but then remembered that BB have no shame, no civic pride, no interest. Like any private business, profit is their sole reason for being. Because of their guaranteed £200m payment, the less work they do, the more profit they make. Councillors got us into this mess and are unwilling or unable to get us out of it. Even if the Tories lose control in May, getting us out of these contracts may simply prove too costly - look at the £40m dispute with Amey that is coming to light and that was when it had run its course. Quote
Roger Posted March 24, 2015 Report Posted March 24, 2015 That location is directly under a Council camera ... Quote
dippyhippy Posted March 24, 2015 Report Posted March 24, 2015 Good Grief! I'd never spotted that one there! Quote
greenknight Posted March 24, 2015 Report Posted March 24, 2015 So it's back to Frank's introduction. You actually want to say bugger it I'll do it myself but then both the Council and Balfour Beattie could sit back and take all the credit. I've noticed recently that there has been an upsurge in pothole filling. Are we expecting a government minister pre election though they would probably get flown in. Also we've done away with white lines of any description! Quote
megilleland Posted March 24, 2015 Report Posted March 24, 2015 Daily Mail 22 March 2015 Balfour Beatty expected to fall into the red this week after issuing four profit warnings in 12 months Embattled infrastructure giant Balfour Beatty is expected to fall into the red this week following a year in which it issued four profits warnings. It is also considering suspending its final dividend. Once dubbed ‘Britain’s builder’, the group has been beset by woes following a boardroom clear-out, a string of writedowns and an embarrassing probe into the way it handles its contracts. Last year Balfour reported annual pre-tax profits of £185million. But analysts expect Wednesday’s results to show a loss of £60million. Turnaround specialist Leo Quinn, who was parachuted in at the start of the year from defence technology firm QinetiQ, is expected to scrap the dividend and unveil a further £200million downgrade in the value of its contracts. The firm spent most of 2014 without a chief executive following the departure of Andrew McNaughton last April after less than a year at the helm. A KPMG review, commissioned last year, exposed a culture of ineptitude in its key British construction division. The company would bid low to win work, making overly-optimistic assumptions about the costs it could save. Those contracts were then badly managed, leading to costs spiralling even further, it found. Balfour shares lost a third of their value during 2014. But they have climbed 15 per cent since Quinn’s appointment. Analysts at Jefferies said: ‘With the KPMG review now complete and a new management team on board, we believe Balfour Beatty is well set to both fix the internal problems that have plagued the business over the past 18 months and ride the wave of construction market recovery in the UK and US.’ But they added a note of caution, saying that ‘there is still a chance that 2015 may contain a nasty surprise’. Quote
Roger Posted March 24, 2015 Report Posted March 24, 2015 I've noticed recently that there has been an upsurge in pothole filling. Some filled today in Audley Crescent ... + Moreland Avenue .... May have been yesterday .... Reasonable job done ..... Quote
twowheelsgood Posted March 16, 2016 Report Posted March 16, 2016 Litter picks are all well and good in low trafficked areas - on many roads it can only safely be done by BB, who don't bother because they'll get paid anyway. I've reported the state of the this entrance to the City several times over the last two years - nothing done at all. The badger graffiti has been there at least a year. There's also a road junction sign just out of the picture which is covered in mould. Guess what - 12 months on and the sign is still bent, still dirty and still got the badger graffiti on it. The only change is that is now surrounded by even more rubbish. Quote
Roger Posted March 16, 2016 Report Posted March 16, 2016 Bewell Street ~ opposite the entrance to Tesco ... When I posted this I was unaware that in June 2013 a 'firestarter' had torched a pile of rubbish/pallets at the rear of the Natalka Polskie Delikatesy shop just down the same street ~ link. So this massive pile of detritus was piled up by the Zabka manager to tempt somebody to do it again. Having said that Zardashit Salh was probably worrying more about his illegal tobacco operation at the shop ... Quote
ragwert Posted March 16, 2016 Report Posted March 16, 2016 Guess what - 12 months on and the sign is still bent, still dirty and still got the badger graffiti on it. The only change is that is now surrounded by even more rubbish. Don't get me started on road signage & markings. Started on my own special warpath with Balfour Beatty last week and will be shaming them with some pretty shocking photos which I will of course post here first....Watch this space Quote
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