Call For Action Over High Road's Piles Of Rubbish

Community needs to get behind campaign says councillor

A local councillor wants the community in Chiswick to get behind his campaign for a cleaner High Road.

Cllr John Todd is so angry with the lack of action to halt the piles of rubbish in the Chiswick High Road area that he is making a Community Call for Action in a bid to force Hounslow Council to take action. A CCfA regarded as a "last resort" action taken when other avenues to solve a problem in the community are felt to have been exhausted.

He also says some local traders, restaurateurs and residents are guilty of contributing to the problem- some leave commercial waste out for domestic collection, while residents in flats sometimes put out their bags on the wrong day.

Cllr John Todd says he receives a stream of complaints from local people who are furious and ashamed at the state of Chiswick High road and adjoining streets including Turnham Green Terrace.

Last week the issue of rubbish on CHR was the subject of an angry exchange at aHounslow Council meeting. Both councillor John Todd , Cllrs Paul Lynch, and Cllr Adrian Lee criticised the situation in W4. John Todd asked deputy council leader Amrit Mann- 'do you accept the amount of waste in Chiswick High Road is unacceptable?'

Mr Mann replied that rubbish on the street was an 'eyesore' and it was something which they Council was addressing. "The problem seems to be around semi-commercial properties where you have residents living upstairs," he added.

He said the introduction of wheeled bins would help improve cleanliness and help the council meet its 50 per cent recycling target.

Councillor Steve Curran, leader of the Council , said (at the meeting) : "Unfortunately we do have a problem with some of our businesses and some of our residents (putting rubbish out days before a collection is due).We're using the additional £1 million (for street cleaning) to focus on enforcement. We've done the education bit and now it's about enforcement."

A CCfA (also known as a Councillor Call For Action) is not guaranteed to solve a given issue but it can provide the opportunity for consideration of the matter in a public forum and facilitate discussion in a neutral environment. Having heard the evidence the Scrutiny Committee may decide to make recommendations for action to the Executive and/or partners, request further investigation or decide that no further action is needed.

Cllr Todd added: "The current profusion of rubbish of all kinds deliberately dumped by trees and elsewhere in Chiswick High Road is of great concern. It's unhygienic and an eyesore. Traders and the public are incensed that both businesses and individuals continue to leave their rubbish.

He also says there is no overt evidence of LBH endeavouring to educate and or inform nor enforcement action taken. Signage would inform and show a commitment to deter. A scheme in the City specifies a prohibition of waste being left on the public highway during the business day and this is a good example of what could be done about the matter.

We have asked Hounslow Council for an interview with the newly appointed Town Manager of Chiswick to discuss this issue.

When chiswickw4.com raised the matter of rubbish on Chiswick High Road recently with the Council they responded thus:

“Hounslow Highways, the council’s highways provider in partnership with the council’s waste and recycling team, holds two actions days a month in Chiswick to tackle fly tipping and dumped rubbish.

“The council is acutely  aware of the problem along Chiswick High Road and will work with Hounslow Highways to ensure a robust ‘zero tolerance’ enforcement approach is maintained along this road and prosecute those responsible for fly tipping”.

If you would like to report a fly tip please visit   http://www.hounslowhighways.org/56-fly-tipping.html

September 19, 2014