Mounting Concern In Bedford Park About Wheelie Bins

Petition organised to try to persuade Ealing Council to make the area a special case

Protests continue to mount against Ealing Council’s plans to impose fortnightly refuse collections and introduce two wheelie bins per household in April 2016.

The newly formed Bedford Park Residents’ Association has added its weight to the work of Bedford Park Society and other local groups in galvanising support to lobby the Council. Hounslow Council has already decided not to introduce wheelie bins into the part of the conservation area that comes under their administration.

Chairman Hugh Johnson explains, “Although a number of houses have space to store wheelie bins out of sight, a high percentage do not. There are many terraces with no side access, houses with relatively small gardens or houses divided into flats. As a result, wheelie bins would be permanently on display in the front gardens of numerous properties. Many of our members and Bedford Park residents are very concerned about the damage this would cause to the appearance of their homes and to the area.”

The Association has organised a petition to help persuade the Council to make Bedford Park a special case and is delivering a leaflet to all Bedford Park households to promote it. The Council has already stated that some properties in the borough are not suitable for wheelie bins and will be allowed to continue to use sacks and recycling containers, indicating a degree of flexibility in the implementation of the proposed roll-out. In addition, the Council’s own Bedford Park Conservation Area Management Plan highlights the clutter of waste bins as one of the threats that are contributing to the “on-going deterioration of the special character of the area.”

Hugh Johnson is urging residents to sign the petition, “Even if you have already signed a general petition, please help us save Bedford Park by signing our petition now. If you would like to add your views on this topic or become a member of the Bedford Park Residents’ Association, you can find out more on our web site.”

Local Liberal Democrat Councillors have also collected over 900 petition signatures against the two wheelie bin plus fortnightly collections. At a Council cabinet meeting, Cllr Gary Malcolm questioned the legality of introducing the plans without a consultation but Bassam Mahfouz, Labour's Cabinet member for the Environment, said was that there was no need for a consultation. The Liberal Democrats on Ealing Council have called on the Council to seek independent legal advice on the matter.

Read about Ealing Council's plans for the borough and what the Liberal Democrat councillors for Southfield say about them.

June 16, 2015