Ealing Council Asked To Reconsider Fortnightly Collections

Bedford Park group want weekly kerbside sorting retained

In a last-ditch attempt to appeal to Ealing Council, the Bedford Park Residents’ Association in Chiswick has published an open letter calling for the Council to urgently reconsider its decision to impose fortnightly mixed recycling wheelie bin collections from June this year.

Chairman Hugh Johnson explains: “When we discovered that Hounslow Council had reversed its decision to introduce mixed recycling collections and it was retaining weekly kerbside sorting, the contradictions and anomalies in the arguments from the two neighbouring councils promoted us to seek answers to a list of outstanding questions. Bedford Park comes under both Ealing and Hounslow so our residents are caught between two different strategies on a policy where feelings are very strongly held.”

The letter to Ealing Council requests answers to a list of some twelve questions. It challenges the claims by the Council that the discontinuation of kerbside sorting of recycled refuse will “boost recycling” rates when Hounslow appears to be stating the opposite. It also refutes the argument that co-mingled (ie mixed) recycling by householders is the only way to increase recycling rates, since these have already improved significantly thanks to improved education and information.

The letter points out that Hounslow Council is maintaining kerbside sorting because the quality of the materials collected can be sold for more than those that are co-mingled, thereby negating Ealing Council’s argument about costs.

In spite of a long campaign, Bedford Park Residents’ Association along with other local lobby groups failed to persuade either Council to make conservation areas an exception to the imposed introduction of wheelie bins. This is a final protest to try and block the introduction of additional bins for recycling.

Hugh Johnson says: “We are very disappointed in the lack of consultation and communications by Ealing Council, in particular about the full facts behind recycling and the size and colour of the bins being imposed on us. Not only will they be permanently ‘on display’ in many front gardens - blocking windows and visible over walls and fences - but in houses of multiple occupancy in our suburb there could be as many as 10 bins stored at the front of properties! We are calling on the Council to re-think its strategy before our homes are blighted by vast numbers of these unsightly bins and encourage local residents to continue to resist their imposition.”

The BPRA says: "Please note our web site is currently under development and any general enquiries about the Association should be directed to bedfordpark.ra@gmail.com."

February 8, 2016