Labours litter record is RUBBISH!!! At the recent Merton Council Meeting (Wednesday 9th July). Conservative Councillors took Labours Merton Council to task following the rapid decline in resident satisfaction concerning the cleanliness of the borough in relation to litter. The Councils Climate Change Strategy & Action Plan states in the introduction that “it is vital that we take action to...preserve a quality of life for subsequent generations.” Yet, Labours political leadership has no genuine plans to improve the environment in this borough Findings from the most recent Annual Residents Survey revealed that: • For the first time litter/dirt on Merton’s streets is respondents’ top concern with a 6% increase in residents saying it is a problem compared to 2012, which is significantly higher than the London average. •Only 43% of residents in Wimbledon town centre and 44% of residents in Colliers Wood town centre are satisfied with the way the council deals with fly tipping despite claims by the administration that the problem of fly tipping has been solved. Meanwhile there were only 6 successful prosecutions for fly tipping in the whole of 2013-14 compared to 31 in 2009-10. •Only 50% of residents are satisfied with the way the council deals with dog fouling. There have also been falls in levels of satisfaction with the council’s street cleaning service and recycling facilities, both of which are now below the London average. •The recycling rate in 2013-14 was just 38% against a national average of 43%, well below Merton’s own target of 42% and even further away from the target demanded by the European Union Directive of 50% by 2020. Merton Council recognises that it has not taken sufficient advantage to create renewable energy through solar panels and reap the rewards of feed in tariffs on enough of its buildings and those of its partners like Circle Housing Merton Priory. Fossil Fuels continue to be the major energy source for this Council and its partners and, after 4 years of inaction, renewable energy constitutes just a small percentage. Conservative Councillors are concerned that they are no more than vague words about how a quality of life will be achieved in the Action Plan and called for the following: • Deliver a comprehensive environmental plan with quantifiable objectives and actions to help deliver improvements to the quality of life of Merton’s residents. •Ensure Merton measures and reduces polluting 2.5 particulates to the legal limits. •Formulate ambitious plans to increase recycling including green waste •Introduce electrical charging points for cars to help de-carbonise transport. •Focus on improved and more robust enforcement of fly tipping in the borough. This speech from Councillor David Dean, the Conservative Spokesman for the Environment in Merton at the Full Council meeting on 9th July 2014 was in response to Labour’s motion on Merton’s street scene. Madam Mayor, I would like to propose this motion about the Merton’s increasingly shoddy street scene. Except for the continual complaints about high Council tax in this borough, residents are most critical about litter. Not just rubbish being left on the streets week after week, but the lack of bins, the extreme mess left by the waste collectors and the constant problem with fly-tippers. And of course, the famous council green bags, left on corners, on private land, anywhere and everywhere. Amazingly the biggest culprit of fly tipping in Merton is the very Council itself. But the political group that runs the Council says there is nothing wrong with the amount of litter on the streets, that the government is forcing them to leave piles of rubbish blowing in the wind. They claim the honest people of Merton are too obsessive about litter and it’s just a question of mind over matter. The Labour lot don’t mind, and residents don’t matter! The question is what is the council going to do about the litany of complaints about litter. The resident’s survey says 46% are unhappy about litter. That’s up when it should be down. And recycling is now just 38%. That’s down when it should be up. And green waste collection; just a quarter of the volume versus 2010. That’s down when again it should be up. And fly-tipping; has that been resolved by the bulky waste collection? The figures year to date are well up even though the figures are being frantically suppressed. And let’s see the reasons why Labour’s waste policy is failing? Firstly, the Council is double charging for green waste collection. Once, through very high council tax then again through an annual fee. That’s why people have given up. Secondly, the number of street cleaners has diminished. The phantom weekly clean is no different to a teenager claiming that he changes his underwear daily. Thirdly, the number of bins has been reduced and the number of pick ups decreased. And Weir Road, closed to boot. Lastly, recycling diminishes when politicians find it a dirty, filthy trade that they don’t fancy. The EU directive that demands that Councils recycle 50% of waste by 2020 explicitly says not to focus on landfilling or burning waste because authorities take their eye off the ball and they forget the important mantra of reduce, re-use, re-cycle. So, when it comes to litter, recycling, clean waste processing and fly-tipping, Merton is going backwards and it does matter. One day the residents might get an honest bunch of politicians to lead them. And when they do, there will be more street cleaners. And the Council won’t be the biggest fly-tipper, green waste will be picked up, as part of the council tax and the tax will be lower like Conservative Wandsworth. And fly-tipping will be taken seriously and enforcement will actually mean something. Residents will get clean streets and a council that genuinely cares about recycling and their environment. And they will get a council that will de-carbonise the transport of waste, making it a leaner, cleaner activity. For further details, contact Councillor David Dean: [email protected] / 07956 648 383. Tags: #ColliersWood, #CricketGreen, #FiggesMarsh, #Graveney, #LavenderFields, #LowerMorden, #Longthornton, #PollardsHill, #Ravensbury, #StHelier #Merton
Posted on: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 13:53:06 +0000
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