So far there has been no improvement to the state of the recycling centre in The Mound carpark despite the best efforts of the T&PRA.
Since a meeting with Councillor Avery, Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, back in March we have been regularly following up with our concerns but receiving only a limited response.
Initially we persuaded the Council to improve signage, this was done on March 21st, and previously to remove the lids on the cardboard containers to increase capacity, however the real issue is for action to be taken against the miscreants who regularly fly tip and leave trade waste on the site.
Just recently we received a response from the Joint Enforcement Team who updated us on the Council’s position on enforcement action.
They told us that they have visited local businesses that can be identified from labels on rubbish deposited and written to those outside the Borough advising them that “it is an offence and that as a business or Limited Company they should have a Trade Waste agreement and that recycling still forms trade waste and needs to be dealt with appropriately.”
They told us that they have received advice from the Council’s legal team that because the signage at the site about trade waste is relatively new, they have to adopt an “educational route by explaining the problem to those who left the items in the recycling bins, telling them that it is an offence” but not taking any further enforcement action for now.
Our response to this is that sufficient time has now elapsed since the new signs were put in place and the Council should now be in a position to enforce the fly tipping regulations with fixed penalty notices to all future trade waste depositors that can be identified.
We have also put forward a strong case for the use of CCTV cameras to ensure these people who are leaving large amounts of trade waste and illegal fly tipped material can be identified and prosecuted.
This is what we have said to Councillor Avery:
“We note that there are no cameras at the Mound, despite the signage stating that there is CCTV surveillance. The absence of any form of surveillance obviously allows blatant illegal fly tipping with little chance of any detection.
“We have been informed that the cost of CCTV surveillance would be excessive. We have responded with case studies where cost effective CCTV was employed by other local authorities using modern technology. We have asked whether any evaluation and costing exercise has been carried out to justify the council’s apparent decision not to use CCTV at the Mound.”
So far, we have received no response to this point. The Council is clearly reluctant to invest in CCTV especially if it plans to close the site.
We have asked about the Council’s long-term plan for The Mound, stating:
“We understand that the recycling centre at the Mound may be removed at some point. It is our understanding that over 5,000 households in the borough do not have kerb or similar recycling facilities. How many of these are in the Tattenham Corner & Preston ward?
“If there are none, then it would appear that there is no need for a recycling centre at the Mound and it should be decommissioned as soon as possible. When will the decision to retain or remove the centre be made?”
Again, we have yet to receive a response.
We are continuing to press the Council to respond to our questions and for it to take positive action to either remove or improve this ongoing eye sore and health and safety hazard at Tattenham Corner. This being said the most likely action, we believe, is that the Council will close the site as has happened with other sites around the area.
We will keep you informed of developments.