Highgate’s Liberal Democrat councillors have welcomed the long-awaited removal of a large pile of rubbish from a residential street, but have urged Haringey Council and the local water company to work more closely together to ensure that such unsightly piles are removed quicker in future.

Lib Dems and local residents battled to remove the pile of street works paraphernalia that was left abandoned on the footpath for months in Broadlands Road N6, despite repeated requests from residents that it be removed. The rubbish was finally removed last week.

Haringey Council had said that the refuse was the responsibility of Thames Water, whose contractors had left the rubbish there after working on the water supply in the road.

Thames Water failed to comply with a request to clear the footpath and were issued with penalty charge notices by the Council. In the end, Thames Water’s failure to comply has resulted in Haringey Council removing the rubbish themselves. The Council will now be seeking to recover the cost of disposal from the water company.

Cllr Neil Williams, Lib Dem Leader and Highgate councillor, comments:

“I am pleased this huge heap of rubbish has now been removed. There was far too much buck-passing, and I am very disappointed that Thames Water did not move more quickly to take these materials away, as they were clearly the result of activity by themselves of their contractors. I hope they will react more quickly in future, as no one seemed to want to take responsibly for this mess.”