Tag Archives: fortnightly collections

Miltons wheelie bins: Lynne Featherstone MP steps up the pressure

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Cllr Bob Hare, Cllr Rachel Allison, Milton Avenue Resident Christopher Riley and Lynne Featherstone MP on Milton AvenueLynne Featherstone MP has today stepped up the pressure on Haringey Council to address residents’ concerns about the new bins on Milton Road, Milton Avenue and Northwood Road (the Miltons). The Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, along with Councillors Rachel Allison and Bob Hare, visited the Miltons in Highgate and met with residents to discuss the current situation.

The residents’ concerns arose when their green boxes were replaced with large wheelie bins by the Council, as part of their switch from weekly to fortnightly collections. The new bins were placed on the pavements, as they were too big to fit into front gardens, porches or drives. Residents were particularly concerned about the impracticality of the scheme, the lack of proportionality in the bin sizes, the visual affect on the Miltons.

Since the bins were replaced earlier in the year, residents have had ongoing correspondence with Council officials. However, the officials have so far been reluctant to remove or replace the wheelie bins with suitable alternatives. The Council did establish a consultation, but this was spurned by residents, who felt that none of the three options given in the consultation were adequate. An official complaint has now been made by one resident.

Lynne Featherstone, MP said:

“It is disgraceful that after months and months of complaints, the Labour-run Council will still not provide Miltons residents with adequate and practical bins. Clearly, one size does not fit all, and different residents have different needs. The Council have said that wheelie bins would only be issued if they could be stored off the street, so why won’t they replace the ones at the Miltons with a workable alternative?

I have now written to the Chief Executive of the Council, demanding action to solve this unacceptable situation.”

Council admits to no consultation on fortnightly collections

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Haringey Council did not consult local people on a fundamental change to the way in which rubbish will be collected in the borough, it has emerged. Last week senior officers addressing the Muswell Hill Area Forum admitted that residents were not asked during a borough-wide consultation on the Council’s waste contract whether they wanted the Council to move to fortnightly non-recyclable waste collections.

Liberal Democrats who, at the Committee section of meeting, voiced their current opposition to the change to fortnightly collections, say that the lack of consultation shows that Labour have failed to get the buy-in of local residents on a change to a basic Council service.

In another development, that Liberal Democrats believe shows the Labour-run Council’s lack of consideration for residents, local people will not have a say on the size of the new wheelie bin for recyclable waste. Instead the Council will provide the largest 240 litre bin to all designated households in the new scheme.

Cllr Jim Jenks, Haringey Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson, comments:

“The Council have finally admitted that residents in Haringey were not given the opportunity to have a say on this fundamental change to rubbish collection.

“Liberal Democrats are 100% committed to increasing recycling but a change on this scale without consultation is unacceptable.”

Lynne Featherstone MP, adds:

“Not only are the Labour Council ignoring the views of local residents on the service but they are also failing to give local people any say on what size of bin they can have. Some households do not need a large 240 litre bin yet Labour are giving them no choice.”