Liberal Democrat Councillor working for Acocks Green Learn more
by Roger Harmer on 6 August, 2014
As you will no doubt be aware the decision by the Council to stop free collections of green waste has led to piles of dumped rubbish across Acocks Green Ward – and many other parts of Birmingham. The Lib Dems have constantly argued that it was a mistake to cancel this service, however the Labour majority on the Council, including Acocks Green’s two Labour Councillors, have steadfastly voted down our proposals to retain the service.
Rather than collect bags of green waste, the Council now stickers rubbish with notices telling people that green waste will not be collected and they need to either pay for a green waste wheelie bin, take it to the dump or compost it. Most residents have complied with this but some haven’t and we are left with unsightly piles of rubbish across our community. These piles of rubbish are particularly annoying to the majority who have dealt with their green waste responsibly, as they are now both doing this and having to put up with green waste littering our streets.
The problem is made worse by the piles of green waste being added to with other dumped rubbish, leading to some huge mounds of mixed rubbish.
As I have said, I strongly disagree with the policy. However, having implemented it, I can understand that the Council will not immediately pick up any dumped green waste and will try first to get people to remove it themselves. However it is completely unacceptable that, if this fails, and the rubbish remains, that it is just left there, almost inevitably gathering more rubbish. I therefore report all such piles that I see or am told about to the Council and ask them to remove them. This can be a painfully slow process – and it seems to take longer in some of our Council estates. However I will keep at it until it is done. I have therefore decided to start compiling a public list of all these piles and will keep nagging the Council to remove them until they go. Hopefully this will pressurise the Council into removing our worst and longest standing rubbish piles faster.
Please let me know of the waste piles in your neighbourhood (and if you have already reported them to the Council when you did this) and I will add them to my list. I will note when they are reported and when they are removed.
Location First Reported When Removed
o/s 351-365 Gospel Lane 3rd June
o/s 7 Leysdown Road 3rd June
o/s 31 Leysdown Road 3rd June
o/s 83 Tibland Road 16th June
Island in Central Grove 18th June By 11th July
Various locations in Dolphin Lane 19th June Some moved
Opposite 49 Fox Hollies Road 22nd June 18th July
Locations in Shirley Road 24th June 4th August
o/s 268 Olton Boulevard West 30th July
Olton Boulevard West (opposite Matlock Rd) 30th July
Opposite 243 Olton Boulevard West 30th July
Opposite 293 Olton Boulevard West 1st August
Junction of Tyseley Lane and Knights Road 5th August by 22nd September
o/s 3 Pool Farm Road 6th August by 22nd August
Wetherby Rd, by junction with Circular Rd 8th August by 27th August
Junction of Nailstone Crescent & Liddon Grove 9th August by 26th August
Bretton Road at Olton Boulevard East junction 9th August
Liddon Road at junction with Tavistock Road 9th August by 27th August
Junction of Ladbroke Grove & Tavistock Road 10th August by 26th August
o/s 149 Pool Farm Road 10th August
o/s 173 Pool Farm Road 10th August by 27th August
Yarnfield Road, by junction with Walden Road 10th August 14th August
Top of Lakefield Close 22nd August
Central Reservation by 86 Olton Bvd East 22nd August
Bretton Rd: 3 piles between Wildfell Rd & OB East 23rd August
o/s 53 Oakhurst Road 30th August 16th September
Oakhurst Road near junction with Severne Road 30th August 16th September
o/s 3 Fox Hollies Road 30th August 16th September
o/s 27 Oakhill Crescent 31st August 16th September
Fox Green Crescent (opposite Grimshaw Rd) 23rd September
o/s 67 Fox Green Crescent 23rd September
o/s 34 Fox Green Crescent 23rd September
beside 8 Ferris Grove 23rd September
I know there are many many more piles – please let me know about them and I’ll add them to the list and keep chasing the Council until they are cleared.
1 Comment
We were disappointed when the City decided to opt out of free green waste collections, especially when other services were also under threat and the policy of Central Government was encouraging local Councils to improve on their recycling rates, not retrench from them! However, on balance we decided to buy-into the new scheme and have been using our bin regularly. That said, we have noted, as have others, that sacks (and piles) of green waste regularly appear and, seemingly, are collected by Council workers (or are they contractors?). Compliance seems lacking, and it is obvious that once unidentifiable waste is dumped, it is difficult, not to say virtually impossible to track down the culprits. Should we be getting into ‘shop-a-neighbour’ if it is known who has ‘dumped’ the stuff? How can this situation be remedied? We certainly would not really want to go back to the hit and miss green bag system when much of what was left for collection was dropped by waste collection operatives when they tore open the bags to empty them into the truck! That situation seems far worse than the present one!