Waste strategy

I didn't go to Lambeth's budget consultation on Saturday because as far as I'm concerned I've only really been consulted if I get my own way and sadly this was not going to be the case because Lambeth's new waste "strategy" is all sewn up. And as that's about the only council service I use, it seemed a bit pointless.

Anyway, apparently the booklet explaining the small print of the new "strategy" will be available in March but in the meantime here are a few highlights:

1. The cost of getting a bulky item collected will be £20. To get the best possible value you can sit on your bulky item until you have amassed a further three and get rid of them all for £20.

2. There will be no more garden waste collection unless you join a scheme which will cost you £35 a year.

It's enough to make you move to Wivenhoe.

I button-holed Lambeth Streetcare's Keith Naish and shared my concerns about the effect these changes will have on our environment - in particular the prospect of the return of fly-tipping to Tradescant Road.

Keith assured me that they had benchmarked the likely impact by talking to other councils and that they were confident that there would not be a sudden increase in fly-tipping.

If there is a problem:

• One aid to identifying culprits might be to borrow Lambeth's mobile CCTV camera for a week. If possible, Lambeth will prosecute although at present that they prosecute only about two or three a month.
• The caged vehicles which patrol the streets picking up fly-tip items will continue to run although this service will be reduced.

But, of course, it would be preferable not to have any fly-tipping in the first place.

On this topic I also received an email from Lambeth's Waste Strategy Manager Kevin Crook who said:

I appreciate your concern that the change may lead to an increase in flytipping. However, a recent national exercise analysed flytipping data from several local authorities which had introduced charges for bulky waste collection. The consensus was that introducing charges had no effect upon flytipping levels. The explanation given was that most residents are generally law-abiding and don’t want the stress associated with being caught and fined for flytipping. The small percentage of residents with the mentality to flytip will do so whether we charge or not. Whilst it is impossible to know what the impact in Lambeth will be it is the case that when we stopped taking non-recyclable waste at the Reuse & Recycling Centre in Norwood there were similar concerns expressed that flytipping would increase. In fact, apart from a blip in the week following the change, the long-term downward trend in flytipping incidents continued unabated.

Of course where fly-tipping does occur we will investigate, where necessary take enforcement action and remove the waste as quickly as possible to help prevent further instances occurring. We are sensitive to the problems that have occurred in Tradescant Road in the past and I understand that you have met with Keith Naish recently to discuss your concerns. Keith tells me he has committed to extra monitoring and enforcement if necessary to prevent a return to past levels of flytipping.

So, there you are. Now we will just have to wait and see.

To report fly-tipping contact the Lambeth Streetcare Service Centre on 020 7926 9000, email streetcarecallcentre@lambeth.gov.uk or use the online dumped rubbish reporting form.