A fly-tip on Birchen Grove, Kingsbury. Part of the Capital Ring Walk Route
Wednesday's Public Realm and Resources Scrutiny Committee will consider a call-in request by Liberal Democrat and a Green Party councillor regarding the decision to add additional functions to the Council's waste contract with Veolia at a 12 month cost of £1.54m. LINK
The councillors call for a full review of the contract involving members of the Council before any variation of the contract. The meeting starts at 6pm and can be viewed on-line HERE
Decision called in
Authority to vary the contract for Integrated Street Cleaning, Waste Collection and Winter Maintenance Service with Veolia Environmental Services (UK) Limited See LINK
Reasons for Call-in
The contract should not be varied at this stage, before Members of the Council and the Scrutiny Committee have had a full opportunity to review the operation and performance of the existing contract and to recommend improvements in response to concerns raised by local residents.
This is particularly important given that the report states that no consultation has taken place with ward Councillors, other than the newly appointed Lead Member.
Comments from residents, together with Councillors’ own observations, indicate that many streets across Brent remain dirty and that the current approach of “intelligence-led cleaning” is not delivering the standard of service that local people deserve.
There is also a significant concern that too much litter and waste is ending up in landfill, while too little is being recycled, with Brent lagging behind comparable authorities.
Additional funding should therefore not be added to the existing contract until its current performance has been properly reviewed, its failings and shortcomings identified, and potential improvements fully considered.
Alternative Action
That the decision be referred back to the Cabinet Member for reconsideration on the basis that prior to any additional funding or changes to the contract being agreed, Members should have a full opportunity to scrutinise the existing service, consider the concerns raised by residents and councillors, assess its current performance against the specific term of the contract and determine what improvements are required.
Areas that should be reviewed include:
1. Frequency of cleaning: Review the frequency of cleaning in shopping areas and on the side roads serving those areas.
2. Sweeping standards: Ensure that the service provides genuine mechanical or manual sweeping where required, rather than relying primarily on litter picking.
3. Waste collection and pick-up arrangements: Review how waste found on streets is dealt with. This should clarify whether contractors only collect waste that has been specifically ordered or reported, whether they are expected to collect waste they encounter during their rounds, and how both reported and unreported fly-tipping or dumped waste is addressed.
4. Unregistered land: Set out clearly the process for collecting waste from unregistered land. The Council should also explain how the register of unregistered land will be maintained, documented and made available for inspection.
5. Housing Revenue Account: Confirm that item (g) in the original decision will be charged to the Housing Revenue Account and not the General Fund.
6. Night-time cleaning: Fully review and, where appropriate, extend the areas receiving night-time cleaning.
7. Jet washing: Review the frequency of pavement jet washing in busy areas, with a view to carrying it out more regularly rather than concentrating activity immediately before local elections.
8. Financial implications: Fully review the financial implications for both the 2026/27 and Variation of the Veolia waste contrcat 2027/28 financial years, including the allocation of costs between the General Fund and the Housing Revenue Account.
It is clear that the current service does not meet the clear specification in our contract including for example keeping street litter bins clean, for litter bins not to be over flowing and treating weeds on pavements as litter. The prime objective should therefore be to ensure that any variation to the contract, and any additional expenditure associated with it, delivers real, measurable and visible improvements in the cleanliness of streets and public areas across Brent.
13 comments:
I've lived in Brent almost all my life, and my local area is the dirtiest it's been for decades. Going only a few minutes down the road into Harrow I dont see this level of filth.
The same households in my area fly-tip outside their properties repeatedly and having been doing it for years. They have been reported to the council. Why have the households not changed their behaviour. Because they can. Council does nothing.
I’ve lived in Wembley Park almost all my life, and I too have never seen such a mess surrounding me. It used to be so nice here.
I live on a street frequented by fly-tipping, once reported to Fix my Streets or before on the Cleaner Brent App it was mostly collected within the next 24 hours. If they are not notified they cannot collect. With rigorous investigation the perps can be found and prosecuted. Residents do need to help the Council tackle this . Use your phones and door cams to catch them. Name and Shame.
Fly tipping by residents within BHM estates is at epidemic levels. If you live on a BHM estate, if you've got an old TV, fridge, bed, chairs, pallets, builder's rubble, etc, don't worry, just pile it up near the bins in the communal area and it will eventually be removed. As for enforcement, pull the other one.
I live on the boundaries of Brondesbury Park and Willesden Green, your feet literally stick to the pavements and litter is only collected from the immediate area around the library. When litter is reported to Fix My Street, it is often dealt with promptly but the blue bag left for a later collection , people than dump household waste etc on the bag and before you know it’s worse than ever .
"expected to collect waste they encounter" The original contract had "clean as you go" (from recollection).
Nighttime cleaning activity and pressure washing will surely bring joy to residents trying to sleep.
The entire process for collecting business waste needs to be addressed. Leaving bin bags next to the public bins is what’s creating additional mess and dirty, sticky , oil slicked pavements.
The increase in flytipping and the general rubbish encounter in Harlesden area is at epidemic levels. What I would like to know is what is the difference between a few years ago until now?
The idea we have to report flytipping before is picked up doesn’t work. So the cleaners will pick up something reported but something 50m away b/c it wasn’t reported they won’t pick it up. Isn’t that a waste of resources? They should pick up any flytipping they see regardless of reporting.
Also, why is the pavement not spray washed like it used to be? Harlesden pavement are incredibly dirty and sticky.
"Labour is NOT working" for us! Their so called "Intelligence led cleaning" is a joke. How could the Conservatives be so stupid to leave Councillor Butt in control when the voters in Brent clearly rejected him and wanted him gone?
Given Veolia was the only bidder, Veolia have to agree about any variations and this was part triggered by Brent being about to pay extra.....
when reported response to the "intelligence" seems very fast. Often next working day. Under the contract, afair a response truck for every 3 neighbourhoods, 2 for wembley
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