Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt responds to 3422 signature blue bag petition

 Local resident Sheila Darr is not giving up her struggle to get Brent Council to ditch its blue bag recycling scheme. Sheila addressed Brent Council in November on the problems with the scheme LINK and was back at Brent Cabinet this morning to present a petition from more than 3,000 residents.

Sheila, like many residents, supports reycling but thinks the scheme is just not fite for purpose.

Cllr Krupa Sheth was away so it was left to Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt to respond.

Petition presentation speech

You are all aware of the 3422 signatures petitioning the council to Cancel the blue bin bags and return to the single blue bin for recycling. Mainly Due to the poor quality of the blue bag and their inefficiency to improve OR ENCOURAGE recycling.  The exact wording of the Petition is before you.

 

The Blue Bin Bag Scheme is not working – “REPLACE IT”.

  

The petition was started by a resident due to the anxiety of her elderly parents. They become concerned about putting the wrong things in the wrong bin/bag and the consequences of not having their bin/bag collected.

 

I WILL COVER Council ASSISTED bin services later.

 

This Blue Bag scheme is not a new initiative, it is AN UNWORKABLE extension of the existing blue bin scheme, WHICH WAS WORKING, to make it look clever.

 

On to GDPR. The bags are easy pickings for thieves looking to steal personal Data.   Identity FRAUD IS RIFE AND ONE OF THE MOST INCREASING CRIMES RECORDED ON THE POLICE REGISTER. I suspect someone will say, use a shredder then put into the bag.  Most people don’t have access to a shredder, JUNK MAIL IS ALMOST, ALWAYS, DISCARDED WITHOUT OPENING. 

 

Will COUNCIL assisted services offer to tear up junk mail for the elderly and less abled? Shredded paper will make A bigger mess when it flys out of the bag, as can be seen with the contents and the blue bags littering the streets of BRENT. 

 

In any event, Is the Council aware that shredded paper cannot be recycled, but is STILL being put into the bags and collected by the bin men?

 

Residents will have more paper/cardboard than can be recycled under the blue bag scheme.   This will encourage Fly tipping as people will be unable to store this AND IT will affect the entire borough. 

 

It is absolutely clear that the bag scheme is strongly opposed to by the residents. The Council must agree that this Bag scheme is not working and an alternative must be found.   I see from the Brent website that  “There is a review expected later in the year”.  The Council needs to bring this back to the table immediately for discussion and FACTOR In feedback from residents.

 

Are the Council aware of the schemes that are being ran in other boroughs?  What research has been done in using the templates of boroughs that are successful, …..by successful I mean having a lot of support from the residents AS THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO save money and improve recycling targets.

 

Have the Council considered split bins using the existing Blue Bins, ADDING removable dividers?  WHY CAN we NOT use the existing blue bins for cardboard and paper and use a smaller bin for tins/glass/plastic etc?

 

I want to share with you what the residents in your borough are saying.  The following are random comments, taken from the Next Door platform.

 

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I insist on recycling, but this bag is ridiculous.  Once it’s full, WHICH IT BECOMES UNDER A week what do I do with the rest of my cardboard? I’ve had to put it in the grey bin. Which I didn’t want to do.

 

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I have been putting my cardboard in the bag and it still hasn’t been collected.  A neighbour told me IF it HAS any stains or is wet, IT IS CONTAMINATED AND needs to go into the grey bin. So I did that, AND MY grey bin has not been collected.

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Someone stole my bag and dumped the contents in the corner of the street.  I am NOW TERRIFIED that IF there IS ANYTHING with MY NAME AND ADDRESS on it and the littering team find it, I WILL BE FINED, THIS HAPPENED TO  my neighbour and she was fined £400,

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Anyone know a Mr K S in Clarendon Gdns, HA9? If so, I've got half his recycling out of the dreadful blue bag on my driveway following the bin collection this morning. Mr S, do you want it back?

 

 

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Due to my disabilities, I can’t carry my bag once its full, and it always is, or have the strength to break down all the cardboard boxes so they fit into the bag. I have to wait for my husband to come home or ask my neighbour in his 80's  to help. The bin men left cardboard in the bottom of the bag, IT rained in so it's now all soggy, wet AND EVEN HEAVIER.

 

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We have assisted collection because of our age, THE BIN MEN HATE HAVING TO EMPTY THE BAG AND IT SHOWS.  THEY constantly leave my bin and bag IN DISARAY.  All they have to do is walk five more steps. I have complained many times. What can I do!

 

 

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The BIN MEN have to lift these bags to empty them. How long will it be before claims start flooding in for damaged backs?. I saw bin men dragging the bags to the bin lorry and then lifting them up before emptying them with difficulty, and the COUNCIL expect householders to take them IN AND OUT OF their homes…..

 

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I REPEAT the present blue bag scheme is not working.

“REPLACE IT”.

 

Muhammed Butt's reponse

 

Just another story of South Kilburn neglect – a rubbish saga

 

How the rubbish accumulates

 

Guest post by South Kilburn resident Pete Firmin 

 

Coventry Close is a cul-de-sac off Kilburn High Road, leading to the South Kilburn estate. It is not a residential street, but one containing Royal Mail's NW6 delivery office and a car wash (which replaced an earlier coach depot). It is a popular street for people to park who are shopping on Kilburn High Road, and busy with foot traffic of estate residents and pupils and parents going to and from St Mary's primary school via the footpaths which lead on from the road. Not a very pleasant street at the best of times, it only has a pavement on one side and the border for the car wash is an ugly corrugated iron fence. Hardly salubrious.

 

Near the top of the road is the rear entrance to what used to be the Kilburn job centre, now closed and unused for many years. The rear entrance was to the underground car park of the job centre. That entrance is now shuttered. Ever since the job centre closed there has been a problem of rubbish accumulating at the back.

 

After previous complaints in previous years, the rubbish got cleared, although local residents were never told by who (which might have helped in the current situation).

 

To be clear, local residents (including from the nearby Alpha, Gorefield and Canterbury TRA) have always recognised that this is not public land and it is not the responsibility of the street cleaners to clear this. However, we have asked Brent Council to do something about it, not least on health grounds. They must be able to take action to get the owners of the building to clear the rubbish, not just on a one-off basis, but also regularly. Or arrange for Brent to clear it and charge the owners. 

 

The current version of the problem stems from - at least - September. Despite regular pleas, accompanied by photos, to various Council officers the pile of rubbish has just grown (see photos from 21 September and 26th November., it was not cleared once in that period).

 

It’s not that Council Officers, and a Councillor, haven't acknowledged the problem and recognised that it is unacceptable, but nothing ever happens.

 

Report it to the Council's fly tipping app, you get the response that, since it is on private land, it is not the responsibility of the council.

 

Other Council officers have referred the issue to the `fly tip team' (same response as we had) and other Council departments.

 

One reply from an officer (24/10) said "This is not BHM land- I have absolutely no jurisdiction over it. [which we had never claimed] I will come back to you today establishing who we can escalate this to directly."

 

One of the more substantial communications we were copied into (between two Council officers) (25/10) said

 

I inspected the location after the last email and contacted the owners of the building and the previous occupants (which I more recently discovered are no longer in control of the building- sadly the Business Rates database is not updated).

I have made subsequent visits to the location and whilst there appeared to be a litter accumulation in the small recess area in front of the understorey carpark, it looked as though it was a new accumulation to the one originally identified.

 

I have contacted Rossmore Properties Ltd again by email (office@aminpatelshah.co.uk ) and now telephone (+44 20 7278 7651) . Their representative has advised that they had originally instructed a local maintenance firm to clear the location and this should have been done. I have requested routine maintenance; however it is unlikely that the routine maintenance will be more frequent than our own street cleansing or refuse collection schedules and would be unreasonable for us to expect this. I am expecting a confirmation email with regards to remedial works here by the end of the day.

 

Generally speaking the issue is more related to litter accumulation and evidence of ASB activities ( drinking and laughing gas evidence) as opposed to “fly tipping” of larger items.

 

The last several inspections of Coventry Close would also indicate a lack of general street cleansing for this busy thoroughfare into Kilburn High Road, however the road surface and parked cars may have an impact with this regard.

 

3 Cambridge Avenue remains empty and lends itself to ASB type issues in its current state. This is another location of concern to add to the list of hotspots for patrols in the Kilburn locality. Whilst there has been a planning application submitted to convert the building into 19 flats, it appears that this application may have already expired ( according to the agency whom submitted the application) therefore its empty state may continue and one wonders what the financial incentive would be to leave a building like this unoccupied.

 

The carpark area off of Coventry Close/Bristol Walk is managed by Catalyst Housing / Peabody Trust.

 

Any issues relating to this area should be directed towards them. 

 

Anyone reporting issues here should be advised to send in photos which always helps to identify and action issues accordingly.

 

One solution may be to introduce Catalyst /Peabody representatives to Rossmore Properties Ltd to see if this small tiny recess area can be maintained at the same time as the routine maintenance for the estate; for an appropriate fee.

 

As soon as I get an update from Rossmore Ltd, I will let you know.

 

Sound useful? But nothing happened. And quite why Catalyst/Peabody (which now have some nearby properties) would take any more responsibility than Brent , which not only has nearby properties, but should also take some responsibility for obvious health issues, is a mystery.

 

As you might expect by now, nothing happened. When we pointed this out, we got this response:(30/10)

 

To clarify, the email I previously sent was to explain who is responsible for the small recess area in front of the understorey carpark for 3 Cambridge Avenue ( access area located on Coventry Close) and to differentiate the adjoining private land managed by Catalyst/Peabody ( which also suffers from waste and highways issues from time to time).

 

The litter accumulations periodically accumulate either as a result of wind blowing it from the public highway sections of the street or as a result of itinerants whom congregate around here to take “rest” on the small wall away from prying eyes.

 

I have previously served notice on the owners to clear the land in question and put measures in place to prevent future waste accumulations. As a result the metal shutter was installed some time ago. However as a result of the angle of the slope and the layout of the building lines, the shutter could not be installed up to the boundary edge of the public highway and hence you have a tiny recess that continues to suffer with this problem from time to time.

 

I am aware that the owners of the property have a locally sourced private maintenance contractor whom periodically attend the site to clear any accumulations ( as was advised in the original Notice served on them).

 

I have spoken with a representative of the company that owns the property to advise them that there is an existing accumulation that requires attention last week.

 

I have further contacted them today to insist upon action.

 

Unfortunately the landlords are not based locally and are reliant on their private contractor.

Brent Council can pursue enforcement and issue penalties when non-compliance of a Notice is observed, however in the initial instance would prefer to work with private individuals and organisations to effect a solution. Previous correspondence with the owners have generally been met with compliance whenever this issue has been brought to my attention.

 

With regards to rubbish bins on Coventry Close I am aware there are a number of recycling bins that were positioned along Coventry Close to serve the blocks of flats and are also accessible to anyone passing. However it is my understanding that the Veolia Street Cleansing contract no longer accommodates litter bins on residential streets unless there are some exceptional circumstances. Furthermore the only section of Coventry Close covered by the street cleansing contract is between the top block of Alpha House to Kilburn High Road. The remaining section from the top block of Alpha House to Canterbury Road is the remit of BHM’s maintenance regime

 

If you continue to experience negative impacts resulting from waste accumulations on private land please report these to waste.enforcement@brent.gov.uk or via Fix My Street platform. If you can include photos at the time of reporting will also be useful to help us identify locations and deal with the issues accordingly.

 

We then had to point out that there are, contrary to that message, no rubbish bins on Coventry Close (which is why we have been asking for them for years.....) And Coventry Close is not a residential street.

 

From what locals observe, while obviously some of the rubbish comes from street drinkers, the majority comes from people walking through and from those who park on Coventry Close. But it doesn't really matter who causes the problem, it needs dealing with both in the short and long terms and while Brent talks of doing so, the rubbish continues to pile up.

 

We wonder whether this would happen in other parts of the borough or is yet another sign of how Brent neglects its basic responsibilities in South Kilburn. Building showcase new housing looks nice, less so when surrounded by uncleared rubbish. And before anyone accuses us of exaggeration, Council officers have repeatedly accepted that the area is neglected and promised to sort it. And little happens.

 

Pete Firmin

 

UPDATED WITH NEW RESPONSES AND COMMENTS: Brent's new recycling system: Some questions and answers

Residents are receiving letters about the new recycling arrangements that will operate in Brent from October 1st.

Here are the details as they appear on the Council website:

The recycling collection changes will start from 1 October 2023

How you recycle and what you put your recyclable items in, is going to change later this year. This aims to reduce our impact on the environment, by increasing the amount of recycling we do in the borough and improving the quality of what we recycle.

What is changing

From 1 October 2023 you will need to separate your paper and cardboard out from your other recyclable items and place them in your new blue sack.

You should carry on using your blue-lidded recycling bin for all other mixed recycling (glass, cans, plastics and cartons).

All households, who currently have their own blue-lidded recycling bin, will shortly receive a free weatherproof and durable 90-litre blue sack for paper and cardboard items.

Your blue sack will be delivered ahead of collections starting. It will be left outside your property in a convenient place and a flyer will come through the door. Do not put it out for collection until the changes take affect on 1 October.

If you use communal shared bins (often those who live in flats), you will not receive a blue sack and should continue to recycle paper and cardboard in the same way.

How to use the blue recycling sack

• Place any carboard and paper in the blue recycling sack ahead of your collection date.
• Seal the sack using the Velcro-strapped lid on all three opening sides to protect the contents.
• Before 7am on the scheduled collection day, put your sacks as close to the street as possible (where you would usually place your recycling bin).
• If your blue recycling sack becomes full, you can put any excess paper and card in a bundle next to the sack on your collection day.

The sack can be folded and stored inside when not in use or kept outside by your other bins where there is space to do so.

Collection times

You will still receive a weekly recycling collection service – however, your sack and your blue-lidded bin will be collected on alternate weeks. We will provide you with a full calendar detailing your new service in September 2023, ahead of the changes.

Frequently asked questions

I currently receive assistance with my waste collections. Will this continue? 

Yes. Assisted collections will continue as normal. Your blue sack should be presented and put back in the same place as your other bins.

What happens if my blue sack collection is missed? 

Your blue recycling sack can be collected at any time up to 10pm on the day it is due to be collected. Do not report a missed bin before this time.

Please do not place paper and card in your blue-lidded bin, as collections crews will not collect these bins on the same week as the blue sack.

Can I order more blue sacks for paper and card?

We hope the size should be enough for your needs, if after use, you do need an additional sack, these can be ordered online and will need approving.

New small items collection service

From 1 October we will also be launching a free bookable small items collection, including:

• Textiles
• Small electricals
• Batteries
• Paint
• Coffee pods

We will provide more information closer to the date.

 

Some residents have asked about the blue sack's dimensions - the capacity is   90 litres and the internal dimensions are 36 x 42 x 60 cms.

Contaminated card and paper (such as pizza boxes with residual food) should be put in the grey waste bin.

As stated on the website for those with high rates of cardboard, perhaps because of a high number of deliveries due to immobolity, extra bags can be ordered. I assume this will also apply to households who read a large number of newspapers.

One family who took part in the initial pilot said:

We gave feedback that it was really difficult to undertake. We have an overcrowded kitchen & have nowhere to put another bag. Already sorting organic food waste, general recycling and  normal bin! Apart from space who has the time?! We support recycling but this is unworkable!

Another commented: 

I think if you get one large appliance delivered the card won't fit and will end up in the grey bin. In my household I suspect we would fill several in an average week, especially as so much of purchases are delivered nowadays. I do want to recycle, but I think this won't work. I wonder if Brent has tested it anywhere. I also wonder if water will get in the top when it's stacked outside.

A problem for us is that there is no space in the house to keep it. (I live with a hoarder) Once it's outside it could get filled of rainwater.

According to the website you can seal the lid of the bag  against rainwater but I suppose that may not be possible if a large amount of cardboard protrudes. The new system was tested in a pilot and there was a consultation that was challenged at Sccrutiny Call-in. LINK

The trial of a fourth bin in appropriate households, instead of a sack, has been postponed until September 2024. LINK

 The introduction of a bookable small item collection seemed to be positively received but one respondent pointed out that this would put an additional vehicle on the road.

Brent Council kindly provided some further information on these points and other issues:

With regards to additional recycling, the crews will collect large cardboard items left beside the blue sack. It’s also worth noting that with the paper and cardboard removed from the blue lidded recycling bin, there will be extra capacity in the recycling bin for more containers.

 

Residents will be able to request additional blue sacks but it is important to note that requests will be assessed prior to approval.

 

Regarding the vehicle for the small items collection service, the service will be combined with the clinical waste collections so there will not be an extra vehicle. Even if an extra vehicle is required in future the environmental benefits arising from the diversion of these items from general waste will greatly outweigh the environmental impact of their transportation.

 

Here is some further information which you might find helpful:

We considered a range of factors in deciding to roll out the blue sack from 1 October to all kerbside households in Brent, and I have set these out below.

 

Firstly, we took into account the results of the trial itself, which saw an increase in usage with the sack from 50% in the first week to 71% in the eighth week, with an exceptionally low contamination rate of 1% (i.e. wrong material put in the sack). The trial indicated that we will achieve a higher recycling rate with these changes, which will be both better for the environment and help the council save money to protect vital services for our most vulnerable residents.

 

Secondly, the overall success of the trial was borne out by the results of a survey that a market research company carried out on our behalf in February, with 10% of households that participated in the trial (500 households). The key findings of the survey were:

 

·           Almost three quarters of households interviewed said they strongly engaged with the recycling trial (73%)

·           More people were satisfied with the trial than those who were not – more than a third (36%) rated the recycling trial as good or excellent; a quarter (24%) rated their experience as poor or very poor

·           More than 8 in every 10 felt informed about how to participate in the trial and agreed it was clear what materials needed to be separated

·           Three quarters (73%) agreed the process of separating the recycling materials was easy

·           Better facilities, a better general experience, an easier process and waterproof bags would have improved residents experience of the trial

·           Weather was the main challenge with storing the sack

·           More than half (55%) agreed they would continue to use the sacks to separate recycling if the trial becomes permanent; a quarter (27%) disagreed they would continue with the scheme

 

Thirdly, we have listened to the feedback received both during the trial and from the survey and significantly improved the specification of the sack as a result.

The improved sack will provide an additional 20% capacity (the key size difference is the extra 6 cms on the width of the container), the material is much thicker and therefore more durable and it has an overlapping lid on all three sides which means it is fully waterproof when sealed.

These changes align with the main suggestions for improvements from respondents to the survey. Many trial residents felt that the sacks needed to be waterproof, made of a stronger material and that they should be bigger.

 

FOLLOWING A QUESTION TO THE COUNCIL VIA NEXT DOOR REGARDING BAGS BEING BLOWN AWAY OR LOST, BRENT COUNCIL REPLIED:

 The blue sack is weighted at the bottom to avoid it being blown away and is further weatherproof to protect the contents inside. All collection crews will be given training on handling the blue sacks, ensuring they are replaced back on the correct position at each property, along with refuse/food waste containers. If a resident’s paper and card sack was to go astray, we will replace it free of charge with a new one within 7 working days where possible.

 

Trial of bin provision for paper and card recycling rather than sacks delayed until September 2024

 

In October Brent Council will be introducing changes in its waste and recycling collection. This will include providing each eligible household with a sack for paper and card collection. During the trial there were complaints that the sacks were not robust enough. As a consequence the December 2022 Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee recommended Brent Council undertake a feasibility study on the potential for introducing a mixed approach to paper/card recycling collections, to explore whether any recycling collection rounds in the borough would be more suited to the use of bins rather than sacks.

 

The Council’s response (below) indicates that any such trial will only take place after the new scheme has been operating for almost a year and will only take place if that operation is unsuccessful. It also refers to the potential impact of the bottle Deposit Return Scheme to be introduced by October 2025.

 

 

Veolia will introduce a 1 year wheelie bin trial for around 6,000 street level households in total, divided into the five Brent Connect Areas, to start in September 2024. Veolia’s feasibility study did not enable them to accurately calculate the split between those properties that could receive an additional wheeled bin for paper/card and those that could only accommodate a reusable sack. Veolia concluded from their study that to minimise disruption to households and to measure the impact of introducing a wheeled bin for the
paper/card stream, a trial should take place. The rationale for the timing of the trial in September 2024 is summarised below:

· Allows for the introduction of the alternate weekly twin stream dry recycling collection service to fully settle down

 
· May reduce the impact of contamination from introducing wheeled bins as residents would have been segregating streams for a year allowing a more robust comparison of the data from the trial

 

· It could be the case that after a year, if the reusable sack is proven to be working and successful, then the bin trial wouldn’t be needed, resulting in cost savings for the Council

 
· Allows a full 12 month period of data for the new service, including seasonal variations relating to volume, participation and contamination

 
· Allows time for any legislation changes to be accounted for – the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for beverage containers will be introduced in England by October 2025. Drinks containers made from PET plastic, steel and aluminium cans are covered by DRS. This could lead to a migration of some volume of material streams away from the kerbside to the DRS. This migration could open up a number of possibilities for the Contract including but not limited to; switching streams for the paper/card sack and container mix wheeled bins, and downsizing residual bins and using existing residual bins for paper/card etc. Whilst this could be done earlier, undertaking these changes once the impact of DRS is known would be beneficial, this would include limiting the number of containerisation changes undertaken during the contract period.

 
· Allows for a significant period of time for the Council’s ECO team to carry out targeted communication, education and enforcement with those residents not using the service or not using the service correctly e.g. contamination etc.

 
· If the trial was to take place sooner, e.g. March 2024, a further disadvantage is that the planning for the rollout of the trial would take place during the mobilisation period for the new alternate weekly collection service, which would significantly add to the workload of Council staff and the Veolia Contract Management Team which could take the focus away from the key objectives of the new contract and services.