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WALTHAM FOREST: Row continues over borough's filthy streets
12:22pm Thursday 20th November 2008
THE row over the state of the borough's streets under street service provider Kier is still raging - nearly six months after they took the contract.
As complaints continue to come in over uncleared fly-tipping and leaves left piled up on pavements, local politicians are beginning to weigh in.
Prospective parliamentary candidate for Walthamstow Stella Creasy said: "Given that trees shed their leaves every year, I hope we won't get a 'teething problems' response."
And cabinet member for community safety Cllr Afzal Akram has stated that fly-tipping and leaf clearance crews promised for streets in Walthamstow should be "built into the core Kier service".
Northcote Road, Chewton Avenue, Church Hill and Maude Terrace, Walthamstow, have all been the subject of complaints over mounds of leaves and Buckland Road, Leyton has suffered repeat instances of fly-tipping.
Monty Purser, 55, who works as a sales a manager at Forward Group in Buckland Road, said: "This has been sitting there for four days now.
"It smells and is attracting foxes and rats - I am sick to death of emailing in reference to this street.
"We work here and have to walk through this mess."
What do you think? Are Kier providing an adequate service? Does your street have problems with uncleared fly-tipping or slippery leaves?
Contact the Guardian on 8498 3435 or email chack@london.newsquest.co.uk
Your Say Your Guardian
Walthamstow noob, Walthamstow says...
1:10pm Thu 20 Nov 08
annabel, London says...
1:34pm Thu 20 Nov 08
earle, Leytonstone says...
8:50am Fri 21 Nov 08
As I write this there are two sacks of leaves sitting on the pavement a few doors down the road. They've been there for three days now.
carolinem, walthamstow says...
12:55pm Fri 21 Nov 08
Cllr Afzal Akram, Walthamstow says...
4:49pm Fri 21 Nov 08
Redfox, Walthamstow says...
9:03pm Fri 21 Nov 08
I navigate the Billet underpass walkways almost every day, and yet although the leaf clearing team has beens seen 3 times - there are still 2 sections that haven't been touched at all.
Are they purposely dragging out the job or are those staff that remain just bone idle.
Perhaps the cabinet portfolio holder will inspect the incompetent work this weekend, it's actually part of his consituency Ward.
Unity, E17 says...
8:00am Sat 22 Nov 08
annabel wrote:The street sweepers are paid the same as before Kier took over, it is just that there are less of them. We can see the result of this for ourselves. Surely our talented councillors thought of this when awarding the contract ?
we all know that the council has cut the budget for street cleaning and if you pay peanuts you are going to get monkeys!
We do indeed have "monkeys" for councillors and in Kier management, but we are paying a lot more than "peanuts" to them and the CONsultants who advise them.
Walthamstonian, Walthamstow says...
11:47am Sat 22 Nov 08
The remaining workers cannot possibly cover all the streets of the borough in a timely enough manner to stop the long term build up of rubbish and leaves (in autumn). The root cause of the problem must be found in the inept negotiation of an outsourcing agreement which has led to deep staff cuts and inadequate management of those staff that remain INCLUDING the insistence on using often inappropriate technology.
Having just seen one lone worker clear and bag up a 4 or 5 week accumulation of leaves along my street it is obvious that little if any of this utter fiasco is attributable to the low paid workforce at the sharp end.
jrp, Leytonstone says...
4:19pm Sat 22 Nov 08
How much longer are we going to have to put up with this.
Olympic borough.........more like rotten borough,
jphillips, Walthamstow says...
8:18am Mon 24 Nov 08
The Singing Postman, E11 says...
11:19am Mon 24 Nov 08
Yes, when it has already been dumped. Isn't it better to to attack the cause rather than the symptom?
enna, Walthamstow says...
9:22am Thu 27 Nov 08
Where I live the state of the streets are discussing. Fly tipping, bin bags ripped open food all over the street and it is left for weeks. I went out there a couple of nights ago and cleaned it up. Coupled with not having my bin or recycling bin emptied this week I want a refund on my council tax as it appears I am doing their job.
Walthamster, Walthamstow says...
10:22am Thu 27 Nov 08
My elderly neighbour hardly dares go out, unless someone takes her out in a car, as the pavements are now so dangerous for anyone who can't see too well. Not only are paving stones left broken, but the piles of litter hide these hazards. I've swept up wet leaves outside her home to stop her slipping as she crosses the pavement to the road.
Meanwhile the council gets an extra star from the Audit Commission for "saving" money.
neil365, E17 says...
10:44pm Thu 27 Nov 08
m/groups/kickoutkier
/
Send your pictures of Walthamstow's rubbish strewn streets to the Kick Out Kier photo album
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Fly-tipping, Buckland Road, Leyton
Rotting leaves, Church Hill, Walthamstow
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jrp, Leytonstone says...
12:56pm Thu 20 Nov 08