Ennerdale Rufuse Mess due to Telford Homes & EastendHomes

Yet another Telford Homes /EastendHomes cock-up!
 Toilet paper in the trees on Hamlets Way and contamination of the recycling bins

12th November 2010

We regret we have to present yet another Telford Homes and EastendHomes combined cock-up during the course of the regeneration project!

This time it relates to the collection of the rubbish from the flats at Ennerdale House

1. When responding to the consultation on the development, MERA kept highlighting the fact that arrangements for revised rubbish arrangements at Ennerdale House during the course of the build had not been identified.  We knew it would be a problem - and so it is proving to be!
2. Yet again Telford Homes behaves as if nobody was actually living on this development site!
3. At no point have the residents of Ennerdale or MERA been advised as to how ALL forms of rubbish will be collected as access to the original rubbish collection arrangements is prevented due to the building works
4. Recently the access to the large rubbish container at the rear was cut off - without any prior notice or consultation (see "Bob The Considerate Constructor")
5. This week the three purple recycling bins have been moved around to the front of the building.
6. Given people are no longer able to access the bin at the rear, the recycling bins are now permanently "contaminated" with ordinary rubbish and overflowing - as one might well expect given the number of people in the building who now have no access to the skip at the rear.
7. Veolia have not collected rubbish which is overflowing from the bins prior to a weekend.  But then has anybody told them what is going on?  Or have they been ignored too?

When exactly are the project managers running this development actually going to start THINKING about the implications of what they are doing?

6th November 2010:  Tower Hamlets Recycling bins overflowing with ordinary domestic refuse
This contaminates the bin and elimintes all scope to collect recycling waste
This is what Ennerdale residents now have to look at as they leave the building

Major impact on quality of life and quality of environment

The lack of thought by the Project Managers for Telford Homes and EastendHomes mean that residents now have:

• rubbish in the trees along Hamlets Way
• rubbish overflowing from the recycling bins (which are NOT intended for anything other than recycling waste)
• contaminated recycling bins which eliminates ALL recycling waste left in bin
• no access to ordinary domestic non-recycled waste bins which can cope with the amount generated by residents
• no designated space for any large items which need to be left for collection 

It's worth noting that, in its response to the consultation on the proposed new waste arrangements for after the new buildings are in place, MERA has identified that these will breach existing EU and UK health and safety legislation relating to the collection of rubbish - but we're being ignored on that as well!

Friday 12th November 2010 (am): Overfull and contaminated recycling bins
full of large waste sacks plus packing cases which don't go down rubbish chutes!

Mile End Estate Management Board doesn't get it - yet again!

The EastEndHomes Mile End Estate Management Board (which is widely considered by residents to be a complete waste of space at the best of times) provided no reassurance at all at the Board Meeting on Thursday night that the problem was either (1) recognised or (2) that it would be addressed.

On the contrary their advice was that:

• no access will be provided to a waste collection facility for general waste.  The removal of access to the skip is permanent
• there are no plans for collection facilities for bulk rubbish
• there are no plans for collection facilities for any rubbish which won't fit in the chute
• residents should make put rubbish in smaller bags and put it down the chute (which of course doesn't work when it's a fridge or a sofa or large packing cases!) 

Board members appear to be completely unaware that most kitchen rubbish bins are far bigger than the size of a bag which will go down a chute - and that people have been taking their rubbish bags round to the skip for years and years!  Nor do people sort out kitchen waste from large bags into smaller bags.

Yet another demonstration - if any were needed - of the way in which EastendHomes - and the Mile End Estate Management Board in particular:

• neither understands the way life is lived on the Estate (ie people have been taking their rubbish round to the skip for years given the small size of the chute)
• nor appreciates how their incompetence of their actions impacts on the quality of life for residents and the quality of the environment. 

What's the solution?

The solution is quite straight forward.

• The normal rubbish bins at the end of Derwent House could be used on a temporary basis by residents from Ennerdale House.  
• The rate of collections by Veolia will need to be stepped up to cope with the huge amount of waste which won't go down the chute at Ennerdale House.  
• EastendHomes will need to negotiate with Tower Hamlets for extra collections by Veolia.

Extra collections will need to be organised anyway - to avoid contamination of recycling rubbish and because MERA will be reporting to FixMyStreet every time we see any rubbish not in a bin outside Ennerdale House or an overflowing rubbish bin in public view.  The only issue is whether they are organised or in response to a call out to fix a problem.

We will be doing a post on this blog next week on how to report uncollected rubbish and overflowing litter bins to FixMyStreet.

What happens next?

MERA will be reporting the current state of affairs to:

• local ward Councillor Rachael Saunders and Councillor Motin Uz-Zaman - who are also Board Members of EastendHomes
• Tower Hamlets Council's Waste Management Officers
• Tower Hamlets Council's Planning Officers
• Tower Hamlets Environmental Health Officers
• the Considerate Contractor Scheme run by Tower Hamlets Council - with a recommendation that the label be taken away from Telford Homes
• the Health and Safety Executive for London (Construction Sites) 

We will of course continue to monitor and photograph the situation and report all problems to FixMyStreet - for all to see.

Friday 12th November 2010 (pm): Totally contaminated and overflowing recycling bins 
- still uncollected by Veolia prior to weekend

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