Forum Topic

South Ealing Road - waste ground

My daily walk from St Mary's end of South Ealing Road to Brentford Rail Stn has really intrigued me as regards human behaviours when it comes to the waste they produce....my "favourites" are....1. "The unofficial dump". This is the car parking spaces next to Rose's Hair & Beauty (who must be fed up with it as they must have spent a fortune on their fit out). Every week it is a complete dump then some poor sod clears it up and then it becomes a dump again -it has been repeated every week for 2 or 3 months now.  I wonder if this justified as it is keeping someone in employment? 2. "The litter bin or authorised black bag drop off point" It would appear every litter bin is now a designated point for dropping black bags for both residents and businesses any time of the day of the week. Many businesses are clearly using this scheme or the variant of ramming their rubbish in the bin itself. Ingenious. 3. "If I dump this in front of a charity shop my conscience is clear". All those well known items eg a pee stained mattress, one shoe, and bookcase with no shelves. I think this is called altruism? The foxes have already taken hold but just wonder how long before the rats make an appearance. I hear they can be as big as a cat but I have never seen one but hey shouldn't be long. Makes you proud to live in Ealing.

Mark James Robinson ● 3149d37 Comments

ERRATUM:Chandos Avenue. Autocorrect!

Joanna Dabrowska ● 3096d

Thanks. I have not received any notification of any works in the South Ealing area. I will liaise with the Council's highways department why we've been not notified. From what I can see on the database there are the following roadworks on the B455:* Ealing Green - north of Webster Gardens - blocked gully - due to finish 10/11* Ealing Green - gas escape/repair works - north of WG - finishes by 11/11* By The Red Lion - burst water main - 9/11* South of Warwick Road - BT duct work - 7/11* By Dorset Road - gas escape/repair works - 8/11* Popes Lane/Little Ealing Lane junction - footway defect - 11/11* By Chandra Avenue - gas main replacement - expected to finish by 24/11

Joanna Dabrowska ● 3096d

The pelican crossing outside South Ealing tube station is suspended and there are temporary lights around a new gas excavation that is blocking half the road. One gas van has mutliplied to three gas vans now that the hole is in place with no activity in the hole. They have dug the hole over the smaller gas main and I am only guessing that their hope is that it is the smaller local gas main that was leaking and they have discovered that it is actually the big gas main that is leaking (£££££££££££££) so they are working out how many more manhole covers they can replace with grills to disguise the problemQuite amazing, all those 'no smoking' signs over quite a wide area for months on end next to a major tube station. and all those venting grills for years on end. Does no one in the council or our local councillors care about safety?I have noticed that something similar is evolving just north of the YMCA on St Mary's Road.Surely inflammable gas leaks should be fixed immediately?

John Murias ● 3096d

Six "person" holes with "No smoking" signs and lifted covers on both sides of the road and both sides of the bridge over the tracks at South Ealing station. Gas people with detectors "detecting" gas twenty or thirty metres away from the North-most gas leak "person" hole in the road itself. Not a very hopeful sign and surely someone MUST have responsibility for half-a-dozen "dangerous" gas leak sites that would see them actually fixed rather then being preiodically vented?P.s. The mobile base station opposite the Ealing Park Tavern is venting gas through its cooling fans again which strikes me as rather risky as the microwave radio transmitters it uses are high voltage!P.p.s. If someone could explain how to upload photos I would upload some photos.

Joanna Corbett ● 3106d

There are some jokers resurfacing the road at the junction of the South Ealing Road and Popes Lane tonight. As is typical with the work done at this junction it is poor quality in all aspects. The equipment is junk and the quality of the work is poor. The traffic lights have been turned off and there are no signs or temporary lights or pedestrian crossing lights on the Little Ealing and South Ealing Road and Popes Lane and South Ealing Road crossing meaning nthat pedestrians have to play chicken with the E3 buses and other traffic when trying to cross. Where did Ealing Council find these foul-mouthed jokers who make you ashamed to be English?

Joanna Corbett ● 3107d

Thank you Ms. Bond. A prescient piece indeed by Will, though rather depressing.

Joanna Corbett ● 3114d

http://www.ealingtoday.co.uk/default.asp?section=community&app=forum/ShowMessage.asp?ID=764873

Philippa Bond ● 3114d

I agree with you on this. I just find it strange that they never quite seem to sort all the leaks out when they dig. The road was half-closed for weeks, and now the covers are up again on the "person" holes. Is there something that they are not telling us about? Two, three times a year holes are dug by the gas suppliers by the station. What is even odder is that some of the "person" hole covers (particularly just by the station) have been replaced with pieces of steel with holes in them to vent the escaping gas so that it does not build up in ducts, cellars, etc. etc. Why not sort the leaks out? Surely their insurance doesn't cover a "blow out" if they know that there is a gas leak there? And doesn't the council have some kind of "duty of care"?

Joanna Corbett ● 3114d

Last time I saw work being done outside the tube station relating to gas - there was also a notice saying "No Smoking". Standing beside it were people speaking to each other in a foreign language lighting up after having come out of the tube station.  For those who are addicted to cigarettes who have just been forced to endure a smoke-free time travelling on the underground it is a natural place to light up. Only it may not be just their cigarettes.  This work obviously should be prioritised.

Philippa Bond ● 3114d

There seems to be another gas leak by South Ealing tube. There are some more "person"-holes ventilating outside the Mleczko shop.

Joanna Corbett ● 3114d

We have what I personally think is a strange system in this country of needing planning AND building regulation permission - or sometimes you don't need planning permission but you still DO need building regulation approval for health and safety reasons.You should always query any building work that goes on... never presume that it has been authorised and is safe!

Philippa Bond ● 3120d

councils fault then surely, I would say? ( directed to Mrs B)

Peter Yale ● 3121d

Requirements under planning permissions to provide housing for waste and bins needs to be maintained. Landlords' responsibility surely?  You cannot expect tenants who may only be there for a weekend in some cases to provide safe enclosures or hardstanding for bins - especially if the only outside space is just the entrance to a flat or the steps leading up to it. If planning permission was gained then other departments should have been made aware.  Whereas a long-term tenant may provide and reorganise their own bins to suit themselves you can't expect a weekend one to do that.And how many flats or houses have at least twice as many people living there than the house/flat has been let to? Or are being sub-let with no original tenants living there?With a transient population of people buying and living on credit there is much less pressure and incentive for them to take or make the time to care.It would be interesting to know why some flats seem entitled to have weekly collections and others don't. 

Philippa Bond ● 3121d

its very easy to blame a certain party. My initial view is its the councils fault, particularly as I hold a low opinion of them, We pay a council tax for rubbish to be cleared & they will argue its not increased for years & money from central govt has diminished.Then us as householders, dwellers put out plastic sacks which we know will be ripped apart by foxes etc.Back to the council who opted for fortnightly collections due to some office bod citing stupid bloody targets.Flytipping is an eyesore yet seemingly justified in some minds as its more & more diffulcult & costly to dispose of rubbish properly.Instead of a dedicated team to collect fly tips, perhaps the council should put more effort into running a tight ship & concentrate on clearing rubbish generated, prevention being better than the cure

Peter Yale ● 3121d

https://www.ealing.gov.uk/news/article/1465/property_owner_fined_20k_for_hmo_breaches – 54k

Philippa Bond ● 3122d

In Wandsworth you can easily check which properties are registered HMOs. Hopefully the new regulations will make it harder for landlords to avoid managing their HMOs properly.

Philippa Bond ● 3122d

It will be interesting how many of those notices actually "stick" that is result in the fine actually being paid.  Even if, for instance, fly tipping is found with envelopes with a name and address on them does not categorically prove that was the person involved - and I am thinking particularly in HMOs where rubbish be collectively gathered inside the property.

Philip Coe ● 3123d

All businesses by law must have an agreement for their waste...its very easy to go into each one and ask to see their paperwork.I was checked by Hounslow some years back...surely a council official could cover South Ealing Rd in a day or two.The dumping of rubbish on South Ealing Rd has been a daily occurrence...certainly since the collection system changed.

Nick Jenkins ● 3126d

An interesting article on ealingtoday that the council is preparing over 1000 fixed penalty notices for fly tipping. Hopefully, it will bring to a close this episode.Interestingly, I see a few South Ealing Road businesses using domestic refuse sacks and placing it next to a litter bin. A good meal for a fox to rip up and scatter contents or as last week a load of gulls! I feel for businesses as I can imagine rent, rates, and so on must be astronomical but spreading waste across the streets in front of your or a nearby business doesn't make sense to me.

Mark James Robinson ● 3126d

I agree that we are lucky to have street banks in which we can recycle and so reduce the volume of residual waste.  Everybody should make themselves aware of all the (legal) alternatives available for reducing the amount of waste we make.I was reading a website for a recycling centre out of London today and it was good to see that on it there was a reminder that this is an end of life place for goods.  Reminders of charity shops - check what they want, how much at a time and when they are open.  Remember their primary existence is to raise funds for their cause and not to search endlessly for a new owner for your unwanted goods. You could give away or sell your unwanted goods yourself on websites such as Gumtree or Ebay and Preloved and don't forget freecycle. Or have a yard sale.  What about a Jumbletrail? I see that they are getting stricter in Ealing and even stricter in Chiswick on people putting their waste out on the wrong days.  Chiswick High Road is looking a lot better now.

Philippa Bond ● 3126d

Living 5 mins away I share your concern and it is local residents dumping at the car park area next to hairdressersdespite Council clear ups.Flats above the shops no wheelie bins responsible for the black bags left anytime for the foxes along the Sth Ealing rd. Many a Sunday morning early I have gone along the road and picked up recycle items and put them in bins at Sth Ealing recycle opposite the station.I invite others to do the same and report the locals who dump next to the shop.At a time local govt has unprecedented cuts by Govt we need to think outside the box and not just moan and whinge.

Glen Barnham ● 3134d

I have attached the map on my ward website for the road restrictions around Elderberry Road/Knights Avenue next week http://ealingcommon.yourcllr.com/2016/09/27/treesestate-roadrestrictions/

Joanna Dabrowska ● 3134d

Oh, and Elderberry Rd is going to be closed again from October 3rd. Happy days.

Susan Kelly ● 3134d

However there are works planned further down (alongside the EPT) but I think it looks like overnight only.... maybe road resurfacing.

Lee Page ● 3134d

Thankfuly the roadworks outside South Ealing tube station have been filled in. So no traffic jams.

John Murias ● 3135d

Big traffic jams around South Ealing Tube station (Gas)Gas seeping out through manhole covers with ventilation holes drilled all over them to disguise the smell have all been opened around South Ealing tube station from the pas couple of weeks as the Gas Bastards glue together Victorian cast iron gas mains that are over a hundred and twenty years old. The same place outside South Ealing tube station has an annual "check up" with a large hole blocking traffic on one side of the road and temporary signals. Old iron and steel pipes of this age adsord gas over the years and centuries making them brittle and subject to cracking under stress (like having 30 tonne juggernauts running over tham). Age, vibration. etc, has resulted in cracks and leaks all the way up the B455 from the Thames to Ealing Broadway. Several, giant and ancient gas pipes bring the has from the old Brentford gaswroks site into central Ealing. The route is punctuated with ventilated covers on telephone, CCTV, electric, etc. manhole covers. Anyone who wants to check our the weirness of the situation should stand next to the mobile telephone mast opposite the Ealing Park Tavern in South Ealing and smell the gas coming out of the blowers cooling the electrical installation.It is worth noting that the expoxy patched repairs that they attemp woulb be illegal on your domestic installation!

John Murias ● 3137d

BBC1 tonight 1930 Inside Out - Louise Hulland finds out why London has become the UK's worst place for flytipping.

Fred Hunt ● 3143d

In general I would say that the South Ealing Road (or B455)which runs from the Thames thrugh South Ealing and up to the Broadway via St Mary's Road is somewhat better than it has been in the past in terms of dumping. Most of the businesses have been policed by Ealing Council in that they have to have waste collection contracts. The problems start just North of the University of West London in terms of anti-social behaviour and serious hardcore dumping. From there down to the Thames the situation has improved considerably over the past few years.There are a few problem culprits, however, in general they are known and watched. Over parts of Ealing are far worse.

John Murias ● 3143d

That's a good idea. They do that in Europe and appears to work well.

Mark James Robinson ● 3145d

I am not quite sure what has driven more people to dump their black bags in the street since the wheelie bins came into force but, if the Council are unable to control this, why not provide rubbish collection drop off points at strategic locations.  Could start with large "rubbish only" paladin bins at the neighbourhood recycling centres?I recall seeing some of these in the streets on the Copley Estate.  Not pretty but better than a pile of black bags prone to attack by foxes.

Philip Coe ● 3145d

i give up with the council, they are too busy selling the Ealing family jewels for them to bother with regular folk. Bizarre there is not a scrap of rubbish around their ivory tower/Percival House.

Mark James Robinson ● 3146d

Thanks, Penelope.

Susan Kelly ● 3147d

That's a fair walk to get the day started!You are completely right...its becoming a complete joke now.If you go on Twitter, the council say report fly tipping...report fly tipping. Well Ive got news for them, you dont need maps, pictures, location etc....ITS EVERYWHERE !!...and has been since you know when.Amazing how some people are still in a job.

Nick Jenkins ● 3147d

Hi Susan, it's on the same side of the road as Tesco and if you were approaching from the Little Ealing end, it's the block of shops just before Tesco. Near the bus stop. :)

Penelope Crocker ● 3147d

The one just below Costa, which I use because I can park there, unlike near most charity shops. Whereabouts in Northfield Avenue is the new place please? I'll give it a go as I have long since reached 'peak stuff'.

Susan Kelly ● 3148d

Which charity shop Susan? The Acton re-cycling or MAPF? The new RSPCS shop in Northfields Avenue is run by charming ladies and they are extremely polite and effusive in their thanks. Maybe worth using them in future?

Penelope Crocker ● 3148d

The Charity Shop is a particular nuisance. Which part of 'don't leave things outside when we are closed' do people not understand? Plus, as you say, things that are obviously unsaleable.Mind you, I often drop books/clothes/ornaments off there and have yet to receive so much as a 'thank you' from the women who run it.

Susan Kelly ● 3148d