Forum Topic

Ian Richardson · 10/26/2017 11:09:00 AM

new.EalingToday.co.uk Communtity Forum Topic posting

Autumn leaves

Are we about to see the same as last year when many Ealing streets were blighted by heaps of leaves turned to slush and unswept for six weeks or more?

Ian Richardson ● 2931d37 Comments

A neighbour seeing me sweeping leaves off the pavement (not from my property) and into the road complained I should be bagging them up. I told him I have no intention of doing the council's work when they cannot even supply me with recycling containers as promised.

Graham Weeks ● 2911d

The leaves in their many dozens of green plastic bags were collected late yesterday afternoon by a huge truck that compacted them. Little or no chance the leaves can be composted because of all the plastic.

Ian Richardson ● 2911d

Road maintenance, repairs and street lightingLocal transport services like busesChildren’s social careSupport for elderly and vulnerableSupporting children’s educationPreventing homelessness through social housingLibraries, arts, museums, leisure and recreation servicesMaintaining parks and open spacesWaste collection, recycling and disposalStreet cleaning and flood defencesAdministration of licences, permits and housing benefitPlanning and building controlOther services like coroners, courts, registrars, elections and tax collectionLong term investment

Philip Coe ● 2911d

I don't know that people think it 'beneath them' to clear up leaves. I think a lot of us wonder exactly what we are getting in exchange for the £2,000 a year we pay in Council Tax.

Susan Kelly ● 2912d

Well done! I see you've achieved it with the fly agaric. I'll have another look when I have the time.

Philippa Bond ● 2912d

I suppose it is because they throw the bags into the back of the collecting lorry.Although the info re using the machine to clear the gutters and then sweeping then into it again and then again using the machine sounds like a mesmerising sight and unbelievable waste of time an energy.

Philippa Bond ● 2912d

One would have thought than rather than loosely filled plastic bags which, even when full must only weigh a few pounds, they would have some sort of compacting/baling machine. Certainly at home I trample the leaves down in the container and probably get 3 or 4 times the volume in.

Philip Coe ● 2912d

No sweeping seen on Westridge Estate, Greenford.

Graham Weeks ● 2912d

Given a direct link address for your graphic from Tinypic (or another picture hosting site) of http://i67.tinypic.com/a2yekp.jpg then you package it as follows (WITHOUT THE DASHES):so that it reads "img src" rather than "i-m-g- -s-r-c"--Remember, no dashes, if I leave them in the system hides the line with the img src call out.That should work (hopefully).

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2913d

Given a direct link address for your graphic from Tinypic (or another picture hosting site) of http://i67.tinypic.com/a2yekp.jpg then you package it as follows (WITHOUT THE ASTERIXES):so that it reads "img src" rather than "i*m*g s*r*c"Remember, no asterixes, if I leave them in the system hides the line with the img src call out when I write it here.That should work (hopefully).

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2913d

Well, a team of about 10 men in high-viz jackets turned up today and spent the morning sweeping up the leaves in Ascott Ave. Very pleased to see it done, but without wishing to be ungrateful, the work was carried out in a most inefficient way, with the leaves being pushed in dozens of green bags. A motorised street sweeper would have done the job in a quarter of the time.The last time the street was done, some weeks ago, a motorised sweeper cleared the gutters, then about an hour later, some men turned up and swept all the leaves on the footpath into the gutter than has just been cleaned. Then an hour or so later, the motorised sweeper returned and did the gutters a second time. Someone at Amey needs to be sent on a time and motion efficiency course!

Ian Richardson ● 2913d

I live in W13 too, if the council chopped all the trees down I would be most upset but call the police.Special branch!!!

Peter Yale ● 2914d

but it isn't very straight forward although I try every so often to have another go. This is why you don't find many on here! You need to first upload your photos to a site such as photobucket and then proceed from there. You may find instructions if you do a search.

Philippa Bond ● 2914d

Ascott Avenue and Elm Grove Road in W5 are two streets with huge plane trees. It is quite unrealistic for residents to deal with the leaves from these trees. Ealing Council knows that but seems happy to allow the contractors, Amey, off the hook every time. Last autumn, some streets in our area were not swept for seven weeks, despite a string of complaints from me and others.

Ian Richardson ● 2915d

Living in Hounslow we have to pay for garden rubbish to be taken away. So if you havent paid you dont get any leaves taken away. That includes the ones from the Street trees that you might have had the decency or curtesy to actually sweep and collect yourself. Then you have to take them to the dump yourself!!!!

Emma Renton ● 2915d

Ascott Ave and Elm Grove Road W5 particularly bad. After last year's promises by the council to do better, we have footpaths that have disappeared under the leaves. I have photos, but don't think they can be attached to this forum.

Ian Richardson ● 2916d

Where I live in W13 the Council seem to be doing a reasonable job collecting and clearing away the fallen leaves. But even so, with overnight wind after a day's sweep, the roads and paths on the next day can often seem just as bad.Surely we cannot expect the Council to have the manpower and resources to clean up leaves as they fall? The leaf season is quite condensed and what do you with the operatives for the rest of year then? Wait for maybe 2 or 3 days of snow clearing.Not an easy problem to manage economically and, in reality, is that much of an issue having piles of leaves from time-to-time? I am sure the Council, for budget purposes, would love to chop down all the trees.

Philip Coe ● 2916d

My Grandmother used to sweep the leaves out front well into her late 80s.She did that steadfastly since the 1950s. My father still does it and I do it. We sweep the gutters and the road, and keep the leaves free from blocking the drains and galleys.It's no big deal but when I was a kid every neighbour in the street did the same.No-one ever had to be asked, it was just done, just like putting the empties out for the milkman.It's different now. Whilst some do still sweep the pavement outside their homes, most, sadly, do not.But it's the look of derision that comes from some residents who clearly think doing such a thing is beneath them.One thing though, has not changed much since my Grandmothers final years of sweeping. It still takes the council weeks to come and take the often several times swept leaves away.But it would be nice to see residents become a little more responsible for the pavements outside their homes and the streets in which they live.

Mark Kehoe ● 2917d

Agree Marius.

Penelope Crocker ● 2917d

I dont get why people cant just put a bit of effort into 'clearing/cleaning the outside of their houses of a bit of leaves anyway. (Some 'exercise/work out' will not do harm to most anyway).I have last week spend literally over 2 hours (And I dont expect anyone else to be doing exactly the same),clearing the fallen leaves and fruits outside of my house,curbside and even in the main road (Gordon Road,W13),and even 2doors doors down both side of my house.My elderly neighbour (89 years of age,if I may add) spend on a daily basis around 30min to clear and clean the outside of her door,walkway and plants of leaves etc. though. (She has even been so 'considerate' to clean my driveway while I was at work a couple if times).I agree that one pays and expect the council to do their part..however,some collective participation is not a bad thing either.Not only will you be more physically active in general..but also get to socialise (A simple "Hi" to passer by's) a bit more,and get to know one another in your neighbourhood..).. I have met so many people (And have gathered vital info,and updates overall) over the last couple of months,solely by being outside..that it is 'mesmerizing',not to mentioned very beneficial overall.

Marius Enslin ● 2917d

Despite complaints via Twitter and by phone, still no sign of any street sweepers in our area. Residents getting very angry.

Ian Richardson ● 2919d

I agree that that is the trouble.

Philippa Bond ● 2921d

just make sure you leave no traceable evidence.Nothing with any form of I.D which can be traced back to you.If so you will lose everything

Peter Yale ● 2924d

I happily sweep outside my house even though I don't have any trees, in fact last week I bought a leaf vac' but what to do with the leaves, I have no intention of paying the council to collect their own leaves, but if I bag them up and put them by the lamppost for the street sweepers to pick up will I get fined ?

Tracey Mehdizadeh ● 2924d

Interesting that they leave all the fruit - although I can understand that the birds would also like it and that fallen fruit is not supposed to go in our household garden waste collection. Once upon a time street leaves were considered too contaminated for composting but other LAs did find a system that was acceptable to the Environment Agency.This time the number signs for two of the streetlamps seem to have gone missing as well. Two were on the pavement recently - one had been there for months. I kept meaning to report it as needing replacing but I didn't pass it that often. It is easy with a smartphone (which I don't have) but there must have been people passing it every single day going to the tube and then sitting and looking at their phones who could have so easily have reported that! You can usually count on one hand the number of people in a carriage not looking at their mobile. It is a shame that systems are so fragmented now that everything is expected to be outsourced to save money that there isn't that little bit of overlap and care for the street as a whole including by the people who use it.You can download the "Ealing 24/7" app free from your phone's app storehttps://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201230/myaccount/2263/ealing_247

Philippa Bond ● 2924d

The sweeping of streets might be possible in some areas, but not many -- certainly not in streets that have plane trees that shed a great number of leaves over several weeks.

Ian Richardson ● 2925d

I am happy to sweep up the leaves outside my door and put them into sacks. I'd rather they spent precious resource on more important things frankly.

Penelope Crocker ● 2925d

Yes, that is really irritating especially as it encourages and attracts cans, bottles and other litter to be dumped on top of them. Do they take that litter too when they eventually collect?

Philippa Bond ● 2926d

How is it the council can leave bags for collection for days on the pavement. Surely this is flytipping us normal residents would be fined.Wheres bully boys Kingdom to issue a PCN

Peter Yale ● 2929d

It must really irritate those who like to think that they are in charge that the leaves do not fall to order or to match the figures in the cells allocated on the excel sheet. Tough!

Philippa Bond ● 2929d

Leaves abounding in Greenford.

Graham Weeks ● 2929d

Pesky things those trees dropping their leaves willy-nilly.Be careful what you wish for...In other countries residents are expected to look after the pavement outside their homes. It is a great shame that the Council decided to charge for garden waste because many of us just added the few leaves from the street trees to any other garden waste - but there are more paved gardens as a result of the horrible oversized wheelie bins and more house conversions so less of a need for a regular garden waste collection and contract.

Philippa Bond ● 2930d

Agreed.

Martin C. Harris ● 2930d

Heaps of leaves in our Ealing Common neighbourhood.

Ian Richardson ● 2931d

There was a worker in our street in W5 at 6:30 this morning, raking up leaves and putting them into a wheelie bin.

Terry Freestone ● 2931d

Credit where it's due - clearing them has already started in West Ealing - and a good job is being made of it too.

Maggie Anderson ● 2931d