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Dear Wolfie,I can appreciate how this looks and I appreciate the effort you've gone to to video this and bring it to our attention.We have said over the past weeks that the contractor has deployed a number of vehicles that are mixing the green box and white bag contents into one vehicle.  They have also got vehicles which do separate the recycling at the kerb as was the case before.  The reason for having the sorts of vehicle and collection method in your video is a temporary measure to help them keep on top of the collections of recyclables from all households.The contents of the vehicle, as we have said, is being sent to a Material Recycling Facility where the contents are separated.  The contents are not going to landfill.You have said on the commentary that food waste was being mixed in, but I cannot see this on the video.  Where food waste is being collected on the same vehicle as other recyclables, it is being separated, as should be the case and I have seen this first hand, but do let me know if you have seen otherwise.You have also raised the behaviour of some of the staff working on that collection round.Enterprise’s bid contained within it more jobs than any of the other bids tendered and indeed contained within it more jobs than were previous employed by May Gurney.  In order to deal with the backlog, Enterprise has taken on some agency staff in addition to everyone who has transferred over from the previous contract.  Inappropriate behaviour by any member of staff will reported immediately to Enterprise to deal with seriously and I have sent them a link to the video for them to follow up on this.  If anybody has any evidence of inappropriate behaviour of staff then please do let me know so it can be taken up for action.I know people are passionate about recycling and I want to reassure you and others that your efforts are not in vain.Enterprise are deploying additional resources next week to up their game to deliver the contract, as specified, and I will be taking senior managers from Enterprise around the borough tomorrow to show them some of the issues residents have been facing.yours sincerely,Bassam MahfouzCllr Bassam MahfouzLabour Councillor for Northolt West EndEaling Cabinet member for Environment & Transporttwitter.com/BassamMahfouzwww.bassammahfouz.com

Bassam Mahfouz ● 5136d

In South Ealing the recycling was collected on Thursday but all the sorting done by residents was undone because it was all bundled together into a smallish Highway Maintenance vehicle. Food waste appears to have been collected from my neighbours' frontages today (should have been Tuesday), but alone of 5 properties in my street my food box has not been touched. Maybe my house number has been flagged because I had the temerity to complain.Whilst shopping this morning I observed a large green waste compacting truck attempt to turn into a side street off Northfield Avenue, fail to enter the road and immediately reverse back into Northfield Ave and drive on.I spent nearly half an hour on the Council's phone line yesterday but did eventually get through to a very good operator who was, of course, unable at that time to give any information as to when the outstanding stuff would be colllected. She did however suggest that I make my concerns known to the Enterprise company via their website.This I did, but the response was basically along the lines of "nothing to do with us - contact the Council" !!I didn't get much of any use from the people working for our local Ward Councillor either - simply stating that "it had nothing to do with them - it's the 'other lot' who are responsible".So, whilst everyone involved is passing the buck, the chaos continues. On at least one street vandals had been out overnight opening and tipping the contents of food bins out on the road, according to a conversation overheard in Lammas Park this morning."Queen of the Suburbs" Ealing may have been, but no longer...

Russell Maiden ● 5145d

Re number of points raised on the forum:We are very sorry for the problems in the first week of the new contract and are working to get back to normal as quickly as possible.All council contracts are awarded according to very strict legal procedures.In addition to extra collection crews, cleaning staff are also working more hoursThe report it form on our website should now working properlyThe council's website has been updated but the story was over-typed which is why it showed the same publication date.Monitoring officers are out so if a whole road is missed no need to report itLatest update below:The council is apologising to anyone whose recycling or refuse collection has been missed this week.Collecting recyclingThe number of problems in the first week of the new refuse and recycling contract is unacceptable and our priority is to work with our new contractor, Enterprise, to get the service back to normal as quickly as possible. Extra crews are working longer hours including Good Friday and Saturday to clear up any missed collections.‘Mop-up’ teams are picking up missed items together and residents can be assured that materials are being recycled.    We have officers monitoring roads and reporting misses to our contractor and so if a whole road’s collection has been missed there is no need for residents to report it.If an individual household’s refuse or recycling hasn’t been collected residents should report it through the online form or contact the council’s customer services on 020 8825 6000 during office hours.Residents should leave their recycling or refuse out as usual for collection.  For the first few weeks of the contract, food waste will be collected separately from the other recycling.  Keith Townsend, executive director of environment and customer services, said: “I would like to apologise for any inconvenience this has caused and thank residents for their patience. Crews will be working on the Easter bank holidays and on Saturday to do everything we can do sort out this problem as quickly as possible."Residents are reminded that collections will take place a day later than usual from 9-13 April because of the Easter bank holiday.Garden waste will now be collected fortnightly on the same day as other recycling collections but on a subscription basis. Residents who wish to use the chargeable garden waste service will pay an annual charge of £40 or a discounted fee of £30 for residents over 65 and those who receive means-tested benefits.

Ealing Council ● 5146d

I applaud Cllr Mahfouz for having the guts to write a full and, I hope, frank reply.It's simply not fair though, to criticise him because of his ethnic roots. If he genuinely cares about community and wants to put something  towards improving the quality of this Borough and executes it with honour and pride then that's all that matters.A big criticism of multi-racial communities is that too few get involved to keep the environs in which we all live as smart and pleasant as possible.  We have had some ethnic politicians who have let all of us down by seeming to interpret being in office as carte blanche to help themselves or inflict rather unfitting ways. A tool for their own interests. Not helped by quite a few who are indigenous to these islands & have been worse, No excuse for them.Far more preferable to other councillors who simply Lord it up, scheme and behave like pigs at the trough. yet seem to do nothing but give themselves a pat on the back.That does not mean all is fine and dandy. I think Cllr Mahfouz is well intentioned, intellegent but, all the same, rather naive on more than one issue.If the antics at Hounslow are anything to go by, some of this can be blamed on poor advisors of limited intelligence and ability.I don't think a contractor of this scale has ever been sacked, but if they do not get their act together, Cllr Mahfouz may well save or even endear his reputation by being the first to do so.Then maybe these Spiv like companies may realise that Boroughs are not to be treated like easy money and that they expect something of continuous serious quality for the full term of their contract and the huge amount of profit they glean from it.

Michael Brandt ● 5146d

Thank you for your reply Councillor Mahfouz.However, I don't understand how the Council can be unaware of whole streets that have not had their collections made and why residents should have to inform the Council en masse.  Isn't there a map of what should be done by each crew?  Don't they report back when they don't achieve something?Surely this is a complete breakdown of communication between Contractor and Council.  Why aren't you working together?With regards to the amount of packaging do stop making excuses for the supermarkets and manufacturers.  For years they had a free-for-all (or rather free-for-them the Councils ie us had to pay for all disposal).  It is only because we the customers did not complain about the increasing amount of packaging that we have so much. The rivalry between the supermarkets is enormous and their main aim is to beat their competitors.I remember the CEO of of one of them on Radio 4 saying tht that was what the public wanted.  That drove home to me the fact that it was OUR inaction which had caused this situation. The packagers could package to their hearts' content and take themselves to the top of the Sunday Times Rich List without having to consider the consequence of their actions, taking no responsibility for how their packaging would be disposed of. Legislation has now changed that.I wouldn't want to go back to having my strawberries shovelled into a paper bag like I used to at Berwick Street market BUT neither do I want or need my cauliflower in a plastic globe. Excessive packaging should be reported to Trading Standards and complained about publicly.  We are now at last seeing some improvements in packaging - there was little or no incentive for this to happen before. The less packaging you buy the less you have to get rid of.  It is a great freedom.How much time does it take to undo the bottom of a cereal packet; or lean on a plastic milk bottle to flatten it? How have we lost all sense of volume?  If we could do a little more for our ourselves we would achieve a lot more (or in this case - less :))!

Philippa Bond ● 5147d

On behalf of the council, I would like to apologise to anybody who has not had their rubbish or recycling collected this week.As an administration we do not find the current situation acceptable.  Ahead of implementation of the new contract I made it clear and unequivocal to our new contractors that the expectation of both ourselves and our residents is that there should be “service as usual”.The council is holding daily meetings with Enterprise to ensure that these teething problems are ironed out and in the meantime all rubbish and recycling must be collected.We now have 16 extra crews to seek to ensure this happens, working into the evenings on collections and street cleaning.  The teams will also be working Friday and Saturday to get back to speed with the job at hand.  We have also placed additional staff onto the phones to ensure we have accurate information for the streets that have not had the level of service expected.I appreciate the time and effort each individual has made to inform us of which streets have not had refuse and recycling collected.  We are grateful for the patience and understanding that you have shown during these initial days.  I have cycled around many parts of the borough to check roads and officers have been out to monitor the situation too.  Whilst many areas have had their rubbish and recycling collected, I appreciate the frustration that anyone who has not had their items collected will feel.  It is the not knowing when it will be collected that is perhaps most frustrating and we are working hard with Enterprise to ensure that this is put right as quickly as possible.I have made it clear to our new contractors that one of this council’s top priorities is to Make Ealing Cleaner.  This is in the context of record breaking scores for street cleanliness showing 2011-12 as the best on record for clean streets in Ealing.  I am fully aware that it is no good having a record if this is not maintained and indeed improved upon and it is therefore an absolute priority that this contract is successful.Please do continue to call on 020 8825 6000 or let us know online via http://www.ealing.gov.uk/recycling of any missed collections so that we can seek to ensure this is rectified as soon as possible.Many thanks,Cllr Bassam MahfouzLabour Ealing Cabinet member for Environment & Transporttwitter.com/BassamMahfouzwww.bassammahfouz.com

Bassam Mahfouz ● 5147d

How do we know that Veolia getting the contract would have been better?  I doubt it.  We would have had to have wheelie bins.  We voted against them as we don't have room and wheelie bins encourage rather than discourage excessive waste. We can recycle more with kerbside sorting than in a wheelie bin. The recyclate is better quality and gains a better price.Rather than concentrating on Recycling all the time and Recycling targets and League Tables more emphasis should be put on Reducing and Reusing.There was plenty of scope for improving on the percentages.  Anybody walking past recycling on the pavement and the lorry collecting the black sacks clunking with the glass bottles inside them and aluminium cans rolling around in their wake can testify to that! We all know who doesn't recycle.  We walk through the mess their torn bags make on the pavement. What we need is the Recycling Officers to come out of the office and visit these properties, and put flyers through the doors and follow up.  As neighbours we would be able to offer printed info if only we had a better Council website.  We still have pages and pages with just a few paragraphs on each page. We have been going backwards.  Take a look at London Borough of Hounslow's website.  They were behind us and they are now in front.  You don't need a grant from WRAP to be able to put a downloadable pdf with all the info on a website.Where was all that information before the start of this?  A new contract is the ideal time to remind everyone of what can go in their recycling bags, remind them where to get new bags from.  What info have we had?  Zilch. Nothing except info about garden refuse - a service we did without before and can do without again.

Philippa Bond ● 5147d

Reason why we have an incompetent contractor with innapropriate kit rather than a competent contractor with appropriate kit seems to be purely political and the labour party in ealing are going to have to do some explaining to the ombudsman as why townsend and bell have based their choices on party politics rather providing ealing residents with proper services when I finish my complaint.the West Midlands Palestine Solidarity Campaign website hosts this piece of insight (http://westmidspsc.org/boycott/?p=55)similar stuff on west london palestine liberation campaign website.Veolia continues to pay a high price for aiding Israel’s occupation, as it loses yet another contractWednesday 3rd August 2011In another victory for Palestinian rights, Ealing Council, in London , has failed to select Veolia for a comprehensive tender for its domestic refuse, street cleaning and parks maintenance contract. The contract is worth approx £300m in total over 15 years and one of Ealing Council’s largest single contracts. This is even more significant given the fact that Veolia had the previous parks maintenance contract.Veolia remains involved in the building and future operation of a light-rail tramway linking Israel’s illegal settlements with West Jerusalem, facilitating Israel’s ‘grave breaches’ of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Veolia Transport Israel also runs two bus services serving the same function as the tramway: supporting and consolidating illegal settlements and tying them more closely into Israel.Sarah Colborne, PSC Director, said: ‘Veolia’s loss of this contract, following its failure in a number of significant bids in Britain and internationally, is a clear sign that Veolia is paying a high price for its complicity in Israel’s occupation and violations of international law. West London PSC, together with other groups and individuals supporting Palestinian rights, wrote and met councillors from across the political spectrum and council officials, and submitted detailed factual and legal analysis. Veolia must realise that until it pulls out of all its activities serving Israel ’s illegal settlements, it will continue to be a target for the movement for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS). Through BDS, those committed to peace and justice are sending a message – we don’t buy into Israel ’s violations of Palestinian rights’

Callista Barbara Cienka ● 5147d

Excellent points Michael. I agree wholeheatedly.The Victorians (the inventors of project management - techniques developed for re-provisioning navy ships in port completely in 48 hours form the basis of all project managment techniques around the world) worked out that a man with an ash can (remember those metal dustbins) on his back needed 18 inches (the standard width of alleways in the British Empire and the UK and of allotment and agricultiral paths) to make his way to the horse-drawn ash card that needed four foot and six inches (the wider alleyway width between Empire and UK houses) to deposit the contents of the ash can there...What interests me is whether the May Gurney repeat tender was taken seriously (May Gurney had special narrow trucks and back-loading trucks that could cope with Ealing), or whether Keith Townsend and the Labour Group were so hell-bent on ousting Conservative-appointed May Gurney that they started making the changes to the road corners with double yellow lines that enraged so many Ealingites by reducing local parking provision that they started spending unnecessary Ealing residents' money on making Ealing more friendly to Enterprise's cheap wide trucks in a bid to side-step May Gurney at the council tax-payers' expense to prove a "cheap" (and I like the American aspect to the word "cheap" meaning "of low value or quality") point.Isn't it time that we woke up and smelled the roses and realised that we are in the middle of huge mess architected by civil servant council officers who should be moved on elsewhere to provide further damage?

Eric Stanley ● 5148d