Council reduces refuse services to Islanders

on the slipway, a swan contemplates the Council's rubbish policies..

The Island presents a unique challenge to – and test of - our utility services. They don't always pass the test, as with recent problems experienced by the Islanders in getting their rubbish bags collected by Veolia, the Elmbridge refuse contractors. The system – which involved the rubbish bags being collected from each house on the island and then ferried across to the slipway next to the Swan – worked well. When the river was too high or fast flowing for the ferry to be used then the bags were still collected from each house and carried across the bridge. This is sensible.

After requests from many Islanders recycling bins were introduced and located in the slipway for Islanders use and this seems to be where the problems started. Without any formal consultation, the collection of rubbish bags from the houses on the Island was withdrawn and bins both for general rubbish and recycling were provided on the slip way – on the far side of the bridge. Subsequently it was agreed that two recycling bins only would be provided on the slipway but that general rubbish bags would still be collected from Islanders' houses, as they should be. The recycling bins were heavily used although it was sometimes difficult to get them emptied regularly, as parked cars made them inacessible to the collectors.

In January of this year the bins were vandalised and thrown into the river where one was later retrieved by the Island working party and repositioned in a more accessible position (the other floated away). Islanders are keen to continue recycling but subsequent discussions with Council officials left them with the view that the Council and Veolia were seeking an 'opt out' to collecting refuse from the Island. Veolia attempted to justify their reduced service on 'Health and Safety' grounds -the green wheelie bins used for house collection and the ferry provided (by Taggs boatyard), even though their own staff were not directly involved with the loading and unloading.

Residents Association to the rescue

The Islanders raised their eminently justifiable concerns at our Open Meeting in February and engaged Residents' councillors Ruth Lyon and Karen Randolph in aid, who together with Martin Steel from the Island met with Council officers later that month for a constructive meeting. As a result council officers arranged for a replacement multi-tasking recycling bin and the removal of the heavy grey wheelie bins from the Island side of the bridge - and the Islanders were able to recommence recycling by bringing their recycling rubbish over the bridge to the recycling bin. It has not all been plain sailing since - there have been some ‘glitches’ with delays in collections around the Easter period and one particularly unfortunate occasion when rubbish bags were not removed initially in spite of Veolia’s attendance, and bags left blocking the entrance to the bridge – but generally the situation is much improved. Council officers have intervened when there have been problems and the collections by Veolia have subsequently improved with the recycling bin now being emptied twice a week, and the collections of general rubbish being much tidier – all to the satisfaction of the Islanders.

Meanwhile ferry providers Taggs Boatyard have consulted Health'n'Safety experts from Surrey County Council who stated that the only risk in the waterborne process was from their staff not wearing life jackets. Now done.

The underlying reason for reduced services:

We fear that the attempts by contractors and the Council to shave services in many small ways, which we are experiencing in more than one area (Church Walk is another), has to do with the primary aim of the current Elmbridge administration to save money. That may be a laudable aim, but trying to pare down essential services such as rubbish collection, particularly on an inequitable basis, is not the way to do it.