Minutes of Meeting on 25 April 2018 at Moxy, Hounslow.
Present: Ms Abigail, Mr Chaddha, Mrs Joya Roy, Mr Lalit Mohan Joshi, Mrs Kusum Joshi, Mr Richard E. Mr Gary B.
Apologies: Noreen.
- Abigail reported about meeting with Hounslow Council staff re. Littering, fly tipping, derelict spots, litter from taje away shops to observe and understand what the Council is doing to tackle such issues. She informed that Elaine had shadowed the Council staff concerned.
- Abigail spoke about a Survey that had been carried out.
- An activity she mentioned was to have walk abouts so as to identify relevant hot spots, take pictures and send them to her.
- Abigail informed that the Council has both overt and covert methods for catching fly tipping.
- A request for bigger bins had been made but the Council being as it is, in the midst of increasing recycling, this proposal was not considered appropriate.
- Mr Chaddha said that landlords must educate their tenants about proper and regular ways of rubbish disposal. This was especially relevant for such tenants who were from individuals or families arriving in the UK from overseas.
- Those present at the meeting were in agreement with the view that there was a clear connection between criminality and littering and dirt in our area.
- A member present in the meeting mentioned that people from outside our area seem to to be bringing in their black bags with their garbage and dumping them on our Road.
- The Green area at the end of Westbrook Road was being used as a tipping area. There is littering on Church Road up to the local Sainsbury also.
- There were reports from 3 members of cars from outside coming late at night onto their street, of packaged/goods being exchanged between cars late ar night and leaving behind their garbage on the Road.
- They added that they had also made some reports of such suspicious goings to the local police.
- We agreed that the Council can only go up to a point and its now also up to the local public to become actively engaged with issues of local cleanliness etc.
- Those present came up with various ideas as regards what we can consider doing:
- It is evident that children in schools (as on Westbrook Road) are not aware of the need of keeping streets and their surrounding tidy and clean. There is, therefore, a crying need to educate school children by linking with Head Teachers of local schools: by linking with Keep Britain Tidy; by encouraging Children in schools to be tidy via a Campaign and recognising them for their good work; by making use of the NCSS Scheme in schools for educating children about cleanliness and inculcating a string civic sense in them from a young age.
- Richard Eason provided various bits of useful information:
- Hounslow Highways is the portal for reporting Environmental issues. It is very efficient in dealing with fly tipping but not at preventing littering. Their website can also be checked for information on the Cleaning Schedule.
- There is need to identify those guilty of fly tipping etc. through addresses found in materials left in hot spots.
- Labour members are considering collecting bulky items eg. unwanted fridges and mattresses, by providing the public with big skips;
- Various changes to be introduced by the government will become evident after 20 May 2018.
- It was agreed that there was need to increase our group membership through various means.
Action Points: Lalit to act re Next Door. Also, someone to identify and list some local fly tipping hot spots.
- Next meeting to be held at Mimi’s in Heston with the time and date to be decided in due course.