West Hill Conservation Area

COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY

The picture above shows the recycling bins in Buckingham Road. When The Whistler printed edition went to press on 19 January, the usual weekend build-up of bottles and recycling detritus was in full swing. Bill and Maria Eady, used to enjoy living in Buckingham Road but their lives have changed since the recycling bins have been placed right outside their door. When they are not full to bursting, crashing bottles being dumped in the bins at all hours of the day and night are a familiar sound. Since then, the bottle bin has been removed altogether and relocated to Buckingham Street.

On the Letters page Councillor Pete West provides a lame response to the issue of non-collection since the Christmas  period. The point is that since  weekly kerbside collections in West Hill were replaced by the woefully inadequate collection from communal bins, has anyone from the council actually monitored the required frequency of collection to prevent the West Hill conservation area from regularly looking like a slum?

While flat roofs are refused planning permission by the council  for being ‘visually harmful’, the same council’s actions have allowed this visually horrific situation to build up. However, residents must also take some responsibility for adding to the rubbish piles. Do we think about walking a bit further to find another bin or taking our recycling home until the bins are empty?  Do we just curse the council and toss the recycling into the non-recycling bin anyway as we’re on our way somewhere else?

Write to The Whistler and tell us what you think.