Rubbish in Fairlawn Park

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Donk
Posts: 7
Joined: 28 Jan 2009 09:49
Location: Sydenham

Rubbish in Fairlawn Park

Post by Donk »

Hi Ijust want to bring up the topic of rubbish in Fairlawn Park.
I believe its just as antisocial as youths hanging about.

Its a gift that people have outside space in the form of front gardens and some peoples front gardens are a disgrace! How can you expect people to respect your property if you obviouisly have no respect for it yourself?
Why do people feel that it is acceptable to flytip especially up by the allotments and around the back of the flats? There are 3 recycling centres a short drive away. The council will come and pick up household items.

When the rubbish men have been, place your bins back on your property so that people can walk unhindered down the pavement.

And if you do make some effort with your front garden, put the rubbish in your BIN. dont just dump it on the side, who do you think will clear it up or do you think because its biogradable that it doesnt matter!

Fairlawn Park is a very nice street where on the whole the majority of people care about their property and their environment and its just a shame a few houses let the whole street down.
Come on pull your finger out and take some pride! If you spent half as much time cleaning up your manor as yacking about youth behaviour in the Neighbourhood meeting the place would be smashing.
bencooke
Posts: 18
Joined: 28 Jan 2009 09:46
Location: sydenham

Re: Rubbish in Fairlawn Park

Post by bencooke »

Yeah, especially Fairlawn Court at the top of the road there, it would only take half an hour to get shot of it aswell, pity
leenewham
Posts: 5886
Joined: 2 Sep 2007 11:58
Location: SYDENHAM
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Post by leenewham »

The council charge £15 for taking away 3 items of rubbish.

There is a streetcar van in Beckenham which you can hire for £9 an hour. It might be cheaper for a few people to club together to hire it and take stuff to the dump.

One idea that came up at the Residents meetings was to run a competition for the best front garden.

For anything like this to happen it takes everyone to do ti together, not to just talk about it. Trish and Anthony have been fantastic at chairing the meetings but it's not fair to expect 2 people to do everything. Together we can make Fairlawn Park and even nicer place to live.

Details of the dump will go on the Fairlawn Park blog.

http://fairlawnpark.wordpress.com
Ronski
Posts: 437
Joined: 6 Jan 2006 01:19
Location: SE26

Post by Ronski »

Don't forget to post on this site as well for stuff dumped on our streets...

http://www.lovelewisham.org
bencooke
Posts: 18
Joined: 28 Jan 2009 09:46
Location: sydenham

Post by bencooke »

Perhaps the Fairlawn Association people could put a note through the door at Fairlawn Court, Number 2 and Number 4 asking them nicely to do something about it? (Include a map with directions to the dump), good idea about the street van but I'm not shelling out on behalf of these neighbours.
crimson1
Posts: 19
Joined: 30 Nov 2008 20:53
Location: Sydenham

Post by crimson1 »

Bencooke - If you live on Fairlawn Park, what's stopping you dropping a note through the culprits doors? Residents Associations are for everybody to take an interest in their area - it's not just up to 2 people to do everything voluntarily ( as well as holding down full-time jobs and maintaining their family commitments and so on and so on). This only leads to burn out - so that's why it's best for people to take an interest in improving their area and to share out responsibility.

I've seen that the vast majority of houses/dwellings on Fairlawn Park are beautifully maintained which is why it's so disappointing that this TINY minority of people choose not to take pride in their environment and wish to treat their area (OUR area) like a slum.

It's worth looking on the Lewisham website for the Leaving Care service (young people who leave care might need second hand furniture and the Council will remove items for FREE), and FREECYCLE.com to pass on unwanted furniture and all other items - again free collection of unwanted goods.
bencooke
Posts: 18
Joined: 28 Jan 2009 09:46
Location: sydenham

Post by bencooke »

Thanks Crimson1, I'll take it from here, if opening 3 letterboxes will burn you out don't bother, the kids coming out of care didn't want a soaked mattress and broken bedrrom furniture when I asked
Donk
Posts: 7
Joined: 28 Jan 2009 09:49
Location: Sydenham

Post by Donk »

Hi Crimson1
i note that first of all you suggest that an individual pop a note through the culprits door - I think its a silly idea as the householders could assume that this is just one person's individual view and not the view of the road. By getting the neighbourhood to back the complaint it would send a clear message that its not just one person's view but the majority.

I also dont understand why you think that furniture deemed to be unusable by its owners would be suitable for people coming out of care? On the whole its broken, unusable bits of furniture that i think would just give the message to these young people that all they deserve is rubbish.
Chard
Posts: 2
Joined: 9 Feb 2009 20:43
Location: Fairlawn Court

Fairlawn Park Rubbish

Post by Chard »

I will have to agree with all that as been said about the state of rubbish in Fairlawn Park and Court.

I have made attempts to get the bedroom furniture now residing in the back of one of the apartments in Fairlawn Court removed to no avail. I have gone as far as contact the council, and the environmental agency and have been told that as the property is privately owned there is nothing that can be done. Furthermore I was told that I could pay the £15 myself and have it removed and failing this if it was on the sidewalk the council would move it free of charge…. What is that encouraging? That is why there is so much fly tipping.

The rubbish build up at No2 Fairlawn Park is getting to a ridiculous state. I overlook their backyard and they have everything in there from old motor scooters, which by the way the kids at No.2 have a tendency to start up whenever they get some gas to put in it, bits of bicycle, old furniture, to name a few items.

My question to anyone on this forum, what action can we take, do we have a legal stand point to force the property owners to do something about the properties?
Can we do more than mention them on this site, as I don’t believe that the offending parties see or comment on this forum?
Maybe we can start a beautiful houses of Fairlawn section in the local paper, to encourage those who make an effort to keep their properties well maintained (if we have a local paper) and include pictures and names of well kept houses as well as and shame section for those who repeatedly act in this manner.
bensonby
Posts: 1656
Joined: 18 Jun 2008 12:28
Location: Kent

Post by bensonby »

Are the properties with the rubbish outside council or housing association owned? If so, I imagine turning them, literally, into a tikp would be against the tenancy agreement. Indeed, I'd probably expect something to that effect would be present in a private-sector landlord.

If they are occupier-owned then I don't think there is much that can be done - unless there are environmental health concerns or if the rubbish impacts on your property in some way...
Chard
Posts: 2
Joined: 9 Feb 2009 20:43
Location: Fairlawn Court

Post by Chard »

I am sure that they are in breach of some form of rental agreement; however the landlords don’t seem to mind once they are getting the rent money.

Maybe we are going about this in the wrong way, maybe we as a community should offer to help the remove some of their trash. I know that none of us want the financial burden of paying to remove rubbish however that may be the way to deal with it. If we can get the offending persons to contribute to this maybe they would maintain their properties….. I know it is a starch especially with No 2 Fairlawn Park, but maybe we should be a bit more positive in or approach. My mother always said you catch more bees with honey than vinegar.
bensonby
Posts: 1656
Joined: 18 Jun 2008 12:28
Location: Kent

Post by bensonby »

Chard wrote:I am sure that they are in breach of some form of rental agreement; however the landlords don’t seem to mind once they are getting the rent money.

Maybe we are going about this in the wrong way, maybe we as a community should offer to help the remove some of their trash. I know that none of us want the financial burden of paying to remove rubbish however that may be the way to deal with it. If we can get the offending persons to contribute to this maybe they would maintain their properties….. I know it is a starch especially with No 2 Fairlawn Park, but maybe we should be a bit more positive in or approach. My mother always said you catch more bees with honey than vinegar.
Local authorities - if they own the property - are pretty good at taking action against people breaking the tenancy agreement if it is antisocial.
Donk
Posts: 7
Joined: 28 Jan 2009 09:49
Location: Sydenham

Rubbish in Fairlawn Park

Post by Donk »

Hello

I suppose I agree with Chard. Rather than just bitch about it shall we just go and clear it? How do we go about it? Do we do a midnight recky in balaclavas and marigolds? There is the hope that once it was cleared they may feel shamed, obligated and or grateful to keep it tidy. But the cynic in me thinks that if their back yard is awful they really dont give a hoot! On a serious note, can we be done for trespassing if we go and do it?

As to the legal route yes, its a good idea to contact the landlords but to be honest this would just put their backs up I think.
And in fairness its number 4 as well as number 2 and Fairlawn Court that are the main cluprits. However, I actually witnessed a householder from the oppostite side of the street drag a carpet across the road and dump it in Fairlawn Court.

We have also contacted the council about removing the rubbish and got the same answer re; FLC. We have previously gone down in the middle of the night and collected rubbish and put it in to their bins! (I know we are anal!).

PM with suggestions.
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