WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH! Leading councillor and park user exchange views on litter in Crystal Palace park

AN EXCHANGE of emails between a regular user of Crystal Palace park and Bromley council’s deputy leader have been made public – after the councillor told park user Trish Anderson: “Please feel free to publish this reply as you deem appropriate.” So she did – on the local Virtual Norwood blog site – along with a six-minute YouTube link which shows photos of literally hundreds of bags of rubbish in the park – all taken on the same day.

 

The email exchanges begin with Trish Anderson writing to Cllr Colin Smith, who is also Bromley’s portfolio holder for environment, and two council officers – one of them Mr Toby Smith - with a copy being sent to Cllr Tom Papworth, one of the two councillors for Crystal Palace ward which includes the park.

 

From: Trish Anderson

Sent: 08 May 2013 16:17
To: Cllr Colin Smith

Subject: Litter at Crystal Palace park

Dear Sirs,
It is now the third year of my campaign to get SOMEONE in Bromley Council to listen to those of us who are regular park users to provide bigger bins in Crystal Palace park during the Summer months.
From pure frustration at the fact that nobody within the council has taken a single action during all this time to endeavour to alleviate the deteriorating situation. I have posted on YouTube the following slide show of images, taken on my morning walk yesterday. You should hang your heads in shame that you have allowed this neglect of this beautiful green space.
People now walk away from their picnics and leave their picnic debris in situ. They dump chairs, nappies, coats, bags – whatever they want to it seems because there are not being monitored.   THAT is the ethos which you have enabled by your procrastination.
Where are the litter fines that Ward Security were supposed to be able to issue Mr Smith? I have seen no evidence of it. Please let me know how many litter fines Ward Security have issued in Crystal Palace park since their contract began.
We want bigger bins AND Ward Security to start issuing fines.
Are we to endure another horrible Summer of this?:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4wHwezhQtg&feature=youtu.be
Regards, Trish Anderson

 

From: Cllr Colin Smith

Sent: 08 May 2013 16:47
To: Trish Anderson

Dear Trish Anderson
Thank you for your email, but please don’t even think of attempting to lecture LB Bromley about its total and enduring support for Crystal Palace park or its commitment to the park’s future in ignorance of the facts.
Cllr Papworth, who you have copied in, will possibly be best placed to advise you as to the works of the regeneration board and our collective attempts to reshape its future on which he and I both sit.
Ill disciplined and ignorant people, (from many other south London Boroughs who contribute nothing) not the council, cause the mess, Bromley remain committed to continue clear up after them as best it can, despite its ever diminishing funding from the coalition central government.
If there have been previous requests (please advise) for larger bins, please let me know and I will follow up what progress might or might not have been made and update you.
I have asked Mr Toby Smith to update you as to Ward’s activities locally of late.
Please feel free to publish this reply as you deem appropriate.
Cllr Colin Smith

 

Cllr Papworth then responds to Cllr Smith’s email:

From: Cllr Tom Papworth

Sent: 08 May 2013 19:22
To: Cllr Colin Smith

Dear Cllr Smith,
While I agree that some of the litter must, in the first place, have been caused by “Ill disciplined and ignorant people”, you cannot have failed to notice from the video Ms. Anderson posted that much of the litter is piled up next to the bins. The people responsible for this are, I would suggest, neither ” Ill disciplined” nor “ignorant”; rather, they are frustrated to find that the bins are filled to capacity and that there is nowhere to dispose of their rubbish.
I welcome Toby Smith’s commitment to provide additional bins and to raise the level of enforcement. Might I suggest that this coming weekend we conduct a particularly thorough operation to issue some public and high-profile penalties?
Regards, Cllr. Tom Papworth

From: Cllr Colin Smith

Sent: 09 May 2013 01:59
To: Cllr Tom Papworth

Dear Cllr Papworth
Were and where it the case that people were placing their rubbish adjacent to the full bins I would agree that would not constitute being either “ignorant” or “ill disciplined”
Doing so helps to facilitate its quick removal and represents plain common sense.
That is not what Ms Anderson reported as happening :

“People now walk away from their picnics and leave their picnic debris in situ. They dump chairs, nappies, coats, bags – whatever they want to it seems because there are not been monitored ”
That is what I was referring to.
Regarding organising a number of high profile blitzes on misbehaviour in the Borough’s parks, the matter is already in hand and by chance, a press release on related matters very nearly appeared in the local press this week.
Crystal Palace park will of course have its turn on the rota for pro-active intervention, along with everywhere else.
Regards Cllr Colin Smith
 

From: Trish Anderson

Sent: 09 May 2013 14:48
To: Cllr Colin Smith

Dear Cllr. Smith,
Thank you very much for responding to my email.
Frankly, I was appalled by your tone.  Please don’t attempt to lecture me about lecturing the council. How patronising!
Every day we hear from politicians who say that they need more people involved in politics at grass roots level. I’m afraid if your tone is indicative, then most people would say ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’ Why should we be talked down to by arrogant politicians like you?
It is surprising how quickly you forget that you are an elected public servant.  It should be a privilege to address the concerns of the local community, not an irritant.
A friend of mine, Guy Beggs, commented on facebook in response to your reply to my email:
 “A surprisingly 80s style pompous and arrogant response from a contemporary public servant! In the 10 years I have been using the park I have been dismayed to see what could be described as punitive neglect of this great public space by LB Bromley, so yes Cllr Smith we can and do presume to lecture you, and you would be well advised to do what we pay you for and listen.”
Hear! Hear!
In future, I choose to address my concerns regarding Crystal Palace park to Cllr Papworth and Toby Smith. They don’t appear to find my perfectly valid concerns regarding the litter situation an irritant, rather, an issue which many of the borough’s residents would like to see addressed and dealt with.
As a council tax payer, I am entitled to query why my local park, the jewel in the crown of Bromley’s parks, with Grade II listed status, is strewn with litter, in part caused by Bromley’s inability to provide bigger bins during the summer months. I struggle to understand how you can hold the portfolio executive councillor for environment and not want to try to solve the problem instead of trying to shoot the messenger.
Perhaps you need to engage with ordinary people a bit more councillor. After all, we’re all in this together, are we not?
Regards, Trish Anderson

From Cllr Colin Smith

Dear Trish Anderson
Your opinion is noted.
Possibly you can explain why should Bromley council “hang its head in shame” when far from doing anything wrong, it is investing untold effort in Crystal Palace in an effort to engage all local boroughs in a campaign to return it to its former glory.
Furthermore I continue to refute your assertion that this (agreed) beautiful green space is being “neglected” in any way.
Like all of Bromley’s parks it is being, and will unfortunately continue to have to be, managed as best the council can on the reduced budgets available to us.
Yours sincerely

Cllr Colin Smith

 

Cllr Smith issued the full email string after being contacted by News From Crystal Palace – he also released other emails (from which the names of other parties have been removed). One of these email replies is from a park user who says they are continuing  to press specifically for more bins in the dinosaur area and on the path from Capel Manor college to Crystal Palace station, where the 100ft verge is always litter-strewn.

The email reveals that the latter is actually owned by the college and plans for a clean-up in the near future are already underway since confirmation was given to the college principal that it is not, in fact, owned by the council as the principal had “quite understandably” thought.

The park user adds that the council must take some responsibility. “I pass just one bin (and not one dog-mess bin) on my eight-minute walk to the station every morning, and it is always surrounded by plastic bags (many destroyed by foxes) after a fine evening or a sunny weekend.

“It is my observation, having used the park for many years and ‘commuted’ through it daily, that the issue is less one of discarded rubbish (although some picnickers, astonishingly, do simply leave their mess for others to clear) than of insufficient receptacles in which to discard it.

“I have repeatedly asked Toby Smith to consider this issue over the years, and understand the argument for the increased staffing needed to empty more bins, but feel that, conversely, a great deal of time is spent picking up scattered litter that could more productively and less frustratingly be used in simply lifting out a series of bin bags.

“Thus far, my pleas have been to no avail, hence my frustrated signing of the petition that perhaps prompted your email.

“Best wishes and thanks, as always, for all that you do.”

AN ONLINE PETITION accessible via the Virtual Norwood site (see news and local issues under the heading ‘Clean Up Crystal Palace park’) reads as follows:

“We need bigger and better bins and recycle facilities to prevent cans, bottles, plastic bags, food, nappies, portable barbecues and other rubbish being strewn around this beautiful park. “The current bins aren’t emptied enough so the people who do bag their rubbish leave it overnight by the full bins. “These bags are then attacked by rats, foxes and crows creating an eyesore and health hazard.”