Letter from a Resident

In the July issue of the newsletter there was an article on refuse collection.

In the road where I live the refuse sacks gather around trees and lampposts from about 6pm on Sunday nights. They don't get up and walk so they are put there by residents.

I thought the article in the newsletter would prompt residents to stop but it hasn't. I would like to reiterate to residents that leaving refuse just inside their front gates is not a request but a requirement.

By leaving rubbish on the pavement residents are committing the offence of fly tipping which, if reported, prosecuted and found guilty, is punishable by a fine of up to £1,000. 

On a couple of occasions I have found it difficult to open my car door because of the rubbish. I know other residents have also had this difficulty as I have seen it. A few weeks ago I tripped over a cardboard box and bag of glass bottles. Admittedly, I didn't see them as the light from the street lamp was obscured by foliage from a tree but they shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Rubbish bags also get opened by passing animals and some of the contents escapes. If this happens in a resident's front garden, the resident has to clear it up. 

True, it's a pain but at least it is cleared up. When it happens on the footpath everyone seems to adopt a "It's not mine so I'm not touching it" policy until it either blows or is washed away or until someone who can't stand the smell or mess any longer decides to clear it up. How incredibly thoughtless.

I have been a resident in Wimbledon Park since 1987 and the refuse collectors have always picked up my rubbish from just inside my front gate. This is not a new system nor a new requirement.

So please, we all have rubbish and we all have to live together. Don't put rubbish bags out on the footpath.

Name & Address Supplied

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