Bohemia Village Voice

Sadly, a typical scene in Salisbury Road.

Complaints about street litter have produced some nice words from the Council – but little else. Gensing Lib-Dem councillor Vivienne Bond has written a strong letter to Richard Homewood at Hasting Borough Council about lack of street cleaning and has been reassured that it’s Richard’s ‘top priority’. The text of Vivienne’s letter is:

Richard – I was disappointed with the response from Cllr Wilson re the amount of litter in not only my ward but all areas. He seems to think that just reporting it is enough. My residents have been doing that, and have not got anywhere. Can I have some action please, as I need to tell my residents that something is happening about this mess. You have a look as you go back home along Bohemia Road – there are large bits of litter everywhere and the side streets are far worse as we do not seem to have a street cleaner. Is it correct that he has been replaced with a machine? I would be willing to do a walkabout if you could fit it in. Cllr Vivienne Bond.

Richard’s answer, received after just nine minutes (really), seems to be very long on fine words but very short on definite proposals for immediate action. The text of his letter, reproduced in full, shows the real problem Vivienne is up against :

Cllr Bond – We are acutely aware of the problem and are working to resolve it at all levels. At the basic level, all complaints are recorded and then reported to the contractor as they are then required by the contract to respond within the prescribed time limits depending upon the severity of the problem. At a higher level, I have written twice to the area manager and regional director of Veolia [the company currently responsible for street cleaning in Hastings] expressing my personal, the council’s and the public’s dissatisfaction with the standard of service to date under the new contract. I have since spoken to the area manager and he has been tasked to provide the regional director with a full report for a meeting we plan to hold next week to thrash out the issues. The waste team is still severely depleted and we are in the middle of recruiting new staff. I am also trying to source experienced temporary staff to help in the interim period. Please be assured that this is my top priority at the moment. Richard Homewood, executive director, Environment & Safety, Hastings Borough Council, Century House, 100, Menzies Road, St Leonards, Sussex, TN38 9BB. Tel: 01424 783200.

From the passage underlined it seems that Richard Homewood’s answer to our dirty streets is not to encourage the employment of more street cleaners but to recruit more pen pushers and paper shufflers for his ‘Waste Team’. Great, eh?