Comments on: Neighbourhood Walkabout with NW2 4th June

By: Royce Timms

Royce Timms — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:51:58 +0000

Hello Again,
I have noticed also that the streets are in much worse condition AFTER the rubbish has been collected. Its as if the bin men just want to litter rather than collect. No ‘duty of care’ again.
SACK the CONTRACTOR!! Retrain the binmen. Do it right for once.
Royce Timms

By: Fiona Mckeown

Fiona Mckeown — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:39:28 +0000

I’m in agreement with Rosie in that my garden backs on to the plot of land owned by Thames Water. Firstly there is the issue of security and how if there is access to this land they will be a greater likelihood of other unwanted people obtaining an easy route to the gardens and therefore the backs of the houses.
Secondly I currently do not have a fence other than a railing at the back of the garden as there is no-one to look in. I and my other neighbours would have to reassess this from a privacy and security issue and put up more fencing where currently there is none.
I have made a complaint to the council today on the state of the roads after the recycling collection has been made and am awaiting to hear back from them.
The level of complaints about bins and rubbish on the roads has a direct impact on the Service Level Agreements which the council has with the private company who have won this contract. The more complaints the better as this will force them to clean up their act!

By: Rosie Hobbs

Rosie Hobbs — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:26:08 +0000

In response to comments about Thames Water land which backs on to the gardens of Ivy Road. I am a resident there and wanted to note that when the gates were opened for CBC Computers ‘car park’ we lost both of our mountain bikes from the garden. I don’t want to put a dampner on this but I am concerned about security for all gardens which back onto this site. On a lighter note however, allotments would be a great idea and I am more than happy to get involved in this if another site can be found.

A few of the residents in Ivy Road are also concerned about the amount of rubbish left in the road after the recycling has been taken away - broken glass etc. We have a collection tomorrow morning which I will monitor and feedback on. Does anyone else have the same problem?

By: Carol Reeman

Carol Reeman — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:26:10 +0000

Great turnout for our walkabout. It’s nice to see people do care about Cricklewood and their neighbourhood. Would it be possible to get StreetWatchers started in our area? We are all so fed up seeing the graffiti and fly-tipping . Or, it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on the hot spots. (Whenever I go by the Cricklewood Library, I always look to see if anyone is fly-tipping, ready to quietly pull over and discreetly write down the plate number of the offending car and description of the person.) We need to take care of our neighbourhood so it doesn’t look like some suburban ghetto! Good idea on using the green space as an allotment as we don’t have one in our area, in close proximity. Could Thames Water be persuaded?

Lastly, residents living around MOT’s Direct have been having problems for the past 5 years or so. Complaints of noise, smells, offensive language with small children in their gardens, cars getting dropped off at 3 am, rubbish getting emptied at midnight etc, you would think the council would sit up and take notice after a few years of this. One by one, either residents stop calling because they firmly believe the council doesn’t care or they just move away. We often wonder how the council has let this company operate this poisonous business so close to our homes and in the middle of a residential neighbourhood. It seems all Environmental Health can do is offer to tell the business to shut their door to prevent the toxic fumes from wafting out to the houses. Are there no links with Planning Enforcement, as they are clearly in violation! One resident complaining of strong paint odor had Env. Health go look at the facilities only to come back and report that there was no paint over there. Was she expecting to find large tins of Dulux Flat emulsion as she walked past the 3 temporary paint tents scattered throughout the facility? (I have been inside that facility and it is wall to wall mini cabs in various states of fender benderness, all waiting to have body work and be spray painted. The place is filled to the rafters with cars needing body work and not an oil change.) It is not healthy to breathe that air that comes from that building - those thinners strip the lining of lungs, not to mention the headaches and nausea. How is it possible to enjoy playing in the garden or having a meal with those fumes pervading the air we breathe? Residents are floundering under the minutiae of paperwork designated by the council to rectify problems, supposedly. Surely after the walk about the council is now aware of our concerns regarding MOT’s Direct. I urge residents to voice their objections. We should not work on training MOT’s Direct to shut a door but to help them leave so they can relocate to an area suitable for their needs.

By: Royce Timms

Royce Timms — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:54:57 +0000

Thank you Rob. Most interesting. I have begun a DIRECT ACTION Campaign against MOT’s DIRECT in Wotton Road. This is a BLIGHT on our environment. This company has been dumping rubbish around the perimeter fence affecting all properties from 16 Langon Rd thrgh 26 Langton Rd and all the houses which are opposite Rainbow Park travelling oward Mora Rd Primary. My wish is that MOTs DIRECT are closed down, the building emoished and the Council make a public park in the block bounded by Temple Road, Langton road, Wotton Rd, and Newton Rd.
The company also use SPRAY PAINTING chemicals which are VOCs in direct contravention of 2005 laws.
We have had EPOXY RESIN dumped against our fenceline which has ruined our weekend and made the rear garden unusable during these sunny days. I hope I can get your interest in supporting the community in getting Council to reclassify the use instead of hiding behind a discretionary use permit granted in 1974.The campaign will build over time. Many thanks.
Royce Timms

By: robd

robd — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:41:13 +0000

Mapesbury Dell is an excellent example of local community action to reclaim and open up spaces for a neighbourhood. The space is 'people's park' run by Mapesbury Dell Trust in partnership with Brent Parks Service. The vision and the commitment to drive this project came from a handful of people who, in partnership with the residents association, worked for a couple of years on getting the project takeup by Brent Council and others. Funding for the project came from a number of sources: Lottery, donations and matched funding.
View Larger Map The concern about management is legitimate - we don't want another muddy bit of ground to attract fly-tipping.

By: sue.waller

sue.waller — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:30:35 +0000

This area, perhaps with some other of the Thames Water Land could be used for a small number of allotments. Many people living in flats would appreciate the opportunity for this.

Or perhaps an ecology park like the Mapesbury Dell would be possible.

By: Marie Hancock

Marie Hancock — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:05:23 +0000

Re Thames Water open space, I agree with Mary Langford’s comments about being reluctant to opening this space for public access unless it is monitored by the Council as have seen the problems with the car park and grassed areas of Matalan.

By: Mary Langford

Mary Langford — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:14:12 +0000

I would be reluctant to see the green space adjacent to the church open for public access unless the Council can ensure that it is maintained and also monitored so that it does not become a place for kids or vagrants to loiter….if it is not owned by the Council there is a danger that this could happen.