The Thamesmead & Erith Chronicle July 2008
32 pages
Published by
Stone Leisure
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All rights reserved
Belvedere Ward’s Labour Councillor Daniel Francis has raised his concerns regarding continuing
bad air in the Belvedere area over recent weeks.
Belvedere residents suffered from a particular
strong compost odour emanating from the...
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Belvedere Ward’s Labour Councillor Daniel Francis has raised his concerns regarding continuing
bad air in the Belvedere area over recent weeks.
Belvedere residents suffered from a particular
strong compost odour emanating from the Rainham Landfill Site (Veolia).
Following daily complaints from Cllr Francis
and other Belvedere residents, Bexley Council investigated the problem and made contact with the
Environment Agency and the London Borough of
Havering.
As a result, the Environment Agency
who regulate the Havering operation, established
that the facility exceeded its guideline of 1000
tonnes of grass clippings per week, by taking 1200
and 1600 tonnes over a fortnight period.
The
higher than normal volume of grass in conjunction with the strong NE winds and heat was established to be the most likely cause of the odour.
As a result, the Environment Agency have instructed Veolia to reduce the volume of grass clippings and consider mixing branch and log
fragments with grass clippings to reduce decomposition odours.
Cllr Francis said “I am pleased that as a result of
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Political honours for
Ted Claridge
Thamesmead’s own Father Christmas, Ted
Claridge, was honoured at a ceremony held at
Abbey Wood Community Centre, Knee Hill .
John Austin, MP presented him with a Certificate of Merit for a lifetime of service to the
Labour Party.
Austin said that Ted’s service to the local community was possibly unique having been
Mayor of three London Boroughs, the old
Borough of Shoreditch, Hackney and Greenwich.
Ted attended the ceremony at the General Council Meeting of the Erith and
Thamesmead Labour Party with his wife Pat.
Both had previously served as Greenwich
Councillors representing Thamesmead.
John Austin described Ted as “A popular local
figure and leading member of Trust Thamesmead who is known affectionately in Thamesmead as ‘Father Christmas’, for his annual
appearance in the Town Centre in Santa’s traditional red outfit, collecting money for children’s charities”.
CHANGING THE LEASEHOLDERS GOALPOSTS!Orbit Housing are once again in the news
having written to some leaseholders requesting them to sign a document seeking
agreement for them to expand their Service Charges to include all their estates not
the ones specific to the leaseholder.
Stephen West the representative on the
committee of the Riverside Residents Association has taken issue with their landlords much of which is covered in his letter
to Steve Kent at Orbit.
Dear Mr Kent
I totally endorse the comments made by Mr Parsons Chair of the OBHA Independent Leaseholders Group, as I have advised the two
leaseholders affected that under no circumstances should they sign or agree to anything.
If
anything is the case then all the leases on this estate should be brought into line with the leases
for numbers 7 and 8 Carrack House and not 20
Bosworth House.
Why should leaseholders pick
up the bill for the garage area to this estate when
only one has a garage and when OS make such
a lucrative income out of renting them out each
month.
The environmentlly unwelcome lighting at
the back of the garages sufficient to illuminate
Wembley Stadium was changed to angle downwards as it was shining into residents homes
who complained.
This enhanced security lighting proved to be totally ineffective when three
garages were broken into and a car was stolen,
also the barrier padlock was broken off.
What
next, guards and dogs patrolling all night or external CCTV at the behest of our erstwhile Tenants Association.
This additional lighting will
run into Carrack House main electric meter for
leaseholders to shoulder the bill.
To remind you
of which Orbit South cannot even come up with
a reasonable reason as to why Carrack House
Communal Electricity is currently (pardon the
pun) costing £1700 more a year than Bosworth
House!
We pay to have the grass cut and gardens
maintained at the back of the low rise flats on the
estate and yet the high rise residents have no
right to use this particular garden area or to use
the drying facilities.
We strongly believe as is the Guliksen case
against Pembrokeshire Council that the Local
Authority, in this case Bexley Council, had no
right in law to sell the grounds, roads and footpaths of this estate to the former Orbit Bexley
Housing Association, as the roads, grounds and
footpaths were and still are enjoyed by the public at large who had and still have unfettered access to our estate adding to its general wear and
tear.
Dropping litter for our wardens to have to
pick up causing damage to paths and
fences, abandoning cars and fly tipping on the
estate and using the footpaths as a main pedestrian foot link between the Erith Town Centre
and the Running Horses public house, West
Belvedere stinks! joint pressure from residents, the Council, John
Austin MP and local councillors that the source of
the odour has been determined and that action has
been taken.
I hope however that in future, the
source of the odours can be determined and action taken in a period of less than three days.
During this period, local residents have had to endure
some of the worst odours that I can recall.
”
In addition Francis has raised his concerns
about odours from the ADM site in Church
Manorway which have also been causing problems and could be smelt in conjunction with the
smells from the Rainham Landfill Site.
Cllr Francis will be pressing for ADM to engage
with and establish a close dialogue with the
Belvedere Community Forum.
Over the last year,
Ferndale Foods and Thames Water have been
praised by Belvedere Forum members for attending their meetings and taking a serious interest in
residents’ concerns about odours.
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