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CITY SHAME: litter piles up
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| More bins please: Rose Weatherall of Oxford Civic Society |
Oxford's main shopping street has been branded an embarrassment, because of overflowing rubbish bins and litter scattered around.
Traders and shoppers yesterday condemned the build-up in litter over the past two weeks and called for more frequent collections to tackle the problem.
The criticism comes just weeks after city centre traders voted not to set up a Business Improvement District, which would have seen them contributing an extra one per cent on top of their business rates, in return for extra services, such as "deep cleaning".
Moss Bros' manager Faz Ahmed said: "It has been really bad these past couple of weeks.
"The shops down here have had lots of problems, what with the buskers and the illegal street traders, now we have all this rubbish.
"It's embarrassing really and it must look awful to anyone that's coming to the city for the first time. There's rubbish all over the streets and spilling out of the bins."
Clarks shoe shop manager Julia Dobson said: "It's just disgusting. There are fast food wrappers, bits of paper, empty cans, cigarette butts all over the floor when I close in the evenings.
"It really is awful and it makes me think I wouldn't want to be walking around the city if I was a tourist."
Andrew Barry, 26, of Calves Close, Kidlington, took pictures of the overflowing bins, which he sent to the Oxford Mail. He said: "Everyone always thinks of Oxford as being a beautiful city, but all this litter is just disgusting.
"On Saturday, every single bin along Cornmarket was overflowing. It was like a river of rubbish."
Argenteus jewellery shop manager Patrice Errante said she regularly had to tidy up litter outside her door. She said: "The other day was just horrible, there was litter everywhere - more on the floor than in the bins.
"We need to have two, maybe three people, permanently sweeping the street to keep it clean at this time of year."
Lush cosmetics supervisor Agnes Batfai said: "We can really see it every single day and if there's just a little wind, then it blows into the shop."
Ros Weatherall, who organises the OxClean spring clean for the Oxford Civic Society, said: "I think there needs to be a lot more bins along there, that are bigger and are able to take bigger, bulkier items of rubbish."
A city council spokesman said: "Cornmarket Street is cleaned several times a day. Initial early morning cleaning starts with litterbin clearance and sweeping.
"This is followed by a constant presence of cleansing team staff emptying bins and picking up litter across the city centre from dawn to dusk, seven days a week."
6:49am Friday 25th July 2008
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CommentPosted by: Graham, Kidlington on 7:37am Fri 25 Jul 08
"A city council spokesman said: "Cornmarket Street is cleaned several times a day. Initial early morning cleaning starts with litterbin clearance and sweeping".
"This is followed by a constant presence of cleansing team staff emptying bins and picking up litter across the city centre from dawn to dusk, seven days a week".
The evidence appears to contradict this statement.
The Defence rests; M' Lord!
It really is worse than depicted; a disgrace.
[bold]OCC Cleaner City Policies[/bold] shown to be working perfecly, yet again!
"A city council spokesman said: "Cornmarket Street is cleaned several times a day. Initial early morning cleaning starts with litterbin clearance and sweeping".
"This is followed by a constant presence of cleansing team staff emptying bins and picking up litter across the city centre from dawn to dusk, seven days a week".
The evidence appears to contradict this statement.
The Defence rests; M' Lord!
It really is worse than depicted; a disgrace.
OCC Cleaner City Policies shown to be working perfecly, yet again!
Posted by: mhiclieod-ohogain, fenwick on 7:46am Fri 25 Jul 08
For once this is NOT the fault of trhe council and their cleaning staff. ITS THE FILTHY PIGS WHO THROW THEIR CRAP ON THE STREETS.
For once this is NOT the fault of trhe council and their cleaning staff. ITS THE FILTHY PIGS WHO THROW THEIR CRAP ON THE STREETS.
Posted by: Oxford Person, Oxford on 8:13am Fri 25 Jul 08
It doesn't help the situation when most of the foreign school-groups that come to visit sit on the pavement, eat their lunch then leave their litter on the floor!!! I've witnessed this many times as I work in the City Centre!!
I agree that more people need to be cleaning the streets but visitors need to respect the streets aswell!!!
It doesn't help the situation when most of the foreign school-groups that come to visit sit on the pavement, eat their lunch then leave their litter on the floor!!! I've witnessed this many times as I work in the City Centre!!
I agree that more people need to be cleaning the streets but visitors need to respect the streets aswell!!!
Posted by: Observer on 8:29am Fri 25 Jul 08
[bold]It is the fault of the Council,[/bold] when the bin is not emptied often enough and is overflowing where are people supposed to put their rubbish. Classic Council response about the policy for collecting rubbish but the policy does not meet the expectation and need. No doubt a committee will be formed to assess the problem, review the policy, check with the union to see if the bins can be emptied more often instead of rest breaks, etc, etc. The BID scheme would probably have been entirely used just to keep the streets clean rather than any other improvements and you can understand why some business chose not to have one.
It is the fault of the Council, when the bin is not emptied often enough and is overflowing where are people supposed to put their rubbish. Classic Council response about the policy for collecting rubbish but the policy does not meet the expectation and need. No doubt a committee will be formed to assess the problem, review the policy, check with the union to see if the bins can be emptied more often instead of rest breaks, etc, etc. The BID scheme would probably have been entirely used just to keep the streets clean rather than any other improvements and you can understand why some business chose not to have one.
Posted by: Jock, Headington on 8:33am Fri 25 Jul 08
I posted about this the day the BID results came out and got myself a picture of a very similar state of one of their thirty thousand pound bin perches in Cornmarket. I don't think it is right to blame "FILTHY PIGS WHO THROW THEIR CRAP ON THE STREETS" (no need to shout by the way mhiclieod-ohogain!)
The bin emptying service seems to be non-existent, especially on busy weekend days. People cram stuff in until the bins become detatched from their hinges and stuff spills out. It is a disgrace and it is no surprise businesses did not want to pay extra tax to receive services in the city centre that the council should be doing anyway!
www.jockcoats.
org.uk/oxford_busine
ss_improvement_distr
ict_rejected
I posted about this the day the BID results came out and got myself a picture of a very similar state of one of their thirty thousand pound bin perches in Cornmarket. I don't think it is right to blame "FILTHY PIGS WHO THROW THEIR CRAP ON THE STREETS" (no need to shout by the way mhiclieod-ohogain!)
The bin emptying service seems to be non-existent, especially on busy weekend days. People cram stuff in until the bins become detatched from their hinges and stuff spills out. It is a disgrace and it is no surprise businesses did not want to pay extra tax to receive services in the city centre that the council should be doing anyway!
www.jockcoats.
org.uk/oxford_busine
ss_improvement_distr
ict_rejected
Posted by: cashcow, Oxford on 8:49am Fri 25 Jul 08
[quote]A city council spokesman said: "Cornmarket Street is cleaned several times a day. Initial early morning cleaning starts with litterbin clearance and sweeping.[/quote]
There you go - the Council are always right - so there isn't a problem these people didn't see any rubbish and the photographs are forgeries.
Will you please stop taking up valuable Council time which they could be using implementing more parking charges on local residents and giving grants to allow people to use Leisure facilties that everyone else has to pay for
A city council spokesman said: "Cornmarket Street is cleaned several times a day. Initial early morning cleaning starts with litterbin clearance and sweeping.
There you go - the Council are always right - so there isn't a problem these people didn't see any rubbish and the photographs are forgeries.
Will you please stop taking up valuable Council time which they could be using implementing more parking charges on local residents and giving grants to allow people to use Leisure facilties that everyone else has to pay for
Posted by: Stout Yeoman, Dean Court on 9:19am Fri 25 Jul 08
Ultimately this is the result of that most pitiful of God's creatures, the consumer.
Ultimately this is the result of that most pitiful of God's creatures, the consumer.
Posted by: John, West Oxford on 9:41am Fri 25 Jul 08
"This is followed by a constant presence of cleansing team staff emptying bins and picking up litter across the city centre from dawn to dusk, seven days a week."
Obviously a blantant falsehood!
Why does the [bold]OCC[/bold] lie and, with the evidence staring them in the face continue to deny a problem exists?
I think our constant presence individuals are in the Pub! Or a figment of the [bold]OCC's[/bold] imagination.
"This is followed by a constant presence of cleansing team staff emptying bins and picking up litter across the city centre from dawn to dusk, seven days a week."
Obviously a blantant falsehood!
Why does the
OCC lie and, with the evidence staring them in the face continue to deny a problem exists?
I think our constant presence individuals are in the Pub! Or a figment of the
OCC's imagination.
Posted by: natty, oxford on 9:53am Fri 25 Jul 08
[bold]I do not see this as the Council's fault. Cornmarket is cleaned frequently at the expense of Council Tax payers money - do they want to pay more council tax for permanent litter crews. If the businesses are complaining about the mess then they should be willing to pay for it. Where is the enforcement for the liiter droppers - those people should be receiving on the spot fines[/bold]
I do not see this as the Council's fault. Cornmarket is cleaned frequently at the expense of Council Tax payers money - do they want to pay more council tax for permanent litter crews. If the businesses are complaining about the mess then they should be willing to pay for it. Where is the enforcement for the liiter droppers - those people should be receiving on the spot fines Posted by: Chris, Oxford City Centre on 10:14am Fri 25 Jul 08
Why do the fast food restaurants not have there own litter pickers for Cornmarket? In other cities this is a common thing. Seems as if most of the rubbish is coming from fast food so why should tax payers and none food shops pay the price.....?
Why do the fast food restaurants not have there own litter pickers for Cornmarket? In other cities this is a common thing. Seems as if most of the rubbish is coming from fast food so why should tax payers and none food shops pay the price.....?
Posted by: ct, ox on 10:19am Fri 25 Jul 08
when mc donalds first came to oxford part of the condition was that they had to pick up there rubbish in nearby streets i know this was the case in headington and city as i used to work there and worked on the contracts and had to send staff out several times a day.
when i was there sat 90% of rubbish was from them what has happened to there clean up crew?
when mc donalds first came to oxford part of the condition was that they had to pick up there rubbish in nearby streets i know this was the case in headington and city as i used to work there and worked on the contracts and had to send staff out several times a day.
when i was there sat 90% of rubbish was from them what has happened to there clean up crew?
Posted by: Esme, Oxford on 10:23am Fri 25 Jul 08
It's not only the general food wrapper waste that makes the area unsightly, add in the chewing gum and cigarette butts!!!
One simple solution would be to invest in some bigger bins?
It's not only the general food wrapper waste that makes the area unsightly, add in the chewing gum and cigarette butts!!!
One simple solution would be to invest in some bigger bins?
Posted by: R, oxford on 10:45am Fri 25 Jul 08
We have on the spot fines for litter dropping.
Every available council person should be pounding the streets at the weekend, fining as many litter dropping people as possible (including tourists and school kids), which should then all be put towards reducing our council tax!
We have on the spot fines for litter dropping.
Every available council person should be pounding the streets at the weekend, fining as many litter dropping people as possible (including tourists and school kids), which should then all be put towards reducing our council tax!
Posted by: Joe, Marston Road on 12:01pm Fri 25 Jul 08
[quote][bold]natty[/bold] wrote:
[bold]I do not see this as the Council\'s fault. Cornmarket is cleaned frequently at the expense of Council Tax payers money - do they want to pay more council tax for permanent litter crews. If the businesses are complaining about the mess then they should be willing to pay for it. Where is the enforcement for the liiter droppers - those people should be receiving on the spot fines[/bold] [/quote] "constant presence of cleansing team staff emptying bins and picking up litter across the city centre from dawn to dusk, seven days a week"!
"do they want to pay more council tax for permanent litter crews".
Where are these very elusive litter crews.
The [bold]OCC[/bold] says they exist Natty says not.
As per the X Files; the truth is out there!
The evidence is before your eyes: surely!
natty wrote:
I do not see this as the Council\'s fault. Cornmarket is cleaned frequently at the expense of Council Tax payers money - do they want to pay more council tax for permanent litter crews. If the businesses are complaining about the mess then they should be willing to pay for it. Where is the enforcement for the liiter droppers - those people should be receiving on the spot fines
"constant presence of cleansing team staff emptying bins and picking up litter across the city centre from dawn to dusk, seven days a week"!
"do they want to pay more council tax for permanent litter crews".
Where are these very elusive litter crews.
The
OCC says they exist Natty says not.
As per the X Files; the truth is out there!
The evidence is before your eyes: surely!
Posted by: DanOxford on 5:38pm Fri 25 Jul 08
Go to Reading- it's simple.
The University and Council have made it perfectly clear that unless you're a student, tourist or resident of the central, gentrified areas, you're not wanted.
Why bother crawling along at the (proposed) 20mph speed limit, struggle to park and then pay extortionate charges, battle your way filthy streets jam packed with huge crowds of langauge students sprinkled with bunny and tree huggers telling you you have no right to be on the Earth, and then find there's little other than coffee and panini outlets?
Go to Reading- it's simple.
The University and Council have made it perfectly clear that unless you're a student, tourist or resident of the central, gentrified areas, you're not wanted.
Why bother crawling along at the (proposed) 20mph speed limit, struggle to park and then pay extortionate charges, battle your way filthy streets jam packed with huge crowds of langauge students sprinkled with bunny and tree huggers telling you you have no right to be on the Earth, and then find there's little other than coffee and panini outlets?
Posted by: r, east oxford on 8:03pm Fri 25 Jul 08
There's over flowing bins outwards of the city centre, I have often seen council trucks drive past them.
WE SHOULD UPLOAD PHOTOS OF EVERY OFFENDING RUBBISH SITE AND ABANDONED SHOPPING TROLLY ON TO GOOGLE EARTH SO THE WHOLE CAN SEE WHAT A DIGUSTING MESS OXFORD IS.
There's no enforcement in this city, unlike others. In Liverpool a man was successfully fined £1000 for dropping his cigarette end on the ground. I dare say in Oxford you could probably get away with dropping your pants and do a number 2. I grew up with Keep Britain Tidy Campaigns on the telly. What Happened to them?
There's over flowing bins outwards of the city centre, I have often seen council trucks drive past them.
WE SHOULD UPLOAD PHOTOS OF EVERY OFFENDING RUBBISH SITE AND ABANDONED SHOPPING TROLLY ON TO GOOGLE EARTH SO THE WHOLE CAN SEE WHAT A DIGUSTING MESS OXFORD IS.
There's no enforcement in this city, unlike others. In Liverpool a man was successfully fined £1000 for dropping his cigarette end on the ground. I dare say in Oxford you could probably get away with dropping your pants and do a number 2. I grew up with Keep Britain Tidy Campaigns on the telly. What Happened to them?
Posted by: Suzi Macfarlane, Cowley on 8:27pm Fri 25 Jul 08
Cormmarket and many other areas of Oxford are an absolute disgrace, so with all the unemployment and people on community service in Oxford, why are these people not doing this cleaning up, why should more of our council tax money be used to do it?[italic]italic[/italic]
Cormmarket and many other areas of Oxford are an absolute disgrace, so with all the unemployment and people on community service in Oxford, why are these people not doing this cleaning up, why should more of our council tax money be used to do it?
Posted by: Wendy on 8:47pm Fri 25 Jul 08
I visit other cities and towns throughout the UK on a regular basis. Unfortunately, Oxford doesn't come up to scratch compared to a lot of these places. Perhaps more bins would help - I have witnessed overflowing bins in the centre, so some peopke are obviously trying to use them. Also, why do smokers not realise that dropping their cigarette ends is a form of dropping litter?
I visit other cities and towns throughout the UK on a regular basis. Unfortunately, Oxford doesn't come up to scratch compared to a lot of these places. Perhaps more bins would help - I have witnessed overflowing bins in the centre, so some peopke are obviously trying to use them. Also, why do smokers not realise that dropping their cigarette ends is a form of dropping litter?
Posted by: mhiclieod-ohogain, little fenwick on sea on 9:14pm Fri 25 Jul 08
Posted by: Jock, Headington on 8:33am today
I posted about this the day the BID results came out and got myself a picture of a very similar state of one of their thirty thousand pound bin perches in Cornmarket. I don't think it is right to blame "FILTHY PIGS WHO THROW THEIR CRAP ON THE STREETS" (no need to shout by the way mhiclieod-ohogain!) The bin emptying service seems to be non-existent, especially on busy weekend days. People cram stuff in until the bins become detatched from their hinges and stuff spills out. It is a disgrace and it is no surprise businesses did not want to pay extra tax to receive services in the city centre that the council should be doing anyway! www.jockcoats. org.uk/oxford_busine ss_improvement_distr ict_rejected
I posted about this the day the BID results came out and got myself a picture of a very similar state of one of their thirty thousand pound bin perches in Cornmarket. I don't think it is right to blame "FILTHY PIGS WHO THROW THEIR CRAP ON THE STREETS" (no need to shout by the way mhiclieod-ohogain!)
****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!
Posted by: Jock, Headington on 8:33am today
I posted about this the day the BID results came out and got myself a picture of a very similar state of one of their thirty thousand pound bin perches in Cornmarket. I don't think it is right to blame "FILTHY PIGS WHO THROW THEIR CRAP ON THE STREETS" (no need to shout by the way mhiclieod-ohogain!) The bin emptying service seems to be non-existent, especially on busy weekend days. People cram stuff in until the bins become detatched from their hinges and stuff spills out. It is a disgrace and it is no surprise businesses did not want to pay extra tax to receive services in the city centre that the council should be doing anyway! www.jockcoats. org.uk/oxford_busine ss_improvement_distr ict_rejected
I posted about this the day the BID results came out and got myself a picture of a very similar state of one of their thirty thousand pound bin perches in Cornmarket. I don't think it is right to blame "FILTHY PIGS WHO THROW THEIR CRAP ON THE STREETS" (no need to shout by the way mhiclieod-ohogain!)
****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!
Posted by: Jock, Headington on 3:51am Sat 26 Jul 08
Agree on smokers. As a smoker myself I am constantly embarrassed by people who just throw fag butts. It is perfectly easy to nub a fag out - effectively dropping a tiny amount of dried leaves in the gutter say and then bin the safe butt or hold onto it until you can.
Buy bigger bins? Let's not eh - those are the bins that came with the thirty thousand pound benches - they'd probably think they have to buy more of the same ridiclous costing benches with bigger bins attached!
Agree on smokers. As a smoker myself I am constantly embarrassed by people who just throw fag butts. It is perfectly easy to nub a fag out - effectively dropping a tiny amount of dried leaves in the gutter say and then bin the safe butt or hold onto it until you can.
Buy bigger bins? Let's not eh - those are the bins that came with the thirty thousand pound benches - they'd probably think they have to buy more of the same ridiclous costing benches with bigger bins attached!
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