Minutes of Residents meeting 20th May
Present:
Mrs B Plumridge
(BP) - Local Resident, Mornington Avenue
Mr N Herbert (NH) - Local Resident, Carlyle Avenue
Mr K Hinder (KH) - Local Resident, Waldo Road
Mrs Joan ? (Joan) - Local Resident, The Avenue
Mr T Hawkes (TH)
- Environment Agency
Mr J Battison (JB) - Onyx UK Limited
Mr N Allen (NA) - Onyx UK Limited
Mr T Hall (TH) - Onyx UK Limited
Mr J Woodruff (JW) - LB Bromley
Apologies that I have not listed the other attendees but I didn't catch their names and for any spelling mistakes.
Firstly, though not part of the meeting, I'd like to say that I hope no one at Waldo Road Tip was hurt in the fire on the 14th.
JB advised that he had created a rough agenda for the meetings in future to follow:
1. Minutes of
previous meeing / outstanding issues
2. Noise
3. Odours
4. Vermin / Pest control
5. Traffic movements
6. Staffing issues
7. Refuse (the refuse vehicle section)
8. LB Bromley
9. AOB
1. Minutes of previous meeting
Signs
Signs to ask visitors to the site to be more considerate when dropping waste
into the bins. JB and NA agreed this could be easily implemented and would be
put up shortly. (current action)
Mirror at entrance
to tip
NA advised that this had been done. There was however nothing that could be
done to prevent it from steaming up / fogging over on cold days. (completed
action)
Lights.
Joan mentioned that the depot lights were a significant problem for residents
of The Avenue. This would particularly affect them as the lights are left on
all night. Joan asked if they could be shielded. JB didn't think that this forum
was to discuss the depot on Baths Road, however it was decided that it should
cover the whole site as such the lights issue will be passed to Paul Chiltern
(Onyx) to look into. Paul will be invited to future meetings. (current
action)
Waldo Road Tip lighting issue has been sorted.
Lorries using
horns
KH advised that the Onyx bulkers drive down Waldo Road on the wrong side using
their horns. NA will pick this up with the drivers. (current
action)
BP also said that the street cleaning units are parking up down Mornington Avenue an hour before they are due to finish shifts. JW will pick this up as it is an LBB issue. (current action)
Baths Road lorries
starting early
A memo was sent to drivers to advise that they are not to start the refuse lorries
before 6.30. (completed action)
Trees
John Bosley (LBB) is dealing with the issue of planting trees in The Avenue.
Joan pointed out that though trees have been planted they are very small sapplings
which don't do anything. JW advised that LBB had to plant small trees due to
a BT fibre optic cable that runs under The Avenue.
Joan also advised that there were no trees planted at the end of The Avenue where they are most needed. JW will look into with John Bosley (current action)
Lorries brushing
against trees in Waldo Road
The trees have been removed to prevent this, though this has created more of
an issue with dust and noise. BP asked whether Onyx would be putting sound barriers
around the new gate opening. As the new gap allows noise and dust to carry straight
out to the back of BP's house. NA advised that this gate needs to be put there
to create more space for extra bays, there would be sound barrier above the
gate, but the gate itself would still let noise though. (completed action)
Noise from shovel
at 7am
The main noise is from the bucket of the shovel as it opens, the rubber bungs
that should prevent the noise harden and create the banging. NA advised that
they are looking to put old tyres in place of these bungs to try and prevent
noise (current action)
Vermin
Onyx have a pest control company. KH suggested that residents shouldn't pay
for pest control if they need it - this was decided it was not easy to implement.
Birds
The plastic birds of prey were hung from the tipping shed roof, but they were
attacked and came down according to NA
A live bird of prey will be brought to the site on occassion, though the crows
get used to it and soon come back.
Odouriser
Generally not happy with the smell eminating from the site, particularly the
green waste. It has a permanent spray on it. Onyx do try to shift the green
waste within 24 hours, however the waste that is brought to the site has often
been sitting in bags in peoples garden for a while. The composter on the site,
produces "soil conditioner" which Onyx will deliver to allotments
if they are asked to.
The oderisers will be on a timer so that they go off automatically at 8pm, however there is no way it can be put on an automatic start timer as the system needs to be checked before it can be switched on. (current action)
2. Noise
KH adivsed that due to the lack of traffic management on the site the traffic that sits in Waldo Road with their engines running waiting to get into the tip could take the level of pollution in the area above the legal limit. JW states the LBB is a clean air borough and readings are taken across the borough not concentrated in hotspots.
KH asked if a member of the police could be invited to the meeting to talk about the traffic problems. JB said that this would be ok and would look into it (current action)
3. Odours
This was discussed as part of previous minutes
4. Vermin
/ Pest control
This was discussed as part of previous minutes
5. Traffic movements
Dust cart unloading at 6.30am on 13th May. Onyx are already aware of this and
explained it was an emergency (the refuse lorry needed to empty its load in
order to get out again to get bins from central Bromley)
NA confirmed that they can move lorries on the site at any time, it is an agreement with Onyx and the residents that they don't start before 7am. NA will remind drivers to not start before 7am where possible. (current action)
6. Staffing
Issues
BP had complained about the way she was spoken to by an Onyx representative.
JB said that they will be looking to implement a training course for frontline
staff in how to deal with members of the public. This is not something that
Onyx currently have so may take a bit of time to implement (current
action)
7. Refuse
This was discussed as part of previous minutes
8. LB
Bromley
The height of waste being stored above 3m despite it stating in their licence
that they can't. TH advised that this section of their licence has been judged
no longer enforceable in law, though it is still in current licence NH asked
TH to provide details of any other sections of the licence that were no longer
enforceable in law (current action). The Environment
Agency will be drafting a new licence some time in the year.(current
action) The reason that the waste is being stored so high is due the
fact that there is less space to put general waste as the council have to recycle
more, therefore more recycling bays have to be built. In 2003 Bromley recycled
20% of its waste, 23% in 2004 and 27% in 2005. Due the higher amounts of recycling
there is actually less general waste on the site going to landfill than in previous
years.
JW advised that in the next few weeks residents of Bromley will get a letter to advise them that recycling will become compulsory, however residents will not be fined for not doing it, though they may be penalised in other ways.
9. AOB
Charles Tucker, Programme Manager for BISTRO (Bio Diesel Initiative for Sustainable
Transport from Recycled Oil) gave a presentation on the new Bio Diesel plant
that is being built on the site. The oil used for the Bio Diesel plant will
be collected from small local businesses which currently have not easy means
of disposing of used cooking oil. The Bio Diesel produced will be used to power
LBB's vehicle fleet (though it will initially only be between 5 and 30% mix
with normal diesel). The presentation given by Charles will be posted here shortly.
But he did stress that there would be no noticable noise, smell or use of dangerous
chemicals invovled.
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