Mike Causey – Wrecclesham and Rowledge
Waverley Borough CouncillorLATEST: Environmental Services Update
Dear Councillors
Conditions have improved significantly since I wrote to you yesterday, and we are now optimistic that (provided nothing changes over the weekend) we will be able to resume a normal refuse and recycling service, including garden waste collections, from Monday morning.
In the meantime, we were able to again provide four temporary refuse collection points in Cranleigh, Farnham, Godalming and Haslemere this morning, and intend to do the same tomorrow.
Staff availability allowing, we also propose to provide a refuse and a recycling vehicle at Crown Court Car Park, Godalming, and a refuse vehicle at Fairground Car Park, Haslemere from 9am to 1pm on Saturday, alongside the scheduled green waste collection points at The Wharf Car Park and Fairground Car Park. Any Farnham or Cranleigh residents keen to dispose of waste or recycling will be directed to the Civic Amenity sites at Bourne Mill and Elmbridge Road respectively.
We have today emptied all accessible litter bins from the town centres, and we also managed to complete approximately 30% of today’s scheduled clinical waste collection round- the remaining routes still proving too icy . We hope to complete the remainder of today’s round, as well as tomorrow’s schedule, by the end of tomorrow.
Veolia will be deploying two refuse vehicles tomorrow to start collecting any refuse bins that we come across on selected ‘A’ and ‘B’ roads, depending upon accessibility. We are not going to be advertising the fact that we are doing this, as the collections will be scattered throughout the borough and we will not be bound by scheduled collection days. This will enable us to gain a head-start before we start following the published 2010 collection schedule next week.
In preparation for the resumption of normal services on Monday, Veolia will be visiting known difficult roads tomorrow to assess them for accessibility. Any potential issues will be highlighted, with the aim of looking at how we might overcome them, and getting to all properties due a collection on Monday.
Regards
Rob Anderton
Acting Head of Environmental Services
Waverley Borough Council
Planning Applications 14th January 2010
(Click here if you want to go the Waverley planning search page, and select ‘Ward’ from the left hand list of options)
WA/2009/1877: 18/12/2009
Erection of 60 dwellings with associated access, parking and landscaping. Land At 6a-8, Wrecclesham Road, Farnham.
E: 482743 N:145613
Case Officer: Mrs H Hobbs
Applicant: Sentinel Housing Association, C/O Agent
Agent: Mrs N Ottaway, Vail Williams, 3000 Cathedral Hill, Guildford GU2 7YB
WA/2009/1905: 24/12/2009
Erection of first floor extensions and alterations, single storey extension and dormer windows. 9 High Street, Rowledge.
E: 482289 N:143509
Case Officer: Mrs J Hammick
Applicant: P Brooker, 9 High Street, Rowledge, Farnham GU10 4BC
Agent: V Conway, Abode Architects LLP, The Forge Studio, 5 Upper Church Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7PW
Quandry
7.30 am – Caleb and I spy a fox from the bedroom window. It was digging into the snow about a metre away from our chicken coop. After momentarily sharing Caleb’s delight at seeing some wildlife up close, I’m then greatly relieved that it gives up and goes away. Foxes are a nuisance.
11.30 am – I’m pondering the large number of emails about waste collections (or rather a lack of) that have cluttered my Inbox. It would appear that the problem of uncollected waste is widespread and getting to be a hazard.
5.00 pm – Further emails, including an official Waverley update. Veolia are at the four collection points (as posted on this blog a few days ago) each morning from 9 to 12.
9.30 pm – Have finished reading a agitated exchange of emails regarding the state of waste collection in the borough. Councillors of all persuasions are lobbying hard for innovative ways of clearing the backlog of bins which are now overflowing and, inevitably becoming a health hazard. Other councillors are defending Veolia and ongoing efforts.
9.45 pm – Fill the car boot with rubbish bags so that my wife can drop them off at Sainsbury’s, Water Lane, tomorrow morning.
9.46 pm – Realise my quandry – leave the bins overflowing and the foxes have a food source. Empty them and it’s more likely they will go after our chickens. Hmm…
Planning Appeal Decision
Appeal Ref: APP/R3650/A/09/2111462
20 Lickfolds Road, Rowledge, Surrey GU10 4AE
• The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 against a refusal to grant planning permission.
• The appeal is made by Bourne Homes Limited against the decision of Waverley Borough Council.
• The application Ref.WA/2008/0869, dated 22 May 2009, was refused by notice dated 12 August 2009.
• The development proposed is a new detached dwelling with associated access, car parking and amenity space.
Decision
1. I dismiss the appeal.
Click here to go to the Planning Inspectorate website, and here for this appeal summary, from where you can access the full documented appeal.
Planning Inspectorate
Thank Goodness for Charles Moore
Seriously, thanks goodness for Charles Moore. A voice of immense common sense and on which I can rely for thoughtful comment and more importantly, intelligent challenge to the BBC. His column in the Telegraph today is excellent.
I continue to find it unbelievable that (a) the BBC did not sack both Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross for their horrid prank phone calls last year and, (b) that the BBC could think that this kind of ‘humour’ is edifying and classifies under their broadcast remit.
Thank goodness Mr Ross is gone and if I never hear his voice or see his image again, that will be fine by me. I anticipate a far more robust ministerial steer for the BBC when our MP Jeremy Hunt takes up his position in government.