Peter Landman reports from the Newham Council meeting on 18 September

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Most of the meeting was taken up with the theme of a cleaner borough, including a presentation from Keep Britain Tidy, councillors’ questions, and the council report Delivering a Clean Borough.

The report included a list of initiatives including bringing in more waste cage disposal vans, a greater range of items for recycling and waste collections will be carried out on private land, with fines levied on private landlords.

Data is also being collected from residents’ messages on the Love Newham App and Report It, to locate where more collections might be needed and a new chargeable collection service introduced for private landlords.

One positive result reported is that nearly 100 percent of reported fly tips are being cleared within 24 hours.

For the future the Council plans to undertake weekly waste and recycling collections, and money has been found to appoint a Green Economy Lead Officer. This should lead to fresh actions in the next stage of a cleaner borough through the “circular economy”, that is to reuse waste and avoid noxious land infill. Some work is already being done with repair cafes, reuse charities, and use of the councils recycling banks.

Councillors asked whether free bulk collections should be reintroduced and for leaflets to be produced in different languages.

It was also noted that there is a higher incidence of thrown away waste near private rented accommodation; and a lower incidence in low traffic neighbourhoods.

Finally, the council was given an insight into politics at school with a deputation from Councillor Mariam Dawood’s politics school at Manor Park Primary School.

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