How all materials in Ealing are being recycled

Ealing Council is reassuring residents that none of their recycling left out for collection is sent to landfill.

The council’s new contractor Enterprise is currently using two types of vehicle to collect recycling.

On some trucks different dry recycling materials, such as paper, cardboard, plastic and cans, are mixed together and sent to the Ideal Waste Paper materials recycling facility at Swanley, Kent where they are sorted before being recycled. Other vehicles are being used to collect items separately on some rounds, so residents are still being asked to sort their recycling.

Shoes, clothes, batteries and engine oil put out for recycling are being collected and stored separately on the recycling vehicles and then stored at Greenford depot before being sent for recycling.

Find out what happens to your recycling once it is collected.

Keep your bike in tip-top shape with Dr Bike’s across Ealing

Ealing Council is running free Dr Bike health checks over the coming months to keep local cyclists on the move.

Cyclists can find out what may be wrong with their bikes and how to fix them.  Advice will be offered on a range of issues such as adjusting brake and gears, finding the correct riding position on the bike, the best way to pump up tyres, through to diagnosing serious mechanical problems.  Cyclists who discover more complex mechanical problems will be directed to local bike shops.

Cyclists can also sign up to on-road cycle training to build up their confidence (£5 to book the course, concessions available), get general advice on cycling in Ealing from cycle trainers with local knowledge and benefit from maintenance skills training at one of the one-day maintenance classes run by the council’s bicycle support team.

Dr Bike sessions are held from 2 to 5pm at:

Hanwell – Hanwell Clock Tower (Station Rd/Cherington Rd) on the first Saturday of every month.

Acton – Acton Market (outside Morrisons on pedestrianised area), The Mount/King St Acton W3 9NW on the second Saturday of every month.

West Ealing – Melbourne Avenue  (next to West Ealing Library) on the third Saturday of every month.

Southall – Southall Park (next to tennis courts nr Boyd Avenue entrance) on the fourth Saturday of every month.

Greenford Town Centre  (Corner of Oldfield Lane and Ruislip Rd) on the last Saturday of the month.

Haven Green, Ealing, 4-7 pm at Haven Green on the last Thursday of the month.

Keep checking on www.ealing.gov.uk/cycling for more information, including extra Dr. Bikes during National Bike Week 16-23 June.

Statement on Refuse and Recycling in Ealing

“We are very disappointed that we find ourselves in this situation. We are doing everything possible to ensure that as much of the borough as possible receives a regular service this week. We sincerely apologise to anyone whose service has been disrupted over the last week. The service that Enterprise has provided residents in the first week of the new contract is completely unacceptable. There will always be initial teething problems when a new contract begins but the assurances that we have been given in the weeks and months leading up to the start of the contract have not been delivered by Enterprise. Since the problems began we have been meeting twice daily with Enterprise, including once on Good Friday, to demand that they put things right as rapidly as possible and have been cycling around the Borough checking for and reporting any missed collections. Enterprise have put in extra resources at no extra cost to the Council and the service is now improving. The excellent service that we and residents expect, will we are sure, be restored rapidly. We apologise to anyone who has had a late or missed collection and reiterate our determination to provide a first class refuse and recycling service for the residents of the Borough. We would like to reassure all residents that all recyclable materials are still being recycled. We appreciate the efforts residents make to recycle and we are ensuring these efforts do not go to waste. We are seeking answers from Enterprise about how this situation has been allowed to occur. When we have the answers we will share them with our residents.”

Cllr Julian Bell, Leader of the Council

Cllr Bassam Mahfouz, Cabinet Member for Transport & Environment

Refuse and Recycling Update

On behalf of the council, I would like to apologise to anybody who has not had their rubbish or recycling collected this week.

As an administration we do not find the current situation acceptable.  Ahead of implementation of the new contract I made it clear and unequivocal to our new contractors that the expectation of both ourselves and our residents is that there should be “service as usual”.

The council is holding daily meetings with Enterprise to ensure that these teething problems are ironed out and in the meantime all rubbish and recycling must be collected.

We now have 16 extra crews to seek to ensure this happens, working into the evenings on collections and street cleaning.  The teams will also be working Friday and Saturday to get back to speed with the job at hand.  We have also placed additional staff onto the phones to ensure we have accurate information for the streets that have not had the level of service expected.  All recyclables collected are also being sorted to ensure that they are recycled.

I appreciate the time and effort each individual has made to inform us of which streets have not had refuse and recycling collected.  We are grateful for the patience and understanding that you have shown during these initial days.  I have cycled around many parts of the borough to check roads and officers have been out to monitor the situation too.  Whilst many areas have had their rubbish and recycling collected, I appreciate the frustration that anyone who has not had their items collected will feel.  It is the not knowing when it will be collected that is perhaps most frustrating and we are working hard with Enterprise to ensure that this is put right as quickly as possible.

I have made it clear to our new contractors that one of this council’s top priorities is to Make Ealing Cleaner.  This is in the context of record breaking scores for street cleanliness showing 2011-12 as the best on record for clean streets in Ealing.  I am fully aware that it is no good having a record if this is not maintained and indeed improved upon and it is therefore an absolute priority that this contract is successful.

Please do continue to call on 020 8825 6000 or let us know online via http://www.ealing.gov.uk/recycling of any missed collections so that we can seek to ensure this is rectified as soon as possible.

Ealing’s Transport Team is really going places

Ealing’s transport team has motored into first place in the London transport awards. The council’s transport team have overtaken all the competition in London to be awarded London’s best transport borough at the London Transport awards. The pole position is the latest in a string of awards for the borough. At last year’s London transport awards the team showed they were on the right track by winning the most improved transport team, this was followed by most improved transport team for the whole country in October.

Cllr Bassam Mahfouz Labour’s Cabinet member for Transport and Environment, who was there to pick up the award with the team welcomed the news saying,

“This award shows the fantastic improvement in transport we have seen over the last two years.  We have been pushing at the boundaries of what is possible, focussing on road safety at accident hotspots, tackling traffic pinch points, pushing for step-free access at our stations and along bus routes as well as plenty of improvements for cycling, including our very first Cycle Hub on course to be delivered in the next couple of months. Over the last two years we have won three transport awards and to win best borough shows how committed we are to getting Ealing moving. I am really proud of the team this award reflects their hard work and commitment and I thank them for all they have done.”

Fun activities for under 16s across Ealing this April

There are two weeks of fun-filled activities at Ealing Council Sports Centres during the Easter holidays. Choose from a variety of arts/crafts, games and sports activities including; football, swimming, basketball, arcade dance mats, giant connect 4 and much more.

Sessions are suitable for all levels and ages up to 16 years old. Fully qualified staff are on hand to supervise and run all activities.

Take a look at the programme of activities on offer

Participating centres can be found across the borough. You can find a full list and contact details here. Get in touch for more information and to book your child a place. Places are limited and allocated on a first come first served basis.

A fun Easter is just around the corner!

Resurfacing of Yeading Lane to begin

Long awaited resurfacing works along Yeading Lane will begin on Monday 12th March 9.30am and should be completed by Thursday evening at 4pm.  The works will complete major investment in Northolt West End’s shopping parade along Yeading Lane which has seen new paving, trees, benches, bins, uplighting for the trees and parking bays to help make shopping along in the area better for all.  The works will take place between 9.30am-4pm on each of the days and will mean some lane closures and disruption to through traffic during this time.

Cllr Bassam Mahfouz said, “The condition of Yeading Lane has been a long-standing issue of concern for local residents, almost all of whom use this road.  It’s great to see the many improvements along the shopping parade but the icing on the cake will be the resurfacing of the main road itself, which will be welcomed by everyone in this part of Northolt.”

Yeading Lane was also recently reduced to 30mph and currently has signs designed by a local pupil to encourage drivers to slow down.  This means that all of the council’s controlled roads in the boroughs are 30 or below.