What is it with Liverpool?
This is not going to be a bash the Scousers post, but rather one that points the finger at that city's Lib Dem council.
Joan 'I used to run CND you know' Ruddock has been chewing over the fly-tipping league table, and "The results, covering 354 English authorities, show an increase in incidents over the past year, however, nearly half of all cases reported came from Liverpool City Council".
First things first - why do people fly tip? Because there is no collection, or the marginal cost of taking rubbish to a dump is too high. Typical scenarios might involve someone turning up at a municipal tip without a resident's permit and facing getting caned on dumping fees, or a council that goes to fortnightly collections but without increasing bin size. As a footnote, the 'civilians' I spoke to in Blackpool - hoteliers, other guests - got very, very heated about fortnightly collections.
So, the most cost effective way to reduce fly tipping has to be to address issues via reducing marginal costs, as fly tipped rubbish has to be collected and processed in the usual way, and I point blank refuse to believe that the 2.6 million reported incidents of fly tipping in England were the only ones that came to pass.
Returning to Liverpool, "Half of all fly-tips recorded involved single black bags and it is estimated that the majority of these occurred in back alleys and involved waste placed out for collection incorrectly, primarily in Liverpool". Surely the Sanitary Inspectors of Merseyside would be better off explaining refuse collection policies in the city rather than trawling the streets with a spiral-bound notepad / PDA noting down infringements of Bin Law. The full DEFRA reports by region makes it plain that Liverpool specialises in writing warning letters to bin users / non users, at who knows what cost. Adjusting my ever present cynical hat, I would imagine that the council is just itching to spot repeat offenders to it can engage in a little light tax farming via fixed penalty fines for putting rubbish out on the wrong day.
After all, it is grotesquely unreasonable for someone without a car and about to go on holiday for a fortnight to put rubbish out the night before, rather than return to a house crawling with maggots, isn't it?
Joan 'I used to run CND you know' Ruddock has been chewing over the fly-tipping league table, and "The results, covering 354 English authorities, show an increase in incidents over the past year, however, nearly half of all cases reported came from Liverpool City Council".
First things first - why do people fly tip? Because there is no collection, or the marginal cost of taking rubbish to a dump is too high. Typical scenarios might involve someone turning up at a municipal tip without a resident's permit and facing getting caned on dumping fees, or a council that goes to fortnightly collections but without increasing bin size. As a footnote, the 'civilians' I spoke to in Blackpool - hoteliers, other guests - got very, very heated about fortnightly collections.
So, the most cost effective way to reduce fly tipping has to be to address issues via reducing marginal costs, as fly tipped rubbish has to be collected and processed in the usual way, and I point blank refuse to believe that the 2.6 million reported incidents of fly tipping in England were the only ones that came to pass.
Returning to Liverpool, "Half of all fly-tips recorded involved single black bags and it is estimated that the majority of these occurred in back alleys and involved waste placed out for collection incorrectly, primarily in Liverpool". Surely the Sanitary Inspectors of Merseyside would be better off explaining refuse collection policies in the city rather than trawling the streets with a spiral-bound notepad / PDA noting down infringements of Bin Law. The full DEFRA reports by region makes it plain that Liverpool specialises in writing warning letters to bin users / non users, at who knows what cost. Adjusting my ever present cynical hat, I would imagine that the council is just itching to spot repeat offenders to it can engage in a little light tax farming via fixed penalty fines for putting rubbish out on the wrong day.
After all, it is grotesquely unreasonable for someone without a car and about to go on holiday for a fortnight to put rubbish out the night before, rather than return to a house crawling with maggots, isn't it?
Labels: Taxes
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on Tuesday, October 09, 2007 at 10:03 am.
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Joan Ruddock is an odious sort. On her website she proudly boasts that she is in favour of unilateral disarmament but then she nominated Brown on his pro-Trident ticket. She didn't even abstain as many of her colleagues did. Some principles!
She also once wrote to me (as a constituent) telling me that I didn't need her help because MPs are only there to help the poor and dispossessed. I didn't even ask for help just a "policy" question.
Why would anyone want to tip a fly?
mardi 9.
Ed, so did you write 'Dear Joan, I am rich and (*cough*)possessed...' or did she make a wild stab in the dark.
But yes, that's odious. Her site does have quite the brush off on the 'what I can do for you' section. She also looks as though she is about to try out for a role as one of the undead.
A.D - For getting out of the soup?
I asked her why all the new homes in the area were ringfenced for "key workers" when there is a serious shortage for private sector workers too.
She thought I wanted a sub from his majesty the then chancellor.
Something deeply screwy here. I just don't believe the figures are comparable.
5,000 incidents a day?
Liverpool are reporting differently.
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