Westminster pen-pushers pull down residents sign pleading with visitors not to dump rubbish
By Hannah Neary, Local Democracy Reporter
Residents demanding people stop dumping rubbish in their street have been stymied by city hall bureaucrats who claimed they could be “dangerous”.
Westminster City Council tore down their signs urging visitors not to leave litter outside their homes.
Locals had taken matters into their own hands and paid to have their own ‘Don’t Dump’ signs put up along Star Street in Paddington, a well-known fly-tipping and litter hotspot.
But Westminster City Council tore them down claiming they might be “dangerous”.
A resident quoted by the council’s Labour group said: “What a horrible, red-tape world we live in.
“We are just trying to make a difference and help our community.”
Another said: “The signs did seem to make a difference, and it was easy to point to them and tell people it’s illegal to dump.
“Last week I had to make a guy remove his broken-down wardrobe, and he made the point that everyone else did it so he assumed it was okay.
“Since they have been taken down, it’s given people more agency to dump stuff there.”
Labour councillor Paul Dimoldenberg said locals had designed, paid for and attached the signs to lampposts to stop people dumping waste on their street.
He added: “Illegal rubbish dumping is a problem in all parts of Westminster and it is high time the council took strong action against the dumpers.
“It really is a kick in the teeth for local community action for the council to rip the signs off the lampposts under the cover of darkness.”
Cllr Dimoldenberg said the Labour Group has asked the council to put up its own anti-dumping signs along the street.
A Westminster City Council spokesperson said: “We know how important clean streets are to our residents and our excellent teams of street cleaners provide a 24/7 service, collecting more than 450 tonnes of rubbish every day.
“Ward councillors are working with the local community in order to solve issues around the black bins, but were not aware that signs were planned outside the council process.
“Unfortunately, the signs installed by residents displayed incorrect information and were also potentially dangerous and therefore had to be taken down.
“They will be replaced by council approved signs.
“Westminster City Council takes a zero tolerance approach to fly-tipping and littering and will enforce against anyone who illegally dumps their rubbish.
“The council is also undertaking measures to reduce the risk of fly-tipping by extending the hours of our bulky waste collection service and cutting waiting times for collections.”