Overflowing bins make Chiswick’s parks a smelly mess

Cllr Ron Mushiso takes it up with Council officers

The bins on Turnham Green and Chiswick Back Common were overflowing with rubbish over the weekend. Unhelpfully, people left their rubbish on and all around the bins irrespective, creating a stinking mess in the heat.

‘I was shocked to see that all bins in the shared green spaces of Turnham Green and Chiswick Back Common were not cleared over Saturday and today, Sunday”, Cllr Ron Mushiso wrote to Council officers.

“Meanwhile the Hounslow Highway contracted bins were being cleared almost every two hours”.

Hounslow Highways are responsible for the bins in Chiswick High Road whereas those in the parks are the responsibility of the Parks team.

“I was really embarrassed”, he told The Chiswick Calendar. “I was with a friend from Ealing. The day before, we’d been in Richmond. All the time there was someone in the park cleaning up. In Ealing the parks are really well kept.

“Everyone wants to sit in the parks and enjoy the sunshine. The parks team need to be aware that in this weather they need to be more proactive”.

Both Turnham Green and Chiswick Back Common are in the ward Ron represents as councillor, Chiswick Gunnersbury, so he is hoping his email to Hounslow’s officers might have some effect.

We took it up with Hounslow Council too

Cllr Salman Shaheen, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Public Spaces, told The Chiswick Calendar:

“Our Greenspace team has a dedicated weekday, roaming attendant who empties bins on Turnham Green, Chiswick Back Common and Stamford Brook Common. A member of the team also provides weekend litter round cover in these parks.

“Something’s clearly gone amiss over the weekend, even given heightened use of the park. We’re investigating, will find out what’s occurred and do our best to ensure this isn’t repeated moving forwards.

“However, we do ask that people please take their litter home if the bins are full.”

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