08-09-2014, 10:13 PM
1
Our bin shed area being used as a public toilet!
I and my fellow neighbours have been complaining for years to our respective housing associations (3 of them) that the bricked in area housing our rubbish bins has been all too accessible to the general public, bringing with it many problems.We have fly tipping. We have people from adjoining roads bringing in their own rubbish (sometimes by the truck load). We have the daily occurrence of Eastern European looking men and woman popping in to rake through the bins, searching for something to sell, be it on foot, in a van, on a pushbike, pushing a pram. Inevitably they chuck what they don't want or need on the floor. We have the people in the social block throwing bags of beer cans over the wall so they land on the floor and stay there.
But now there is something more serious. More shocking and disturbing. A close neighbour rang me this evening to say that yesterday around 5pm she'd gone out to put rubbish in the bin and saw through the broken slats of the gate, what looked like someone crouching to the floor. She made a noise to distract them but they didn't move so she opened the gate and the person, an EE woman, stood up, naked from the waist down and having no shame at showing her genitals, smiling broadly, holding a razor in her hand and indicating that she'd been shaving herself! My neighbour, S, shouted at her to get out but the woman took her sweet time, and moved when she was ready, taking with her what looked like bags of her belongings.
S also noticed that someone had defecated on the floor of the bin shed area.
While she was here, looking through my emails to various contacts and Councillors, complaining about the BSA, I called another neighbour and she was totally shocked. But she had seen evidence of the human waste this morning before the cleaning company had been.
I have now encouraged them both, and to tell who they can, to write to our housing associations, and the Cllrs, spurring them on to do something. The HAs have made vague promises to start proceedings around 2015-16, but first sending a Qaire to all residents asking for their comments and feedback on the proposals.
When S left, still to walk up to the Co-op to buy food, I had the emails left open so quickly sent them details of this latest event, warning them that they may receive other complaints in the coming days.
A couple of weeks ago I witnessed an eviction taking place, of a house adjoining our allotments. They were EE, and there were so many of them! It now transpires that some have been noticed living out a van in the car park by the allotments and human waste has been found on the ground there too! I actually saw, on Saturday, a man and woman sitting on the pavement outside the allotments with bags of their belongings. I don't know what they were doing there, what they were waiting for. Maybe the van to come back to sleep in. Who knows?
All I do know is that I didn't sign up for all this, didn't ask for it, and didn't expect it.
Rant over. Thank you.
08-09-2014, 11:10 PM
6
Re: Our bin shed area being used as a public toilet!
I was thinking along those lines too but I'd take pictures and send 'em to the local newspapers, at least then they'd see the culprits and maybe the local council and police would be forced to do something about it.In our local newspaper we have a named and shamed page, those up in court and their charges, I'd say it could make a difference rather than turn a blind eye to the situation
08-09-2014, 11:30 PM
7
Re: Our bin shed area being used as a public toilet!
To be honest I'd be inclined to do both, local and national. The Mail, for all it's sins, does cover these sorts of issues and they would probably contact the local council and housing associations. Perhaps it needs plenty of publicity, more people should know that these sorts of things go on, do you think?08-09-2014, 11:38 PM
8
Re: Our bin shed area being used as a public toilet!
It needs the local council and police to act and show they wont tolerate such acts of indecency though national support would increase their power and perhaps force them to do something about it otherwise they wouldn't get voted in next time if they're seen to ignore the public who voted for them in the first instance08-09-2014, 11:51 PM
9
Re: Our bin shed area being used as a public toilet!
Yes I agree national support, to force the council, housing associations and police to do something. I do wonder if the police might say this was a "civil matter" as they often do.I would think the council would have to provide some answers if the Mail got involved and that may remind them that they were probably voted in by the people having to put up with this terrible situation.
09-09-2014, 06:03 AM
10
Re: Our bin shed area being used as a public toilet!
Thanks all. (Raging insomnia, so wide awake!!)I too was thinking of contacting the media.
We're shared ownership, as you know, and pay a lot of money each month towards service charges and maintenance. However only one HA has direct responsibility towards the bin shed area because they have more 'blocks' of flats than the rest. We are a smallsh complex of about 40 flats, spread over two large, and two small blocks (one being the social housing).
Other complexes in the area have managed to contain all homes and bins behind gates but us...every Tom, Dick and Harry can come in, even drug dealers! It s a clean, 20 year old complex, usualy well maintained in that the blocks themselves are cleaned or painted every 5 years, windows and doors revarnished, gardens always seen to, but it all fals down when you open the gate to chuck your rubbish in.
One neighbour on my first flat had her bathroom updated last month by her landlord, and neighbour S confirmed my suspicion that it WAS her old suite, and cardboard of new appliances, that had been dumped there, instead of the builders taking it away with them! I was suspicious. Another neighbour took the bath down to his allotment. (Oh we're very resourceful!)
It's not easy living here.
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