Subject: Council & Onyx: In
partnership already?
Did you get the glossy brochure that some residents were
sent recently? I was struck by Onyx's use of the councils
corporate logo on the front. To me it spoke of the council's
collusion to develop a foeregone conclusion - the reality
of a recycling depot in Hollingdean Lane.
I called the council on 01273 290000 and asked for their
complaints department. I had to talk to a man who asked
me to clarify my complaint - I said that I objected to
the council putting their stamp of appproval ie use of
the Logo in a private company's unpopular plans - even
though it has yet to go before the counciils sub planning
committee. This to me smacks of unfair council involvement
in this. The gentlman with whom I spoke from the complaints
department asked me of my preferred outcome to my complaint
to which I replied " that the recycling plant is
not built or that the person who allowed the Council's
Logo to be used is subject to disciplinary procedure"
He indicated to me that everyone should be compaining
about this and he would be willing to deal with each complaint.
Thus I am writing to you in the hope that you will know
how to spread the word about raising the profile of this
miserable project within the council istself.
All the very best regards
Mr S.
Subject: Re - What is your answer?
Firstly let me say that I agree the general points you
make in your letter about the size and unsightliness of
much of Brighton and Hove's waste. We have been avid recyclers
and composters for years and like everyone involved in
the above campaign endeavour to keep our waste tidy.
It must, however, be pointed out that the DUMP THE DUMP
campaign is in no way related to the wheelie bin issue,
though it is indeed related to the proposal for an incinerator
in Newhaven.
The issue about proposing a waste transfer unit and materials
recovery facility to handle all domestic waste for Brighton
and Hove and part of Lewes in the heart of a residential
area and close to four schools is one of appropriate location.
And before I hear the charge of NIMBYism (a silly term
at the best of times), let me re-iterate this is an issue
of appropriate location. You ask us what our alternative
is. Well in terms of a single site proposal there are
several, Hollingbury Industrial Estate, Hangleton Bottom
etc, all more appropriate than Hollingdean Lane. We do
not identify a single site for two reasons. Firstly Councillors
are divided as to which of several they would prefer and
because, as in fact this indicates, the alternatives have
not been fully explored and assessed. There is of course
another alternative which is the most environmentally
friendly. That is the use of a series of smaller operations
throughout Brighton, Hove and Lewes with a greater use
of small electric vehicles. Of course this option is unlikely
to appeal to the profit interest of a commercial company
like Onyx.
Yours sincerely,
Mr G
Subject: What is your answer?
Dear Sir/Madam
Let me be honest with you from the start I do not live
within your area, And I do drive a refuse truck from the
Hollingdean depot I do however only live a couple of miles
away.
But regardless of where I live the facts are these, at
the rate people are throwing out rubbish the two to three
year life of the two landfill sights used by Brighton
and Hove will be shortened, then what.
For Twenty years or so scientists have been warning of
global warming followed by very severe climate change
it has apparently fallen on deaf ears. For Ten years the
council and the local papers have been urging us to recycle
again the pleas have run up against the great British
wall (let someone else do it and why should
I, I pay my council tax). The council have been
trying to get an incinerator built but guess what, yes
you have got it...more protest,
and now the council have been forced into the situation
whereby asking people to cut down on what they throw away
and to recycle more is no longer an option. The council
has over the past year or so been introducing wheelie
bins that now force people to recycle more and while 99%
are using them quite happily a small minority still
want to protest, just cast your eyes up the road to Preston
when their anti campaign hit some national papers they
became a laughing stock from the vast majority of the
country that has had wheelie`s for years, and for what,
basically because they have been asked to be more responsible
for the rubbish they themselves create.
Now I have to ask you the question, What is your answer
to the problem that is about to knock on our door.
I have lived in Brighton for 64 years and have been sickened
like most people at the piles of rubbish and rusty old
overflowing bins all over this city, but now thanks
to the courage of two women introducing the new bins parts
of our city are being transformed, the new transfer station
is a part of the bigger picture to make Brighton a place
to be proud of.
Everyone has the right to protest but make sure you have
a better idea and not just the old not on my doorstep
thank you, And finally it is our duty to hand this planet
over to the future generations in the best possible condition,
and not as some desolate planet covered in ice
Mr A
Dump the Dump replies
to the above:
Dear Mr A,
Thank you very much for taking the time to writing this
email. Your opinion is greatly appreciated.
The impact the HGV traffic has on our community is extreme.
You can see from the website ‘caught on camera’
how much traffic comes out of the Depot. It is absolutely
devastating; it feels like we are living in the middle
of a motorway.
We are all responsible for our waste, I absolutely agree
with you: people do not take responsibility for their
waste. Consume and don’t worry about the consequences.
Manufacturers aren’t making our lives easy. Go to
the supermarkets it is unbelievable how much packaging
I have to take home.
I think the whole attitude of consuming has to change.
Hollingdean was chosen because as it is earmarked for
regeneration, the analysis of Onyx documentation shows
quite clearly that areas were identified on basic criteria
where do manual workers live? In Hollingdean nobody will
stand up and protest against this development, because
they will not be able to read reports. Well quite frankly,
I live in Hollingdean, and have a degree, and there are
plenty of manual workers who can read and understand perfectly
well. I think that it is patronising to make such assumptions.
The impact on the community of such a large development
is unforeseen, but will be detrimental. Onyx will want
to make money that is what they do internationally and
globally. It is called over-intensification. Just too
much in one area.
My daughter is nearly 3 and supposed to go to the Downs
Infants School and will be 15 meters away from lorries
manoeuvring, unloading all day. She should not have to
breathe in air that is so polluted that the area has been
declared an Air Quality Management Area before development
has even begun. You would not want this to happen to your
grandchildren.
Walking to school, there is a thick curtain of fumes in
the air it is awful. That is not because of a few HGV’s
that are bringing waste to the depot that is because the
fleet is being increased - bringing all of Brighton and
Hove’s waste. In a residential area, that is just
too much.
I would have liked to talk to the council about this waste
management, but the consultation was kept very quiet,
we all know why, opinions make things harder. A democracy
should offer a public consultation.
Subject: Joint Letters from Onyx
/ Brighton & Hove City Council, sent
29/04/05
"Thank you for your letter of 29th April to residents
in the Hollingdean
area of Brighton. I am protesting vehemently against the
proposed Waste Transfer Site on the grounds of its size
and impact on our community. In particular, I am protesting
against the increase in traffic (I believe your letter
understates the case). I am also protesting about the
very negative effect
this inappropriate development would have on the health
of the children and
teachers at Downs Infant and Junior Schools - and indeed,
the health of those of us who live nearby.
I am alarmed to note that your letter of 29th April is
a joint letter from Brighton and Hove City Council AND
Onyx (GLS). It makes me fear that this is a 'done deal'
and that local opinion will stand for nothing; I'm sure
you will want to put my mind at rest on this matter.
Yours sincerely
Mr B
Subject: Traffic & Norman
Baker
Great campaign. Read the literature and
visited the web site. Just a couple of thoughts that may
be of help to you.
Traffic congestion has already risen in and around the
Vogue Gyratory due to a council public transport initiative-
bringing out the bus stop south of Covers (opposite the
old church) to take up the whole of the southbound lane
of Lewes Road is both disruptive and dangerous to motorists,
passengers, cyclists and pedestrians.
It beggars belief that this work would have been under
taken in the full knowledge that hundreds of heavy vehicles
were soon to be operating through there. Even if these
lorries were to leave the depot and turn left into Lewes
Road the Hollingdean Road has no real left turn lane until
the bottom. You could predict stand still back to Ditchling
Road during the school run at the very least.
One of the main opponents to the Albion's bid for Falmer
was Norman Baker, MP for Lewes. His reason, although this
would have to be verified, was that the site was not in
Brighton but in Lewes. It was interesting to read your
fact sheet stating that some of the recyclates and black
bags were to come from the western part of his constituency.
Given his famed penchant for shouting about fair play,
maybe he could be asked for an opinion. As I stated earlier
his opposition to the stadium would have to be checked
out, but if my memory is correct it would be an interesting
debating tool.
Thankyou for taking the time to read the above. I'm sorry
if it is not a lot of help.
Kick up a stink !
Yours faithfully
Mr A
Subject: Planning Inspector Recommendations
Dear Dumpthe Dump
I wondered why you had not mentioned the fact that at
the Waste management
Contract joing Committee meeting of East Sussex and Brighton
and Hove
councils the Planning Inspectors recommended that certain
issues, particualry the condideration of other sites for
allocation in the pLn are included in a review of the
plan. He does reccommend that the Hollingdean site be
retained but that a wider range of sites ought also to
be identified in the plan.
Ms E
Subject: Roedale Rd ratrun
Dear Mr Holloway,
I understand you are the person to contact about the inappropriate
use of a route by City Clean vehicles. There have been
several daily coming left at Ditchling rd [ fiveways traffic
lights] and then left down into hollinbury dip, where
there is a sign with a lorry crossed across it- which
i presume means that HGVs are not meant to use the route
to pass through.
Today I happened to follow a vehicle at 1.10pm from the
by-pass all along ditchling rd and dowwn through the and
then it turned right after the parade of shops down Roedale
rd and went into the City clean yard at the end.
This really can't go on. The council has a resonsibility
not to make our residential streets a rat run for the
rubbish collection vehicles. There are very many of them
- and i understand that they will be continueing to increase
in number until at least August. There is no crossing
at the Dip for school children coming out of Hertford
Schhols- or anybody using the shops on both sides of the
road. The exhaust pollution from the vehicles is extreme-
and diesal- the worst sort. Please can you take action
to prohibit the cityclean vehicles from coming down into
Hollingbury Dip and onto the site via Roedale Rd. Please
can you let me know what is possible - many thanks,
Ms D
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