RIOTS: Council Leader rejects income inequality as a factor

At the recent Full Council meeting, the Leader of the Council's written reply to my question (above) was characteristically missing the point. If he is correct in interpreting what happened on 8/8 was "wanton criminality", then why didn't Sutton or Bromley experience any rioting? Unlike our outer London neighbours, Croydon has socially deprived ghettos a few miles from pockets known as 'Millionaires Row'. Is this a pre-disposing factor? Yes or no?

This spinning of the events of 8/8 as 'criminality', and not rioting, mirrors what Gavin Barwell MP has recently said on the BBC and Mayor Graham Bass at a recent social event (see Inside Croydon).

My question was:

Given our neighbouring outer London boroughs, Sutton and Bromley, experienced barely any unrest, to what extent is income inequality (note: not poverty) within our borough a predisposing factor when considering what caused the riots on 8/8?


--------------------------------------------------

Tags croydon, greenparty

EU doesn't have any bearing or power at all !!

Reply from Duncan Clarke (SLWP Project Manager).

Hi Shasha,

I am sorry I haven’t replied to your email but I thought I would wait until the Inspector’s report was published, which should happen on October 31. Everything should become a little clearer when that appears.

However, I did suggest it was passed on to the Inspector for his consideration and we will have to wait to see what he says.

As regards the Communication from the EU Commission you point to, I am no expert on EU legislative procedures but, I think the final paragraph is enlightening. It states:

“The Commission invites the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and

Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions to endorse this roadmap and contribute

to the further development of the EU's actions to achieve a resource-efficient Europe.”

Therefore, from my reading, it would appear the document you highlight is currently a proposal rather than a directive (and so is akin to a white paper in the UK legislative process) and therefore has no weight.

However, if it were to have weight, I believe the South London Waste Plan would comply with it as the penultimate paragraph of Policy WP1, which is the overarching strategic policy of the waste plan, meets the requirements In fact, the penultimate paragraph of Policy WP1 is a very important policy element for all your concerns.

It states:

“Development to meet the additional capacity needs will be permitted if it seeks to reduce net carbon emissions by managing waste as high up the waste hierarchy as practically possible. All development should safeguard existing communities and the environment by meeting other policies within the relevant borough’s Development Plan.”

Since prevention, preparing for re-use and recycling are all above recovery in the waste hierarchy, the waste plan conforms with the EU communication.

If you have any further questions, I will do my best to answer them.

Regards,

Duncan

Duncan Clarke

South London Waste Plan Project Manager

--------------------------------------------------
Tags croydon, greenparty

SLWP charm offensive

This week's Croydon Guardian has a four page wrap around courtesy of the South London Waste Partnership. Interestingly, none of the sister papers of the CroyGuar (Kingston, Sutton, Merton and Wimbledon) had the honour of being adorned by this charm offensive. Why was that?

Two possible reasons:

1. The Conservative Council are taking a pounding with regard to the introduction of fortnightly bin collections coupled with weekly food waste collections. Many haven't received their new food caddies or booklets detailing how the revised collection scheme works. No better time to remind those who are frustrated with the ever increasing number of bins to negotiate, with a reminder of the need for "cost effective waste management services"
2. The Stop The Incinerator campaign - a predominately Croydon based campaign, of which I am secretary, have submitted some challenging comments to the latest stage of the consultation. I still haven't received a reply to the email below. Is the SLWP using propaganda methodology to justify gasification?
   

From: shasha_khan
To: ldfprogrammeofficer@tiscali.co.uk; southlondonwasteplan@rbk.kingston.gov.uk
Subject: RE: Comments
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 07:42:08 +0000

Hi ,

Thank you for your reply. On exactly the same day the latest consultation ended, the EU made the statement below. It essentially says that "Energy recovery is limited to non recyclable materials.". I would like to submit this as an addendum to my first comment SC49 because the ruling has huge implications for the Waste Plan. If you decide not to accept this, will the SLWP acknowledge they will comply with the statement?

Best wishes,

Shasha

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/resource_efficiency/pdf/com2011_571.pdf

3.2. Turning waste into a resource
Each year in the European Union we throw away 2.7 billion tonnes of waste, 98 million
tonnes of which is hazardous. On average only 40% of our solid waste is re-used or recycled,
the rest going to landfill or incineration. Overall waste generation is stable in the EU,
however, generation of some waste streams like construction and demolition waste, to sewage
sludge and marine litter is still increasing. Waste electrical and electronic equipment alone is
expected to increase by roughly 11% between 2008 and 2014.

In some Member States more than 80% of waste is recycled, indicating the possibilities of
using waste as one of the EU’s key resources. Improving waste management makes better use

of resources and can open up new markets and jobs, as well as encourage less dependence on
imports of raw materials and lower impacts on the environment.

If waste is to become a resource to be fed back into the economy as a raw material, then much
higher priority needs to be given to re-use and recycling. A combination of policies would
help create a full recycling economy, such as product design integrating a life-cycle approach,
better cooperation along all market actors along the value chain, better collection processes,
appropriate regulatory framework, incentives for waste prevention and recycling, as well as
public investments in modern facilities for waste treatment and high quality recycling.

Milestone: By 2020, waste is managed as a resource. Waste generated per capita is in
absolute decline. Recycling and re-use of waste are economically attractive options for
public and private actors due to widespread separate collection and the development of
functional markets for secondary raw materials. More materials, including materials
having a significant impact on the environment and critical raw materials, are recycled.
Waste legislation is fully implemented. Illegal shipments of waste have been eradicated.
Energy recovery is limited to non recyclable materials, landfilling is virtually eliminated
and high quality recycling is ensured.

The Commission will:
• Stimulate the secondary materials market and demand for recycled materials through
economic incentives and developing end-of-waste criteria (in 2013/2014);
• Review existing prevention, re-use, recycling, recovery and landfill diversion targets
to move towards an economy based on re-use and recycling, with residual waste
close to zero (in 2014);
• Assess the introduction of minimum recycled material rates, durability and reusability
criteria and extensions of producer responsibility for key products (in
2012);
• Assess areas where legislation on the various waste streams could be aligned to
improve coherence (in 2013/2014);
• Continue working within the EU and with international partners to eradicate illegal
waste shipments with a special focus on hazardous waste;
• Ensure that public funding from the EU budget gives priority to activities higher up
the waste hierarchy as defined in the Waste Framework Directive (e.g. priority to
recycling plants over waste disposal) (in 2012/2013);
• Facilitate the exchange of best practice on collection and treatment of waste among
Member States and develop measures to combat more effectively breaches of EU
waste rules (in 2013/2014).

Member States should:
• ensure full implementation of the EU waste acquis including minimum targets
through their national waste prevention and management strategies (continuous).

=

--------------------------------------------------
Tags croydon, greenparty

Croydon Green Party Newsletter

In case you missed the Summer 2011 newsletter, it can be downloaded here:

http://croydon.greenparty.org.uk/assets/files/localparties/croydon/Newsletters/CGP_NEWSLETTER_SUMMER2011.pdf


--------------------------------------------------
Tags croydon, greenparty

Letter on Beat Officers...

.....and a letter that did get published in the Croydon Guardian.

19.08.11

Dear Editor,

Due to the surge, the number of police officers in Croydon is two and half times more than usual. Arguably, the increased police presence means that residents and shopkeepers have never felt safer in and around the town centre. Shoppers are never more than a minute away from a pair of bobbies on the beat. I have felt reassured enough to lean my pushbike against a grocers’ window on Station Road. Normally I would lock my bike up with a 'D lock' and chain! Everyone I speak to wants a permanent increase in visible policing, even young people. However, cuts in the police budget suggest the number of beat officers could fall.

Yours sincerely

Shasha Khan

Croydon Green Party

--------------------------------------------------
Tags croydon, greenparty

The one that got away.

A letter that didn't get published:

08/09/11

Dear Editor,

In order to persuade an unconvinced public to go along with their decisions, elected politicians are forever being economical with the detail. We see this in the intervention in Libya, an air war supposed to cost tens of millions, is now costing hundreds of millions of pounds. We saw this with the Olympics. Former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone told us the cost of hosting the Games would be £3billion.This has now tripled to £9billion and many have missed out on tickets. Similarly, back in the 70s an unsuspecting public were encouraged to vote yes to the Common Market with no inkling that a political union was on the horizon.

Much closer in the here and now is the South London Waste Plan: diverting waste away from landfill but using unproven incineration technology, another example of not coming clean. In this instance, radioactive waste is also being included in the mix without the need for planning permission – this little known detail is there for all to see, one has to sift thorough hundreds of pages to find it, but it is there! There is still time to comment on the Plan: www.croydon.gov.uk/wasteplan or contact your local councillor.

Yours sincerely

Shasha Khan

Croydon and Sutton Green Party

--------------------------------------------------
Tags croydon, greenparty

Letter on riots from Darren Johnson AM

Excellent letter sent in by Darren Johnson AM - published in the Croydon Guardian.

--------------------------------------------------
Tags croydon, greenparty

"looking into the causes of the riots"

Today I picked up this leaflet from Thornton Heath Leisure Centre.

Simply leaving a pile of leaflets at the reception of the swimming baths isn't going engage those who can provide valuable insight.

What are the chances that those who were actually involved in the rioting will be asked what caused the riots??

A massive opportunity was missed at the Thornton Heath festival, which by the way is sited on the same road as the leisure centre. What if Tony Rowland sees the leaflets?? Will he bin them?

--------------------------------------------------
Tags croydon, greenparty

War School - Short film winner

Great to find versatility in director Ben Newman's body of work. His music video for DJ Fresh is the perfect (albeit completely unrelated) compliment to a really catchy tune.
--------------------------------------------------
Tags croydon, greenparty