BobSmytherman 30 AlanWalker Letters
Interview
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AlanWalker
INCREASINGLY, the sight is all too familiar – and the reaction is too. A tell-taletrail of plasterdust, paint flakes or pieces of rubble leading behind a hedge, to the bin store or across thegarden, andbringingyou to thesight that no-one wants to see – a big pile of dumped rubbish. Formerly someone’s kitchen units,
bathroomsuite, bedroomfurniture or other unwanted household items–now transformed into a messypileofbitsand pieces,and facing everyone with anumberof problems. Unsightly? Certainly – no artistic prizes for these heaps of discarded objects. Dangerous? Risky to say the least – a mix of twisted metal, shards of glass, broken ceramicand pieces of wood and plasterboard that youwouldn’twant children to play on, and you would do well to keep your pets away from. Irritating?The fourth oneyou find in afortnightcertainly canrile... Expensive too? Increasingly – yes. Timesare tough. Businesses and
government areexamining their costs; households aretightening theirbelts;and localauthorities aremonitoringtheir services to cutunnecessary
spending.This searchforwastedmoneymeans that discardedwaste nowcostsmoney
too.AndonanestateofLeaseholders, who ends up paying? Everyone.
Abit of communityspiritisneededwherewaste is concerned The days of free bulk waste
Awell cared-for environment is certainly preferable to anunkempt, rubble-strewn, dumping ground
collection are a distantmemory in parts of the countrywhere even having normalhousehold refuse collectedonaweeklybasis is under threat, or has gone entirely. Evenwhereregular weekly refuse collections are still the norm, special services such as garden wastecollections or thebulky refuse collectionswhich wouldkeep communal gardensclear of rubble andservice areasfreeofbroken plasterboard are increasingly offered on a ‘pay as you throw’ basis. It’s understandabletoeconomisewhen things aretight –but howisthisfair when thebillendsupsharedacross everyone else living in thesame leaseholdercommunity? For those planning to undertake
workwhichwillproduce bulkywaste –unsightly,dangerous andirritating as it is –
themessageisclear.Clear up after yourself. It’s amatter of ‘community’.
Discarded wastenow costsmoney
Nothing, notevennostalgia, is as good as it used to be. Someyearn for thehalcyon days of unlocked doors, neighbours in closetouch with each other’sfamilydetails,dropping in on each other to help out at amoment’s notice. Others are happy to get home after ahardday,close thedooronthe outside world and stay out of sight and out of mind.
But however we choose to live our
lives, they are inevitably shaped by thecommunities inwhichwelive
them.Awellcared-for environment is certainly preferabletoanunkempt, rubble-strewn dumping ground. A senseofsharedresponsibility for taking care of communal living spaces helpsall residents. Anda willingnesstopullyourownweight and account for your own impact on your community is both fair to others, and the right thing to do. Communities need to help
themselves – andmanaging agents can help themdo
that.Making sure leaseholders areaware of the changingbulky wastearrangements in their local borough is one thing. Keeping residents aware of broader schemessuchasStreetclub–a website designed to focus and harnesscommunity spirit in agiven areasoronaparticularestate–or theopportunities of a‘co-operative council’ approach such as the one being developed in Lambeth, are other examples. Those all-too-familiar piles of
refuse will never be a cause of joy – but can be a chance for leaseholders to getengaged,and to do something together to improvetheir community for the benefit of all.●
AlanWalker is anRMCdirector
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