In a letter  to all residents on Acton and Swinton Street, dated 14th of March 2012, Camden Street Environment Officer Pennant Truter advises that “under no circumstances should waste be placed out on the pavement” outside collection hours which he lists as being between 6.30 am to 8.30 a.m. Monday to Friday. Truter warns that the area is now being monitored for potential legal action as putting waste on the public highway would be a criminal offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 87 (1).  However the officer concedes in his letter that it is acceptable to leave waste on one’s door-step area on any day “ready for collection,” which seems to be a concession to earlier policy.

The habit of throwing about household waste in forms of black bin liners and full plastic bags on the pavement is still wide-spread in Kings Cross, not just on Acton and Swinton Street, so it is about time the council takes measures to attempt to reduce this feature of Kings Cross that is neither aesthetic, nor hygenic.

Camden told told me on another occasion that much of Kings Cross still benefits from daily collections which due to council cuts have been changed in the North of Camden to  but one weekly collection in some areas.