Cleaning up York Way on weekends

Posted on October 5, 2006 by Stephan Schulte

Trash_on_york_way_2 Has anyone notice that York Way has become a tip on the weekends?  Bottles, glasses, promotional flyers, food containers and overflowing bins seem to be the result of the changes in the licensing laws that have allowed extended hours at all the local clubs.

To try to get this situation under control, I have been working with Chris Demetriou, the Street Environment Manager (West) for the Council.  And while Chris has been very helpful and supportive, I have learned that Islington’s cleaning contract with their vendor ICSL calls for the East side of York Way to be swept only ONCE per weekend day in the early AM.  This, as compared with the Camden side (West), where sweeping occurs THREE times per weekend day!

It seems to me that this is the reason that the Islington side of York Way looks grotty, while the Camden side looks almost "spotless."  I believe that the Council needs to adjust their contact with ICSL to account for the changing environment on York Way since the increase to the licensing hours.  If you too would like to see our area cleaned up, could I suggest that you drop a note to our Councillor Paul Convery to see if he can investigate what can be done.

And importantly, if you have problems with street cleaning in your area, contact Chris and send him a picture of the problem.

Posted in Street Tipping, Mess, Trash | 1 Comment

Party time, excellent………?

Posted on October 5, 2006 by William Perrin

24_hour_party_people_1 Kings Cross is certainly on the change and the Gazette is labelling the area as a ‘Party Capital’ – read about it here.  The owners of the Ruby Lounge on Caledonian Road give a good interview. The changes in entertainment venues are definitely for the better (although i was fond of the Hop and Grapes pub), but there are costs of successful new entertainment venues that are born by residents and not by the bars.  This leads to excessive behaviour by entertainment venues that requires regulation.  So the community has to remain vigilant and put across our views using the strong new licensing laws.  Residents now have a legal right to make represenations that the council has to listen to. And the council has powers to amend the behaviour of venues in new ways.  I shall try to obtain the new operating policy for the venue formerly known as Backpackers for comment.

Posted in Anti Social Behaviour, Crime etc | Leave a comment

An end to the North South divide….

Posted on October 4, 2006 by William Perrin

Compass_1 The observant wil notice a minor rebrand – dropping the ‘North’ from the title of the site.  After conversation with folk on the South or ‘bottom’ end of Kings Cross I am hoping to extend the reach of the site to cover the wider Kings Cross area from Pentonville Road up to Market Road, between the Caledonian Road and York Way.  To do this a second author will hopefully come on board in the next couple of days.

Posted in Noticeboard | 1 Comment

CEMEX dust pollution

Posted on October 4, 2006 by William Perrin

Cemex_dust_plumeResidents have noticed for years that when you leave your car for a few days  in the residents spaces alongside the flank wall of the CEMEX plant on Rufford Street it gets covered in a layer of grime.  When you park elsewhere in the street the problem is not so bad.  We had long thought that this was related to the huge construction works for the CTRL alongside the East Coast Main Line behind the plant.  But that work stopped many months ago but the grime on the cars continued.

I raised the dust issue with the CEMEX environment team who visited last month.  They brushed off a dust pollution problem ‘the materials we use are wet they are unlikley to cause dust’.  I took this at face value as i didn’t have any direct evidence.  But some neighbours are having their roof done and from the top of the scaffold i noticed tCemex_dust_plume_2 he dust cloud shown in the photo – several times over a couple of days. 

The photos (taken today at 1140) show clearly a billowing cloud of blown dust emerging from the top of the big square sided silo above the concrete making works (click on the photos to enlarge them).  I assume, given the process, that this is cement/concrete powder being added to the mix and there is a persistent fault with the machine.  There was a brisk breeze blowing at the time but the dust was clearly being driven up and out of the tower by air from below. 

I am not an expert on this sort of thing at all but this sort of thing simply shouldn’t happen in a residential area.  Very poor, will raise with CEMEX.

Posted in Local businesses, Noisy CEMEX concrete plant Rufford Street | 2 Comments

CEMEX – what’s going on ?

Posted on October 4, 2006 by William Perrin

Cemex_rufford_one A CEMEX environmental compliance team visited the noisy plant on Rufford Street on 9 September.  They visited my flat and I wrote about it here.  A full environmental report was promised in ‘three to four weeks’ but i haven’t heard anything yet.   The Islington Gazette contacted me for the second time to follow-up on my intervention at a planning meeting in April about the noise caused by the plant and its impact on the Islington Triangle proposals. I put the Gazette off the first time they contacted me in July, but this time i filled them in on developments.

Some things have changed at the CEMEX plant on Rufford Street in the last few weeks.  there appears to be a change in the pattern of tipping noise with less tipping before 0800.  However there is still a substantial amount of reversing noise (mainly beepers and engines revving) from 0715 onwards.  Lorries continue to sound their horns at each other.  Only a fraction of the measures i set out here have been implemented.  Even a slight change is promising after years of denial by RMC/CEMEX, but until residents and the Council see a report from CEMEX we won’t know if this noise pollution will relaly be tackled. A long way to go yet.

Posted in Noisy CEMEX concrete plant Rufford Street | Leave a comment

Graffiti artist electrocuted at Cally Road station

Posted on October 2, 2006 by William Perrin

Rip The Islington Gazette (in its print edition, not the online one) records the opening of an inquest into the deah of a graffiti aritist at Caledonian Roaad and Barnsbury station on the North London Line.  George King, an unemployed graphic designer was killed at 4.25 am on September 16 when he fell onto the track and was electrocuted.  A nasty way to go.

Posted in Anti Social Behaviour, Crime etc | 2 Comments

Kings Cross Station refurbishment – lobbying Camden Councillors

Posted on October 2, 2006 by William Perrin

Kings_cross_station_3Although the refurbishment of Kings Cross, blocking off access from the East side will have some awful effects for Islington residents, the decision is for Camden Councillors.  I have written to the Councillors for St Pancras ward as in the attached email.  If anyone else would like to write to them you can find email addresses etc at this link.  The text of my letter is at the following link. Download kings_cross_refurb.doc

Posted in Kings Cross Station Refurbishment | Leave a comment

Sofa Gifford Street

Posted on September 30, 2006 by William Perrin

Sofa_giffordstThe second sofa to be dumped in this spot just behind the builders hoardings.  Will report to have removed.

Posted in Street Tipping, Mess, Trash | Leave a comment