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Bin study tells of hygiene risk

9:15am Tuesday 27th February 2007

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Fortnightly rubbish collections will stay in Oxford despite a Government report warning it could lead to more rats and an increase in disease.

Scientists at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published their report from last year this month and campaigners against the controversial scheme in Oxford said it proved their fears.

"This could encourage vermin and insects into the home environment, which could potentially increase disease transmission routes."

The report’s findings

But last night city councillor Jean Fooks, cabinet member for a cleaner city, said it would not change the city's current programme of bringing in fortnightly recycling.

Fortnightly collections of household waste are being brought in across the county and nationally as a way of pushing for an increase in recycling.

In the report, the scientists called for more research into the build-up of rubbish that could result from fortnightly collections instead of the old weekly system.

The report said: "Providing alternate weekly collection to facilitate recycling schemes could result in accumulation of waste at households.

"This could encourage vermin and insects into the home environment, which could potentially increase disease transmission routes."

Eric Murray, of pressure group Collect Refuse in Oxford Weekly (Crow), said: "This is no surprise to us and fits with the other specialists' and experts' views that we have constantly referred to.

"According to the council, under the new scheme there will be 4,500 households storing perishable waste for two weeks in their plastic bags. That will attract vermin.

"The remaining households will have wheelie bins, many overflowing and with side waste.

"We remain concerned about the effect of this on public health as the scheme extends across the city."

But Mrs Fooks said: "Another report by Defra says precisely the opposite. The last thing we want to do is spread alarm and despondency.

"Other authorities have not noticed a problem."

She said further research was needed on the potential impacts but expert advice had been that increasing the number of homes with wheelie bins was better for pest control.

Liza Picard, of Cranham Street, Jericho, said: "It's a plastic-wrapped, modern-day slum.

"A fortnight's worth of food scraps in the purple bags is piled all over the pavement.

"It's going to be a haven for foxes, dogs and rats as it gets warmer.

"If they would only go back to weekly collection."

The Government report, called Potential health risks to humans from birds, mammals and insects associated with UK waste management operations, is available at www.defra.gov.uk

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Your Say YourOxford Mail

Andy, says...
8:47pm Mon 26 Feb 07

As usual, Fooks thinks she knows best. She will not listen to anyone except her own voice. The sooner she is recycled the better.She was elected to serve us not to be a dictator. Roll on the elections when we can boot her out.

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Kel, bic says...
7:53am Tue 27 Feb 07

What I din't understand is if the stupid women asks for people's opinions why does she then ignore them?? Good luck in the elections, don't hold your breath in being re-elected.

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David, says...
9:31am Tue 27 Feb 07

I'm surprised that people are still surprised what this daft woman does. She will not listen to anyone even experts. She has no real expereience in this field and yet chooses to ignore all advice because she is God. She is always in the news spouting of lies, why don't she just go now and let someone do the job that will listen.

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robin williamson, Headington says...
9:47am Tue 27 Feb 07

We've had the new system up in Headington since about November and it seems to be working fine (for us anyway). There's far less chance of the foxes and rats getting at the rubbish because far more people are putting their waste in bins than before (Headington rats may not be as bright as rats elsewhere in Oxford though as they just can't seem to lift the bin lids up!).
Why not give the new system a full year and then see if the gaps between collections need shortening rather than pre-judge what may or may not happen in the hot weather?
I don't see why you can't make comments without being so vindictive - the councillor may be right or she she may be wrong, but at least she's trying something which is far better than doing nothing.

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C, Oxford says...
10:49am Tue 27 Feb 07

Robin - I live in Jericho, and I use my bin properly, and I have had no problems!! I am pretty sure the rats around here can't lift the lids either. I agree give it a year then complain!!!

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Andy, says...
10:53am Tue 27 Feb 07

Robin...Comments are made about Fooks because she refuses to listen to anyone.You make a strange statement by saying doing something is better than doing nothing. So if it is proved she is 100% wrong and thousands of taxpayers money has been wasted, that's better than doing nothing??

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angie, oxford says...
11:33am Tue 27 Feb 07

C you are ignoring the fact that other residents in Jericho ARE having problems with their rubbish and some have had rats in their houses. How can you miss the mess that is all over the streets that has been photographed? Also why are you ignoring the report from the government?

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Julia Gasper, Headington Quarry says...
11:33am Tue 27 Feb 07

In some parts of Europe the rubbish is colected three times per week on health grounds yet the local taxes are a fraction of what they are here. Not everybody can use wheelie bins - here for instance I could not get one down the steps - and there is certainly a hideous amount of waste and litter lying around streets in or out of plastic bags. An awful lot of plastic will still not be re-cycled under the new scheme and if we happen to miss a collection the waste could lie around for a month!

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C, Oxford says...
12:09pm Tue 27 Feb 07

Angie - The bags on the streets of Jericho is disgusting I agree, but these people don't even try to use their bins!!! and most are the large population of students who live there.

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angie, oxford says...
12:31pm Tue 27 Feb 07

C - how do you know these people have not tried to use their bins? Have you asked them? People who do not have front gardens or steps have to have the lilac sacks don't they? But even so the fact you say there is such a mess by some residents whoever they are shows that this is not working and causing problems.

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C, Oxford says...
12:37pm Tue 27 Feb 07

Angis - My point is they have been putting those bin bags out on the street any day of the week for as long as I can remember. Long before the introduction of wheely bins, and fortnightly collections, they are now just using it as an excuse, I agree for some it is difficult, but for most there is no excuse!!!

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angie, oxford says...
1:06pm Tue 27 Feb 07

I think that proves that the system will not work in our city as there are so many different sorts of housing and communities. some people stay a short time in an area then move on - like the students. The new scheme seems very complicated that will take time to get used to and people who live in shared housing may not even have the right information about rubbish collection. It will be difficult to take action on them if so many people share a house who will be responsible. what will happen is that the mess will affect us all and in the summer it will be dreadful. As you say this has been going on for months in your area and I am sure it was dreadful for you in Jericho last summer.

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Ed, Oxford says...
1:31pm Tue 27 Feb 07

Time will tell, and next year's council tax rises will only inflame the situation. I've got a flat in rural Austria, and the rubbish is collected twice a week, though it's halfway up a mountain. I really do give up on Oxford sometimes.

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kel, Bic says...
2:13pm Tue 27 Feb 07

I currently have the scheme in Bicester and it works for us but we have space outside our houses to put the bins so as they don't look unsightly. I just think the women like all poletitians just listen to themselves as they are always 'right'. The scheme works great for me and my bin is only ever half full even after two weeks, due to the amount I am recycling. it can work in certain places. I just don't think this scheme is for everyone.

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kel, bic says...
2:15pm Tue 27 Feb 07

Sorry that was sposed to say the WOMAN like all politicians juat listens to herself.

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Tony Brett, Oxford says...
3:54pm Tue 27 Feb 07

How about people give it a try before completely dismissing the whole idea?

And stop being so unpleasant to Jean Fooks. She is just trying to do her best for the City and its residents.

A few pictures of bags on the street proves nothing - our street is like this all the time anyway and we're still on weekly collections! it's residents that leave bags all over the streets, not Jean Fooks or council staff.

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Andy, says...
4:09pm Tue 27 Feb 07

I wondered how long it would be before Tony Brett would defend his hero Fooks. She might not be leaving the bags on the street but she is the cause of it.If she would listen to people and the experts instead of herself all the time she may not get so much flaf, but when she keeps on ranting on I am right , I know best, stuff the reat of you attitude, she desreves all the abuse she gets. As stated, there are so many different sorts of housing and communities that one shoe does not fit all.

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Shaun, Oxford says...
4:11pm Tue 27 Feb 07

When is Oxford City Council ever gonna be a peoples council??? it's rated as one of the biggest councils in the country and rated as one of the worst and most overspent. Enough Said...........oh lets not forget we are the one's who elected these morons.

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David, says...
4:12pm Tue 27 Feb 07

Well said Andy. She thinks she is god almighty, I am sick and tired of seeing her face or letters in the paper all the time. She has nothing constuctive to say. It's the same all the time, me the great Jean Fooks is right, all you experts and escpecially the residents are wrong. What qualifications has she to make all the untruthful statements??

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angie, oxford says...
4:13pm Tue 27 Feb 07

Tony I think you missed the point it has been given a try and is not working! Tell the people who have had rats in their homes that a few bags on the street mean nothing. If you have mess on your street with weekly collections what will it be like with the new scheme? By the way regardless of the fact that residents may leave their rubbish on the street for whatever reason don't the council have a responsibility to collect rubbish and keep the streets clean?

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Trevor, says...
4:16pm Tue 27 Feb 07

JEAN FOOKS OUT...JEAN FOOKS OUT....JEAN FOOKS OUT....JEAN FOOKS OUT....JEAN FOOKS OUT..There done my bit of recycling!

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Robert Warner, Henley-on-hames says...
4:31pm Tue 27 Feb 07

The real problem is that you do not get high calibre, able, commercial people as local government councillors. Expected to give their time free and with the pressures of modern business, those who would be best able to run the council and keep the council staff in line so they don't waste our money are simply too busy to get involved. That's why you get the like of Fooks who hasn't got a clue running areas of coundil business so badly.

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JohnY, Bicester says...
5:16pm Tue 27 Feb 07

Robert Warner wrote:
The real problem is that you do not get high calibre, able, commercial people as local government councillors. Expected to give their time free and with the pressures of modern business, those who would be best able to run the council and keep the council staff in line so they don't waste our money are simply too busy to get involved. That's why you get the like of Fooks who hasn't got a clue running areas of coundil business so badly.
Give their time free!
Several incompetents have made a career out of it, their so called allowances are a scandal.
They retire early or get time off from a non-job, then claim all allowances possible, and live in luxury at our expense!

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anon, says...
5:31pm Tue 27 Feb 07

the collection of rubbish fortnightly is disgusting. My family and I recycle as much as we can but by the end of the fortnight our green wheely bin is full to over flowing. It is bad enough now what will it be like in the height of summer? We pay enough taxes and its not cheap, we should have weekly collections of both recyclable waste and food waste. What is this country coming to. When I lived in France the waste and the streets were cleaned every day. Several times my cat has brought in a dead rat... we never had any around here until the rubbish collection stopped being weekly. What is wrong with this city? They take our money but not the waste!!!!Typical.

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Shaun, Oxford says...
5:49pm Tue 27 Feb 07

The other option is to then maybe looking at putting the waste that won't fit in the wheeley bins on the doors of the town hall. or even better place it in Jean Fooks front garden. Maybe then she might listen to the people who elected her in.

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Eric, Oxford City says...
9:22pm Tue 27 Feb 07

Why do some council members care more about recyling rates than the health of their residents? Why do they treat us with such disdain? The lady in Jericho is right they are turning Oxford into a "plastic-wrapped, modern-day slum". As for the quote from Cllr. Fooks "Other authorities have not noticed a problem" Perhaps she should take some time out to read about the problems residents are having up and down the country with similar schemes.

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dac, Hampshire says...
9:48pm Tue 27 Feb 07

Eric is quite correct - ask Epping Forest District Council why they hastily reverted to weekly collections during the summer months of 2006. 11 other councils have abandoned these schemes too mostly due to public pressure. I know this is not the case in Oxford but so many authorities when introducing alternate weekly schemes also decide to charge for pest control of rats and mice at the same time. They have no idea of the true problems in their areas because rat sightings either go unreported or people buy poison to treat the problem themselves. When still "free" from charge, one council's reported rat sightings increased by more than 100% following introduction of fortnightly rubbish problems. The evidence is there but no council wants to admit it.

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Keith, Farnborough says...
12:18pm Thu 1 Mar 07

Fooks, she of the appropriate Orwellian-named 'councillor for a cleaner city', is talking nonsense and making herself a laughing stock.

She clearly has no understanding of the problems, which have been reported from across the country - smells, flies, maggots, fly-tipping etc.

In a temperate climate like England (and it's getting warmer), then on health grounds alone, you collect waste at least once a week. Or at least that is the advice from the World Health Organisation.

Or are we to go back to the Middle Ages, throw our slops out into the street, use a bucket to draw our water from the local ditch?

Visit historic Oxford and experience a genuine Medieval stench!

What we are seeing is an arrogant councillor who has contempt for the public.

We all need to generate less waste, recycle more. The only way to get the general population to do so is through education and support, not by cutting services.

If you wish to improve recycling, then you focus on recycling, you ensure people put the right waste in the right bin. It has nothing to do with how often waste is collected. In most of Europe waste is collected daily and they recycle more.

Fortnightly waste collection has nothing to do with recycling, it is a cost cutting exercise. Services are being cut with no reduction in local taxes.

Kick her out at the local elections.

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