Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Mayor Jason Perry releases video evidence showing rubbish contractors falling short of service expectations, sparking public outcry and demand for action.
Just six months after awarding the garbage contractors a £40 million long-term contract to maintain the cleanliness of the borough’s streets, Jason Perry, the unsuccessful mayor of Croydon, has abandoned Veolia.
It’s possible that he has witnessed his Conservative Party colleague Chris Philp turn into a sort of “video star,” as evidenced by social media videos that show the Tory MP acting foolishly and causing trouble by shoving microphones into the faces of strangers he encounters on the street.
It’s more likely that Perry, who is already in a terrible situation, will have been prompted to take action after watching another offensive film of Rowenna Davis, his Labour opponent for mayor of Croydon next year, riding a bicycle around the borough and pointing at trash heaps.
“On London Road we found a shameless fly-tip – with a local resident’s personal correspondence dumped in it,”
says Perry, the Mayor notorious for presiding over the mass dumping of library books by council contractors in Broad Green.
“This is lawlessness. We will not allow Croydon’s streets to be treated as dumping grounds.
Residents are furious at ‘disgusting’ fly-tipping outside their homes. They are right. It is disrespectful and unlawful – and action will be taken,”
Perry said.
However, this is the most cynical and dishonest form of political grandstanding. The failed mayor is aware that, for the most part, nothing is ever done.
Since 2022, Perry’s piles have gotten significantly worse. Despite being one of the worst local authorities in the nation for fly-tipping, Perry’s council only brought four fly-tipping convictions during the first three years of his tenure.
In contrast, Croydon Council recorded 171 fly-tipping prosecutions in 2017.
Since Veolia and his council’s enforcement team have proven to be so ineffective, Perry may have been desperate enough to have himself videotaped on the phone, calling a number he discovered among the trash on the street.
The pavements in Croydon are stained and sticky with dried “bin juice,” the streets are rarely, if ever, swept, and there are piles of trash everywhere you look.
Large belly bins, such as the one on Saturday’s North End, were a costly gimmick that no longer functioned.
Under Labour, the council funded the ostentatious “new tech” solution known as the Big Belly Bins to make Veolia’s job easier (and less expensive, for them).
“The council takes no responsibility or accountability, instead putting all the blame on residents.”
And Hooker smells like a rat, too. Not out on Norbury High Street, but in the council offices:
“We have asked for documentation on this system, but none has been forthcoming, which makes us suspect that none actually exists!”
What specific failures does Perry’s video highlight about Veolia’s collections?
The video shows bins overflowing with garbage that Veolia has failed to collect in a timely manner. It exposes significant illegal dumping of waste, particularly in areas with the “banded” waste collection system, indicating inadequate enforcement and collection schedules.
The video points out that these smart bins, which are supposed to compact waste and reduce collection frequency, are often unmanaged and overflowing. Veolia’s operations lack sufficient supervision, leading to widespread litter and unaddressed waste accumulation.
The footage suggests a sharp drop in fly-tipping prosecutions under Perry’s administration and ineffective contractor management to prevent or address these issues.