Dean Pit replacement

Tue 24 Jan 2012, 21:17 (last edited on Tue 24 Jan 2012, 21:27)

We tried the Private Eye route, Kat, but they didn't run anything though we did manage to get something into the Express, in fact we got quite a lot of good publcity but OCC are shameless. I received a letter today in reply to my complaint. It said

"The decision not to renew the permission to use Dean Pit was a policy decision taken by the Cabinet and thus not something that can be
investigated under the Corporate Complaints procedure.

I have looked at the Complaints Procedure document snd this is is what it says:

What is a complaint?
Oxfordshire County Council considers a complaint to mean:
An expression of dissatisfaction: about the standard of service, actions or lack of action, by the council, its staff, contractors or volunteers that requires a response.
For example, this could include complaints involving:
•allegations of delay
•unreasonable behaviour by an individual
•poor quality services.

It then goes on to say that policy decisions taken by the Cabinet are not eligible under the complaints procedure and have to be dealt with by the Cabinet or the portfolio holder. Unfortunately we have been round that route several times so there is no point in pursuing this, and I will now be writing to the Ombudsman.

Tue 24 Jan 2012, 12:09

Sounds like Oxfordshires Conservative County Councillors in bringing about the closure of the local recycling centre at Dean Pit, failed to get the message from their leader that he wanted to lead the greenest government ever!

Sat 21 Jan 2012, 21:39

As I said to you on the pavement today, Glena, sounds like we should enlist the help of Private Eye and its Rotten Burroughs column!

Sat 21 Jan 2012, 14:08

It might be, Kat. My feeling is now (after what seems like hours and hours of work) to wait and see what Liz's complaint yields and then go down the Ombudsman route. Or maybe we ought to do mass letter writing at the same time ? They are being completely ruthless. One Charlbury man who has taken up the cause and is writing to Ian Hudspeth (OCC and WODC) in detail, got the reply from Ian that he din't say it would cost £1mill for an upgrade---he said a relocation. When it was pointed out to him (Ian) that it was in the minutes of the July WODC council meeting that he had said upgrade, he simply said that the minutes were wrong and he was surprised I didn't agree !!! It is true that he talked to me after the meeting and subsequently emailed me to say it might mean relocation OR upgrade BUT it is also true that in the meeting itself 3 councillors (including him) all told me v. loudly that a £1mill upgrade was necessary and been demanded by the Environment Agency(both things found to be untrue)
They are trying everything they can to wriggle out of it.

Fri 20 Jan 2012, 19:51

Is it worth giving us all the same addresses and people to write on the "news" section of this website, and getting us all to complain en masse? And post it in the Charlbury Chronicle? Perhaps the leaflet? I can't stand propaganda -- erm, I mean, misinformation. We're just stuffing our garage with more and more ... erm, stuff ... and I can't imagine when we'll ever take it to any pit.

Tue 17 Jan 2012, 21:15

The Ombudsman will only take up cases if a complaint has been made to the council and the council has been allowed time to reply, so I have today lodged a formal complaint about the way in which the decision to close Dean Pit was taken and the fact that the opening of Kidlington has been delayed indefinitely. We shall see what they say but if nothing happens I will go back to the Ombudsman.

Tue 17 Jan 2012, 10:57

The dustmen are on their way, to dump one load as we speak (already), blocking the road, with this huge white van! Please open Dean Pit again WODC I'm busy sorting out my recycling all day. I don't have huge amounts, but I did want to go to Dean Pit.

The recycle truck usually comes up my road around 3pm. What time do they start and finish, does anyone know? Let's keep the campaign going until this is sorted!

Tue 17 Jan 2012, 10:15

I agree with Liz, there are major issues here and nothing makes sense? I wonder how long it will take the re-cycling guys today, to do their job. And, indeed how many trips to dump this trash. I just wish the shops wouldn't over package and provide their own re-cycling bins in their carparks. They have the space and certainly the money. The big five are the only companies making money. I am disappointed that the Conservative party are not looking into this matter and helping the council.

Tue 17 Jan 2012, 10:01

I think that it might well be worth writing to the Local Government Ombudsman. We haven't done that yet and thanks for the idea, Amanda

Mon 16 Jan 2012, 19:23

I have complained to OCC, Amanda. Barry Norton and the others at WODC would not apologise or even acknowledge that they had given me (and everyone else) the wrong information (about the so-called upgrade). What they should have done, of course, was to pursue the matter of Dean Pit on our behalf (we are their constituents and Dean Pit is in WODC area)with OCC. Barry just said 'you should be writing to OCC'. So I did---to Huw Jones, the director of Environment, who had told David Cameron that it 'was just a case of crossed wires', He got his deputy to reply who was the one who said 'I won't go into the reasons for shutting DP as we all know them' (!!!). I have replied to him but so far have got no answer. Apologies for repeating all this but just to let you know again what I have done.

Sun 15 Jan 2012, 15:18

As I understand it, the issue is with OCC, who deal with the waste centres. Perhaps the next step should be with a complaint to OCC. There is a proceedure for doing so and if there is then no satisfactory outcome, the Local Government Oumbudsman. It was OCC who provided the incorrect (there are other ways of describing it!) information.

Sat 14 Jan 2012, 11:06

Actually I haven't. Perhaps I should but I recollect (I think---so much has been said and written since this started) that it wasn't he/her area.

Fri 13 Jan 2012, 19:42

So have you written to the district auditor yet, Glena? I think this was suggested some time back.

Fri 13 Jan 2012, 17:22

Completely agree with all the anger and bafflement expressed here. As I said in one of my (many !!) letters to the authorities, people are cross and will get crosser---which is exactly what is happening. They refused to see that just because the kerbside facility has increased (slightly) and one can ring up and pay for very large items to be taken away, that still leaves a mass of stuff in between---which used to go to Dean Pit. People (esp. post Christmas) are discovering more and more things they used to take to DP and it is extremely vexacious to have to store them until one has a car load and then go all the way to what seems like foreign parts.
I publised the letter I received from OCC saying it was 'all a case of crossed wires' and 'someone' had got confused----the £1mill. upgrade referred to Redbridge not Dean Pit (really, one couldn't make it up !!). So I replied to that expressing horror/concern/disbelief that our highly paid officials could get so easily 'confused' and going through all the reasons again why DP should NOT have closed. I got a reply stating 'I won't go into the reasons DP closed as they are well known to us all' (as I say, you couldn't make it up !!). I have replied saying of course we know the reasons why you SAID DP should close but that doesn't mean we agree with any of them---and asking them to engage with the points in the argument and not keep trying to fob me off with stupid platitudes---so far no answer.

Thu 12 Jan 2012, 22:51

There is disquiet about the situation in Chipping Norton too, see www.cotswoldjournal.co.uk/news/9467986.Fly_tipping_fears_escalate/

Warwickshire are used to people from beyond their boundaries turning up at Shipston - Gloucestershire pays towards the running costs there, as all its own recycling centres are much further from the communities in the north of the county than Shipston is. It does tend to be busy on Saturday and Sunday but generally there's little or no waiting time required if you are able to make it over there on a weekday.

Thu 12 Jan 2012, 08:20 (last edited on Thu 12 Jan 2012, 08:21)

We have tried Shipston. We went on a Saturday morning and it was very busy and we were queuing for quite some time. It is a smaller facility than Standlake and is not open for as many hours. As for how long it takes, I actually think it would depend on which side of Charlbury you lived to decide which is nearer; there is very little difference in driving time. We now allow an hour for the round trip, whichever facility we go to.

Wed 11 Jan 2012, 16:09

I shall definitely use Bing maps in future, then, as they are faster over the same route, even though they make the journey .4 of a mile longer.

Wed 11 Jan 2012, 08:42

Richard; Shipston is (according to Bing maps) 21 mins- one way. Therfore, by the time you have driven there, waited & unloaded then driven back, it is, as I said an hour round trip. :-)

So I stand by my statement that that is totally out of order considering what has been scrapped and all of those involved should hang their heads in shame and resign!

Jon; thank you for the Standlake info, but that is an even longer round trip! :-)

Time for civil disobedience? :-)

Tue 10 Jan 2012, 14:25

Shipston's probably actually only 25 minutes (via Enstone).

Tue 10 Jan 2012, 11:10

By the way, according to Google maps, Standlake recycling centre is 13 miles / 33 minutes from here, while Shipston is 17 miles / 36 minutes. OK, so Shipston is a nicer drive, and you might be en route for Stratford, Compton Verney, etc...

Tue 10 Jan 2012, 10:51

Full details of the Shipston facility are here: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/recyclingshipston

Shipston is a pleasant place to explore while you are there!

Tue 10 Jan 2012, 08:34

Shipston on Stour? Is that really the closest? That is still over an hour round trip (once you have unloaded) rather than a 20 minute one! When you consider we used to have a perfectly servicable site on our doorstep, this situaton is totally out of order! All this does is promote fly tipping (not suggesting you do though!) and all those involved in the closure of Dean pit should hang their heads in shame and resign their positions at once.

Mon 9 Jan 2012, 14:01

It was OCC not WODC who was responsible for the closure, as I was reminded by a WODC officer over Christmas when I was moaning about this ...

Others have recommended the tip at Shipston on Stour, & so do I. However, the opening hours are very limited & vehicle restrictions apply. But it's much quicker than going to Stanton Harcourt. If lots of us turn up, Warwickshire might put pressure on Oxfordshire to sort this out.

Mon 9 Jan 2012, 07:39

Perhaps we should all consider leaving our waste at the WODC offices in Witney? That might concentrate a few minds ...!

Sat 7 Jan 2012, 11:51

Maybe just leaving the waste we would have taken to Dean Pit at the "bring" facility at the Spendlove car park instead would get something done?

Sat 7 Jan 2012, 11:46

So far, all promises of a replacement for the much-missed Dean Pit have been broken. There is nothing on the January WODC Cabinet agenda about the proposed recycling centre at Greystones, in spite of assurances that there would be - we were told back in August that this would be opened as quickly as possible following the closure of Dean Pit, then that a proposal would go to the Cabinet in December and when that didn't happen, that it would be on the January agenda. And no signs yet of the proposed site at Kidlington, which we were told would open in April. OCC are now saying that they are "hoping that the facility will be open by the end of 2012."

So we are still forced to travel to Stanton Harcourt, and likely to have to do so for some time to come.

Please keep writing to remind them that we need a replacement for Dean Pit