Trees selfishly dumped at top of Bovill Road

There are now upwards of 50 Christmas trees dumped at the top of Bovill Road in front of the gate which says clearly “Emergency Access - Keep Clear”.

This happens every year.

This isn’t just lazy and unsightly fly tipping (which is 100% illegal!) - it is dangerous, full stop. Whoever introduced traffic calming measures in our area obviously decided that there needed to be a gate which is capable of opening and letting ambulances / fire brigades through should there be an emergency on Bovill Road and the surrounding streets.

How stupid / selfish are people around here?

But of course they are considerate and neighbourly enough to leave two gaps to ensure the cyclist rights of ways are protected - but what about the emergency services!?

Councils used to drive around and pick them up on a certain day. And many councils still do.

This is Lewisham Councils fault who make people take them to ridiculous places when most people in London don’t even have a car.

Not to mention their terrible hard waste service.

Their policies actively encourage fly tipping.

The council has designated a spot just 5 mins walk away from this location by Blythe Hill fields. How closer could anyone possibly want.

If people can get the trees home, they can get them to the appropriate spot for disposal.

If people can carry them home they can carry them to where they are taken away. The only reason they choose not to is laziness.

Report it on fix my street. Lewisham are pretty quick to respond.

I think it’s already been reported.

I certainly think the council could help. as Southwark appear to be able to do, as @promofaux alludes to in the recycling points thread here.

I also think people need to take some responsibility to not drop them by an emergency entrance - ironically most likely be the people who would need the service most potentially.

Poor work all round really.

Yep, the report is here with a nice picture clearly showing the problem:

http://lovelewisham.com/Home/Details/51441609-ee8a-4fab-b9b8-b832f3e9d1f2

1923962.0.full1536×2048 221 KB

This is shameful. Bad enough dumping them but on a emergency exit is unforgivable, these people should be ashamed of themselves.
Christmas trees are not a neccessity so if you are going to struggle to dispose of them properly, don’t have one.

They were being picked up just before 7 this morning. There’s so many there it seems that people think its an approved drop off

Hi.

Where is the closest Xmas tree deposit place in Forest Hill.

I live on Devonshire Road without a car and none of the places look remotely near.

Anyone else in same situation and what did you do?

I complained to our local Labour councillor Chris Barnham yesterday and he promptly replied saying he had reported it to the environment department and that it would be picked up today. Impressive work by him.

Many of the people that sell Christmas trees deliver them, so they should come to pick them up too. I imagine a lot of the sellers are pretty fly by night (judging by the illegal flyposting some of them engage in) but reputable sellers like Shannon’s, who I believe deliver, may also collect. I believe Angie has a licence from LBL to sell in Queensthorpe Square, so maybe she delivers/collects. Worth asking the sellers.

Of course the problem would be solved if Lewisham picked them up as part of routine refuse collection, like other boroughs do.

My husband dragged our tree all the way down the Kirkdale hill and then uphill to Wells Park to a collection point. But not everyone’s as able bodied. Barely a needle left on it by the end.

We tried a living tree last year but it didn’t have much in the way of roots so didn’t survive the summer.

It seems to work for those people. the Council obliges them by collecting the trees.

It’s more difficult to take trees to the official tree disposal points, than to get them home, because the trees are generally netted when purchased which makes them easier to handle. Even when netted, I can only just fit a tree in my small car.

Agreed, not having netting does make them trickier to carry, but that should not be an excuse for people blithely dumping their trees on the street. Unfortunately, once Christmas is over people want rid as quickly as possible. A woman managed to carry hers part way down Como then casually left it on the street and strolled away. Out of sight, out of mind is people’s philosophy here.

We chop ours up and put it in the brown bin.

Me too! Christmas Tree branches are easily pruned off with secateurs, it just took a bit of sawing of the trunk to reduce it to < 50cm lengths for the bin - so possibly not for everyone, but definitely an option for some.

If there’s no agreement about rules and values, then the most powerful social sanction - which is shame - ceases to apply.

Yes. But that’s not real life is it… This is how society functions and councils should be aware of that. Many places also do home delivery of trees too.

Its also Lewisham Council who are very adverse to fining their own residents.

With respect, many many people play the game and remove their trees legally. Why should the council have to use more of your money to cater for those that don’t care?

No-one has suggested that the Council should do that. But if they don’t organize an official tree collection, they will inevitably end up taking many trees from curbside and pavements over the next few weeks. They do enable the lawless by picking up after them.

That is truly awful. Have people no respect for the road they live in, without blocking the roadway, what is the matter with these people. If whoever is responsible could be found, thru should be fined!

I agree on the official route 100%, just not happy that the council has to divert scarce resources because some people are lazy and can’t take their trees to an official site

But how can you be so sure that the problem is laziness? Couldn’t there be other reasons? Maybe some people are overworked and underpaid, struggling to

give their kids a nice Christmas, sort their household waste into the four bins that spoil their small front garden. Maybe it feels like too much to drag a tree half a mile through the streets when everyone knows that most Councils do organize a Christmas tree collection. So leaving the tree in an ‘unauthorized’ spot could be a protest.

It could be bloody-minded antisocial behaviour disregarding the ‘community’ and any rules that help us to live in harmony. And there could be many more reasons, but I doubt laziness is the culprit. It isn’t ‘lazy’ to buy a tree, get it home and decorate it.

That’s the point that John made.

Regardless of how “overworked and underpaid” people feel they are, if they’re able to go and buy a tree and transport it to their home, they ought to be able to dispose of it responsibly.

…in a way that doesn’t endanger life (by blocking emergency routes) and doesn’t cost other taxpayers money (paying council workers to traipse around every street that might have a dumped tree)

Buying a tree and decorating it costs money. Disposing of it costs time.

I think a lot of you are confusing distances. It is 100m to the nearest selling place in forest Hill Station, but I think it is 1kn to drop it off. Most peeps can carry a small wrapped tree that far, but not an unwrapped tree for 20mins.
Lewisham refuse collection is awful and barely collects rubbish twice a month, so quite happy the fault at least partly less with them

…from where exactly? Now I am confused.

Maybe not everyone has that time to spare. If you are a single parent with full-time job, choosing between an hour reading with your kids or dragging a tree through the streets, what is the best use of your time?

The spread of the post-Christmas unwrapped tree makes it physically much more awkward to transport than the wrapped tree you originally purchased. Difficult enough to get it out of the house, if your doorways and hall are narrow.

Agreed, but equally no excuse whatsoever for them to just dump it out of sight from where they live and think that’s ok. That‘s selfish as well as lazy.

I think it really is a false economy for the Council not to collect the trees along with standard household waste collection. Dragging a tree half a mile up and down hills is not only a big task for many but leaves a trail of debris that our poor overworked street cleaners have to deal with.

Law abiding, socailly responsible people who don’t drop litter or spit chewing gum and other noxious substances all over our pavements already have to pay for others mess to be cleared up anyway. So why not just pick up the trees with household refuse collection and save a whole lot of unpleasantness?

They could of course buy an artificial tree. Have it for years & no problem about disposing! They are supposed to be more environmentally friendly as well.

Ah well, I read somewhere that they are good, but I suppose there are downsides to most things.