Lambeth Council has decided to close the Vale Street Waste Depot to general waste.  It will in future take recycling only.  This decision was made without any consultation with local residents. Conservative councillors in Gipsy Hill forced the Council to reconsider and won concessions, but the closure will still go ahead.  Knights Hill’s Labour councillors did not even attend the meeting to speak on behalf of residents.

We discovered that of the 6,000 tons of household waste dumped at Vale Street, 4,800 tons is dumped by commercial users and non-Lambeth residents: groups that should not be using the site.  If this waste could be managed elsewhere – in the borough it came from for example – the council could massively reduce traffic and noise, and yet still have a collection service for residents.  Sadly, the council refused to consider this option: instead it is continuing with a policy that could lead to hundreds of tons of flytipping in this area.

A supervisor used to manage the movement of vehicles entering the site, but was withdrawn recently.  We are not convinced that alternative options have been properly explored, including:

• Restoring the supervisor at the entrance to the site or introducing a licence system
• Restricting use of the facilities to Lambeth residents only.  This is done for residents in other boroughs.

Vale Street will continue to provide recycling facilities and there are plans to improve the service.  We support these particular plans, but they will not compensate for the loss of the general waste facility at Vale Street.

If you object to the closure of this local facility, please complete the e-form below.  We will make the council aware of the strength of feeling on this issue, and keep you in touch with any developments.