Why is Shepherd's Bush Green Such a Mess?

Spring has come at last, good news us all, but bad news for poor Shepherd's Bush Green, which once again has become a public rubbish dump.

Local resident Sonia Carnelli has written to our local council, and councillors, to express her own response to the problem.

Sonia isn't just complaining; she also offers a number of possible solutions that might make things better.

After all, it surely cannot be impossible to clean up Shepherd's Bush Green.  Giving up on our public green spaces - which can at times feel like no-go zones - cannot be the right choice for our neighbourhood.

Why Can't We Clean Up Shepherd's Bush Green?

Shepherd's Bush Green on a Summer Morning

Back in 2014 we first started started posting about the sorry state of Shepherd's Bush Green, and the failure of our Council to do anything about enforcing the law.  Six years on, things are worse than ever.

Walk across Shepherd's Bush Green in the morning and you will see piles of fast food, empty bottles and cans, often dumped right next to the bins.

The worst thing is that there doesn't seem to be any attempt by our Council to enforce the laws against dropping litter. Why not?

How to Stop Fly Tipping

You might think that the last thing a "no fly tipping" sign would stop is fly tipping. But it turns out that you'd be wrong.

The corner of Hopgood St and Macfarlane Rd in Shepherd's Bush has been plagued with fly tipping for years (see photo below), even after CCTV was installed in 2017.

The camera, put in place after long consultation with the Council and the Police, didn't make much difference - perhaps because would-be fly tippers didn't know CCTV was there.

Shepherd's Bush Green is Still a Mess

Shepherd's Bush Green yesterday morning

Two years after we first started started posting about the sorry state of Shepherd's Bush Green, and the failure of our Council to do anything about the enforcement of laws against litter, things are as bad as ever.

Walk across Shepherd's Bush Green in the morning and you will see piles of fast food, empty bottles and cans, and a depressing picture of destitute humanity, for many of whom the serious drinking begins at 8am.

The worst of it is that there doesn't seem to be any attempt by our Council to enforce the laws against dropping litter.

Why Is Our Council Failing Shepherd's Bush Green?

Recently we reported on the sea of litter that greets anyone crossing Shepherd's Bush Green in the morning.

The story got a good deal of traffic, and we received many comments and emails from local residents, suggesting that the state of Shepherd's Bush Green is something that people in our neighbourhood care about.

So we contacted our local Councillors, Mercy Umeh, Natalia Perez, and Andrew Jones to ask them if they could help us out in the fight to clean up Shepherd's Bush Green. What was the result?

Shepherd's Bush Green Is a Mess

Shepherd's Bush Green yesterday morning

Anyone who walks across Shepherd's Bush Green in the mornings will be familiar with the sea of litter that is deposited there every night.

Food, empty bottles, soda cans, McDonalds wrappers - all sorts of junk gets left there - often right next to the bins. It's a depressing sight, and there doesn't seem to be any attempt to enforce the laws against dropping litter.

£80 Fine For Littering in The Bush - Does It Work?

Zero Tolerance. But what does that really mean?

In our neck of The Bush there are plenty of signs threatening "zero tolerance" for litter bugs - and an £80 fine for dropping litter.

In theory, this should mean clean streets, but in practice it doesn't seem to.

In fact, the lamp posts with the "zero tolerance" signs seem to be a favourite gathering place for litter, a special gift for the law enforcers who obviously aren't there.

So, does our Council actually fine anyone for street littering in The Bush?