Health Hazard on Balham High Road Post Reply

[vaudevillegypsy]

I suspect if you live in Balham you have passed the tree stump on the corner of Balham Park Road and the High Road to be confronted with copious amounts of food scraps and pigeons flocking around. On a daily basis a number of elderly people leave these scraps throughout the day. There used to be a beautiful mature tree there until their actions caused the soil to become contaminated and eventually TFL who own the planter, removed the tree. The brick built planter and stump have become a feeding table with varying degrees of rotting matter around them, sometimes the stench is unbearable.

One of the local doctors has taken a soil sample and had a toxicology report run on it. The results are worrying:

The soil contains: Leptospirosis (Viles disease) from rat urine, Botulinum toxins from rotting food, and fungal spores that can lead to histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, and psittacosis from pigeon faeces. What is also shown is Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterial pathogen, again caused by food waste.

This planter/stump is at 'child friendly' height. Please be VERY careful when passing it if you have a buggy as I do not know if some of these bacteria/toxins are airborne. Most worrying is the fact there are schools nearby also. If you or your child touch it, wash your hands as soon as you can. Just avoid going anywhere near it and warn others too.

The toxicology findings have been reported to TFL, however their response says they will be replanting a tree, or possibly replacing the planter as opposed to removing it entirely. I don't believe this is acceptable as the misguided folks leaving the food for the birds are feeding pigeons and rats and will continue to do so once a new tree or planter is in place. I would love it to be possible to have a replacement tree but cannot see how the cycle of pollution can be broken without removing the tree. Several local residents have tried to stop the offenders to no avail.

I hate to be alarmist but it looks like TFL do not understand the problem, so if you have time please call TFL 0845 305 1234 or email them with your concerns londonstreets@tfl.gov.uk

I have spoken to David Kennett today at Wandsworths Environmental Health Team because of the toxicology report. Sadly I received the same response we have had for the past year or so. Unless we can give them the name and address of the culprits leaving food scraps they cannot do anything. His contact details are dkennett@wandsworth.gov.uk or tel 0208 871 8196

I think as many local people as possible should be made aware of this to prevent an unnecessary health hazard.

[Sarah McDermott]

Glad to see local residents taking up their cudgels. As a resident of Balham Park Rd and the local Nightingale ward councillor, I have already been in touch with TfL - but with the ammunition of the horrific health hazard report we should be able to get something done a lot more quickly. Can I suggest that a local resident starts up a petition. I would be delighted to assist and present it at the next Wandsworth Council meeting. The Council can then use it as a lever with TfL.

It would be lovely to have a replacement tree - but only if we can catch the pigeon feeding culprits.

You can contact me on smcdermott@wandsworth.gov.uk

[Toots-1]

Hi everyone,

This sounds horrendous!!

The idea of a petition is a good one - and it may be useful to you to hook up with local residents using the Streetbook.com forum too, which has a good audience of locals in addition to mums

I can't volunteer as I don't live in that area - but just wanted to mention Streetbook as it's been a great resource for community action of this sort, and it's free to all local residents.

good luck
Tracey

[mumble]

There are loads of rats in Balham seriously loads of rats but the High Street is full of food waste all the time.
Last time I e-mailed Wandsworth council about the rats on the street I didn't even get a reply.

Balham is also full of mice everyone I know in Balham has them anyone else probably just doesn't want to admit it (lol)

Surely everyone has heard the one about the mice (or is it rats) all running out of the house down the street as the builders move in?

I actually think Balham is one of the dirtiest places I've ever lived I feel sorry for the street cleaners but there again I just don't understand people who drop rubbish in the street, or spit (unless they have swallowed a fly) or spit chewig gum or for that matter feed birds like you describe

(I sound like I'm from Tunbridge Wells don't I? )

[vaudevillegypsy]

@ mungomuffit
I've been in touch with Councillor Mcdermott today and she has suggested a meeting next week. I've already said I would like to see who else is interested so it would seem sensible to join forces

Send me a PM

[fatherof6]

This sounds horrendous!!

[vaudevillegypsy]

If anyone else is interested in discussing a petition with Cllr McDermott please let me know by PM and I will give you my contact details so we can arrange a meeting with her.

I cannot do this alone but if we get a small team together it will spread the load.

[DinosMom]

How nerve racking, as our GP is just round the corner and we always park on that side street and walk past that stump. Perhaps someone could make a sign and stick it in the ground that says "do not feed the bird - disease causing bacteria present in soil!"

[vaudevillegypsy]

Good news. The planter is currently being removed. There will be a replacement tree but in a normal 'tree hole' such as can be seen on the rest of the street.

Next job, educating the people who are littering our streets...

Thanks to everyone who has helped raise awareness of this problem

[nataliesmummy]

fab news

[ready2pop]

Yes I saw this again today and if anything it is worse now the stump has gone. I'll send an e-mail to TFL now.

It really is disgusting.

[vaudevillegypsy]

Sorry to hear about this. I have actually moved out of London so I can only suggest you get back in touch with Cllr McDermott and see what support she can give you regarding this. She seemed genuinely concerned about the issue when I had a meeting with her. The last correspondence I received from TFL on 22 March batted the blame back to Wandsworth as the pigeon feeding issue is a matter for the Environmental Protection Act which falls under the remit of Wandsworth Council.

Cllr McDermott is your best bet in my opinion as she has the contacts at Wnadsworth plus she was backing an anti littering campaign around the area which received publicity here:
http://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/arc ... crackdown/

Contacting the press is another option, emphasising how TFL and Wandsworth just keep batting the problem back and forth at each other.

Try and get photographic evidence when you can, pretty much everyone has a camera phone these days.