Streets are Filthy According to Leaked Labour Email

2.35.00pm GMT Fri 9th Nov 2007

Lib Dem Ahmad Ali sees the truth about unswept streets like here in Kempshott Road

Labour members have now been caught out privately agreeing with Liberal Democrat councillors who have been complaining for more than a year about the rapidly declining standards of street cleaning since Labour took control of the Town Hall.

Lib Dem councillors have been responding to furious complaints from residents that streets are left full of litter and debris which never seems to be swept. But Labour's cabinet member in charge of the environment denied there were any problems and accused Lib Dems of simply taking cheap shots at the administration.

Now, in a sensational gaffe, Labour councillors have been caught out by accidentally copying a Lib Dem opposition councillor into an email intended for the same cabinet member privately complaining that streets in their area were filthy.

Labour Group Chair and member fro Streatham South, Cllr Dave Malley, said in his email that "The street cleaning situation is causing more and more comment in Streatham Vale. The consensus seems to be that some streets seem not to have been swept for weeks, examples of rubbish that stays for weeks have been cited, the area looks run down and uncared for and people who used to see sweepers regularly have not seen them for ages.

Cllr Malley adds, "Sorry to bang on about this, but the current position is very worrying and it will be a political problem very soon if matters do not improve."

We have news for Councillor Malley, IT IS NOW! And we wonder whether it is entirely appropriate that the Labour Group Chairman should be secretly lobbying a cabinet colleague to improve the street sweeping environment in the road where he lives?

Try as Labour might to pretend that this is a local issue, Liberal Democrats know that standards have fallen right across the borough. The question is, what are they going to do about it?

Lambeth just gets dirtier under Labour.

FULL TEXT OF EMAIL THAT SHAMES LABOUR

From: Malley,David Cllr

Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 10:29:37 PM

To: Peck,Lib Cllr

Cc: Kazantzis,John Cllr; Bennett,Clive Cllr

Subject: Street Cleaning

Lib

The street cleaning situation is causing more and more comment. John has just submitted a series of MEs on problems in Streatham Vale following a walk about with residents there. He and I have just returned from a Neighbourhood Watch mtg for the other half of the ward where there was a good deal of concern spontansoulsy expressed.

The consensus seems to be that some streets seem not to have been swept for weeks, examples of rubbish that stay for weeks have been cited, the area looks rund down and uncared for and people who used to see sweepers regularly have not seen them for ages. In general the view is that street sweepeing has deteriorated.

As previously discussed our own observations comfirm this view.

For reference, the roads high lighted tonight were: Colmer, Danbrook, Hepworth, Glencairn and Ellison.

Sorry to have to bang on about this, but the current position is worrying and it will be a political problem very soon if matters do not improve.

Regards

Dave

Councillor David Malley