Reproduced from his blog with acknowledgements to Councillor Andrew Dakers.
Just before Christmas the battle for a fair deal for residents over Mogden entered its latest phase as three Abatement notices were finally issued. This was a key milestone in the battle for better treatment of local residents by Thames Water. MRAG and Cllr Jon Hardy are to be congratulated in their persistence. It was good to see Jon get the recognition he deserves in the Hounslow & Brentford Times as Thames Water, unsurprisingly announce they will be appealing against the Abatement notices. In my view the Leader of the Council was unduly credited for Jon's work in the local media before Christmas.
Along with my colleague Vince Cable MP I have argued that alongside the expansion of the plant approved last year it is essential the six storm water tanks are covered.
For residents that witnessed the Mogden expansion S106 agreement coming back to the Sustainable Development Committee it would have been a depressing experience. Some days after the meeting I am pleased to say that one of the concerns that Cllr Hardy and I pressed on was addressed with the agreement text being revised to read: "......which will be undertaken by an external INDEPENDENT specialist consultancy TO BE JOINTLY AGREED BETWEEN THAMES WATER AND THE LONDON BOROUGH OF HOUNSLOW."
This revised text seems like a good step forward. In implementing this clause though it is vital is that the procurement process is open and transparent and that a cross section of local councillors are involved. I wonder how quickly the Terms of Reference will be drafted?
Cllr Hardy is rightly - at times against the odds - trying to get the different stakeholders to work together to control the blight that is the Mogden stench. It is tough, but thank goodness someone with his tenacity is ensuring residents concerns are heard within the council.
5 comments:
1) March 2009 - Hounslow Council approve plans to expand Mogden by 50%.
2) November 2009 - Hounslow Council serve odour abatement orders on Mogden.
Obvious question, but should'nt number 2 have come before number 1 and because it did'nt, is'nt it rather a hollow gesture unlikely to command compliance ?
It will be up to the court whether they comply but the fear is what will happen when the London Borough of Hounslow walks into the witness box, either here or at the community litigation. Environment officers at Hounslow have been so much in bed with Thames Water that the company can claim to have been misled into thinking everything was rosy.
The OAN was only issued because the ICG piled on the political pressure on the Tories, Environment didn't want to do it and the Tories took their lead from him and the CE. But when the ICG threatened to mix it up the Tories changed tack and left Environment and the CE in the crap by supporting the OAN.
The big text like I say is what the council will do if and when the OAN is upheld because last time they did precisely squat. By that time we ought to know who will be running the council for the next four years.
Hounslow Council lost their chance to exercise ANY sort of control over Mogden the day they approved expansion.
End of story.
Sorry Phil, but this looks like a disgraced administration playing "Simon Says" months after they threw in the towel and the fat lady started singing.
My money's on Thames Water getting the abatement orders declared invalid/unlawful.
I am a recent arrival to Isleworth and cannot believe that the Mogden problem exists in central London in 2010. I also have to say that it has been difficult to find out how to join the protests. Can you make the campaign more visible (none of my neighbours know about any action).
Can we get the Chronicle to publish every candidate's (for upcoming Council and parlimentary elections) views on Mogden (and in the case of counsellors how they voted on the expansion issue!!).
If the current court action fails surely we can get an ASBO in place against thames water? What about a petition to the Prime Minister (with a leaflet drop to publish it)?
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