Staplehurst Village

BELL LANE RE-CYCLING CENTRE
Official Adoptee: Friends of All Saints

There is a re-cycling centre in the Bell Lane Car Park for Glass, Paper, Cardboard, Metal Tins and Aluminium, Shoes and Clothing.

If any of the re-cycling bins become full, it would be a great help if you could telephone to report it on the following numbers:

GLASS: 01977 608020
PAPER, CARDBOARD, METAL TINS & ALUMINIUM: 01622 602162
SHOES: 0500 827198
CLOTHING: 0845 4581999

If you are elderly or housebound, with no other means of getting your recycling materials to Bell Lane Car Park, please telephone John Stewart on 892982 to request a free collection.

MBC Graffiti Removal Service
Private landowners, residents and businesses can now apply to MBC for a graffiti removal service. Subject to assessment for suitability and the work taking up to ½ a day the cost would be £26. Enquiries should be made to MBC Cleansing Call Centre on 01622 602162.

Don't Let Your 'Best Friend' Spoil Our Streets
A message from Maidstone Borough Council's Civic Wardens:
The Council is very concerned about our streets and open spaces. We want to make sure your street is clean and free of dog mess, so as to give you a better quality of life.
We have received a number of requests from local residents asking the 'Hit Squad' to come and clean your street of dog mess. Dog mess is unsightly and a health risk, especially to children. If caught not cleaning up, the dog owner can face a fixed penalty fine on the spot for £50 or, if prosecuted, a hefty fine of up to £2,500. It also wastes a great deal of our resources (and your Council Tax) clearing up all this mess.
We would like to work together with you in solving this problem. What we propose to do:
* Ask that dog owners clean up after their dogs. When available there are free plastic bags at the council reception points or just use old plastic bags you have - pop it in a doggie bin or take it home for disposal.
* Ask residents to contact the Hit Squad on 01622 602162 if your street needs cleaning.
* Ask residents to report any dog owner who doesn't clean up after their dog - by phoning the Civic Wardens on 01622 602117. They will step up their patrols, put up signs and visit any owner who is breaching the law.
* If there is a persistent problem we will bring in mobile CCTV cameras to catch the offenders.
It is generally only a few dog owners who flout the law and don't clean up. If you're one of these think again, we intend to use every power open to us to clean up our environment for you, your children and your neighbours.

Green Garden Sacks
Maidstone Borough Council Green Garden Sacks (available from Spuds & Buds and the Parish Office) cost £2.25 for a roll of 5. Garden waste will only be collected if it is in the MBC printed green sacks and left beside your wheeled bin.
Please do not overload Green Garden Sacks - spare a thought for the collectors having to pick them up! Please do not put turf, foil, stones, animal waste or bedding, large branches, logs, tree stumps or kitchen scraps in the Green Garden Sacks. If you have a great deal of garden waste to dispose of, it may be more cost-effective for you to hire a blue-lidded wheelie bin from Maidstone Borough Council instead of buying green sacks. Contact MBC on 01622 602162 or send an email via their website at http://www.digitalmaidstone.co.uk.

Fly Tipping
"Keep Britian Tidy" is launching a national month-long fly tipping campaign. Residents are urged to report fly tipping offences, with the aim of catching those responsible, as well as clearing fly tipping as soon as possible after it has been reported. The local rate number until mid-June is: 0845 3000 630 and calls will be reported to Maidstone Borough Council via a call centre.
If you see anyone dumping rubbish - call the TIP OFF Line 0845 3000 630 with full details. The usual MBC Cleansing Hotline 01622 602162 will remain in operation for any other reports or queries regarding cleansing and environmental issues.

Bulky rubbish collections
Visit the MBC website at http://www.digitalmaidstone.co.uk for comprehensive and up to date information.

Kerbside Collections in 2005/06
Looking to the future Kent County Council has proposed to site a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) alongside the Waste to Energy Incinerator at Allington. Once operational (KCC currently estimates Summer 2005) we plan to commence co-collection of dry recyclables including paper, card, cans and some plastic in one strong "survival" bag along with other domestic refuse using only one vehicle. The bag would be separated from other waste and the contents sorted at the MRF for recycling. At this time recycling collections will be expanded and all of Staplehurst Parish would be included in the scheme.

Garden Waste for Composting
If you are able to compost vegetable and garden waste yourself, so much the better for you, the environment and your garden. MBC Green Garden Sacks can be purchased from the Parish Office or Spuds 'n Buds Greengrocers in the High Street for £2.25 per roll of 5.

Useful paper waste tips
* On rainy days, keep your paper dry with a plastic bag (which will be left after collection for re-use).
* Use a brick or big stone to stop your paper getting blown away.
* Wrap paper scraps or receipts inside a larger sheet of paper.
* Take greetings cards and wrapping paper to your local cardboard bank for recycling.
* Remember, as well as newspapers & junk mail, magazines and store catalogues can also go into your box for recycling.

For further details on rubbish disposal or recycling issues please visit the MBC web site at http://www.digitalmaidstone.co.uk/environment/refuse_and_recycling.aspx or ring the MBC hotline on (01622) 602162 during working hours.