From Sharon Pickard
Sunday, 23 September 2007

The rubbish skip adjacent to the BW service station has had to be removed at the insistence of Calder Valley Council.

BW finance the placement and the emptying of the skip as their service to local users of the canal as they have no refuse collection service.

BW have no other sites to locate the skip which services the boat hire tourists and local boat residents (along with fly tipping).

Already on day one of the absence, there is a growing mound of at least 15 refuse bags piled on the ground. This will lead to pest infestation and rotting rubbish smells very quickly. This will also lead to more rubbish being dumped in the canal itself.

Surely a skip paid for by BW is far more beneficial and healthy than the removal of it?

Who will have the responsibilty of removing the dumped rubbish?

Posted by John Fisher
Sunday, 7 October 2007

Why are people still dumpling rubbish where the skip used to be based? Do these boat dwellers not have the sense to foresee the problems that this may cause?

Perhaps if the boat dwellers paid council tax like everyone else they would be able to call for a council facility to dispose of their waste.
I fear the lure of life on a barge and the chance of evading council tax is far more appealing.

Who will end up footing the bill for the clean up of the former skip site? No doubt it will be people who have absolutely nothing to do with its cause. Yes Calderdale Council and the good tax payers of the borough. Yes those non council tax paying boat dwellers escape again!

Its a good job that the plastic bag ban in Hebden Bridge didn't include bin liners or the pile of rubbish on the former skip site would appear far worse.

Posted by Gwendoline
Sunday, 7 October 2007

I understand that Calderdale is to provide two extra large wheelie bins for canal users' refuse and that these will be emptied either once or twice a week, depending on need. This arrangement is to apply during the 12 months' notice that Calderdale has given to British Waterways during which time they are to find an alternative site for refuse collection. Wheelie bins will I hope deter the flytippers who have frequently and illegally been using the British Waterways skip to dispose of their bulky rubbish.

Posted by Sharon Pickard
Tuesday, 9 October 2007

Just to note, persons living on boats do not evade tax , they pay it in a different way.

To BW, its called a boat license, paid annually and covers the costs incurred by BW in maintaining the waterways and the services required to live on board.eg; Pump out , Loo emptying and rubbish disposal.. hey sounds just like Council tax!!

Posted by Jacob G
Saturday, 13 October 2007

Sharon... it might sound like Council Tax to you, but it isn't. Its a boat license. There are many additional services that Council Tax pays for that it seems are taken for granted by those evading the tax.

Posted by John Fisher
Saturday, 13 October 2007

Sharon, the fees for people living on boats aren't really like council tax are they? Yes I can see that the fees paid are for expenses related to the canal and that's only fair, but what about the everyday services that the boat dwellers use?

Council tax pays for all the councils services including libraries, schools, leisure facilities, roads, hospitals, and the emergency services to name just a few.

I'm sure that people iving on barges use their fair share of these facilities. The question is then who pays for their share? The answer unfortunately is everyone else who pays council tax in Calderdale.

Posted by Mike Brown
Tuesday, 16 October 2007

"Do these boat dwellers not have the sense to foresee the problems that this may cause?"

Why does it have to be a boat dweller? Aren't other people capable of dumping rubbish?

"Perhaps if the boat dwellers paid council tax like everyone else they would be able to call for a council facility to dispose of their waste. I fear the lure of life on a barge and the chance of evading council tax is far more appealing."

Unless the boat dwellers are actually council tax payers as well? Perhaps they own a boat for weekends / holidays - like a caravan?

Why not ask the council to put up a rapid deployment CCTV camera to see who is doing what?

By the way - if this is now a known problem and possible health risk then does the council not have a moral and/or legal duty of care to resolve it - being as it is on their land?

Just a thought.