Dear Lambeth Council,

Victoria Rise is a diverse and engaged community in Clapham, centred around our Baptist Church, primary school, allotments, playground and shared green spaces. It is a street where residents take pride in their surroundings and actively support one another.

Over 241 residents have voluntarily joined a dedicated community WhatsApp group with a shared objective: to improve the cleanliness, safety and quality of our street. This is not an isolated complaint. It is a coordinated community effort.

However, the rubbish situation at the north end of Victoria Rise — particularly around numbers 211–213 (Lambeth housing properties) — has become unmanageable.

Waste is frequently disposed of incorrectly. Collections are missed as a result. Fly-tipping persists. Unpleasant odours build up. Bins remain permanently on the pavement, obstructing access for wheelchair users, pushchairs, elderly residents, postal workers and delivery services. Litter inevitably accumulates around these bins.

Victoria Rise is also a well-used pedestrian route between Clapham Common and Battersea. In addition to residents requiring safe access, the pavement is used daily by members of the wider borough. The public footpath must remain clear, accessible and hygienic.

As highlighted in previous media coverage dating back to the 1990s, this problem is not new. For more than 30 years, residents have attempted to address it through community clean-ups, litter picking, leaf clearing and replacing bins. Most recently, following a coordinated clean-up, the street was cleared — only for bins and further waste to return within 10 hours.

The issues appear to be interconnected:

Since the move to fortnightly waste collection, many properties now have two green bins and two refuse bins. Residents have largely adapted responsibly. There are a few issues throughout the street, however, at 211–213, bins are repeatedly left on the pavement in contradiction of Lambeth’s published guidance that bins should only be placed out from 8pm the evening before collection and returned by 8am the following day.

Community volunteers recently moved the bins into the front garden space, which is a communal area belonging to the property. Within six hours, the bins were returned to the pavement, with additional rubbish littering the floor around them.

The ongoing accumulation of food waste and litter has also resulted in visible vermin activity. Residents have repeatedly observed rats in this area. This is now a matter of hygiene and public safety.

We would also like to highlight a practical solution. Number 211 has a council-installed bike shed in its front garden. Since larger communal bike sheds were installed on the street two years ago — including one directly opposite this property — the individual shed appears redundant. Its removal would create immediate and adequate space for bin storage within the property boundary, providing a straightforward structural solution.

We currently have over 100 resident signatures supporting urgent action and are prepared to provide these formally.

We are not seeking conflict. We are seeking resolution.

In the spirit of community, Victoria Rise residents are willing to assist elderly neighbours, collaborate constructively and support education around correct disposal practices. What we are requesting is coordinated council intervention and a clear, long-term plan that addresses the root causes of this issue once and for all, especially as the biggest challenges lie in Lambeth Housing Properties.

After more than three decades, it is time to resolve this situation in the interests of residents, tenants and the wider borough community.

We respectfully request:

We look forward to working collaboratively towards a permanent solution.

Sincerely,

The Residents of Victoria Rise

Clapham, London