Forum Topic

Once upon a time in Isleworth ...

FROM THE LETTERS PAGE OF THE HOUNSLOW CHRONICLE, SEPTEMBER 14 1989:Picture the scene if you will ... another ordinary, sleepy Sunday afternoon in Isleworth (if you forget the barking dogs); only the ever present foul pong of Mogden Sewage Works pervading the late summer air, as usual, this long, hot summer.Another resident with a delicate nose knocks at the door, 'Would you care to sign a petition regarding the smell from Mogden?', you bet!You return to the box to catch up on the latest soap omnibus to be greeted by the most wonderful, the most glossy, the most expensive ad which is urging all to become H2O owners of yes! it's the great water sell-off!Glossy?, expensive?, downright obscene and offensive if you live within sniffing distance of Mogden: how can this £22m extravaganza be justified?Psst! anyone got an old gas-mask?- Vanessa Smith, Crane Avenue, Isleworth.

Robin Taylor ● 6088d22 Comments

Quite right, Andrew.What makes the market economy more efficient and dynamic is that it is based upon competition. But the replacement of a publicly-owned monopoly with a privately-owned monopoly does not increase competition at all. The Conservatives privatised the water utilities in 1989 purely as a gift to their friends in the city (who, in turn, rewarded the Tories by giving the party a £50,000 donation from TW in the run-up to the 1992 General Election).

Robin Taylor ● 6087d

The complete nonsense of privatisation of the water utilities is that they are essentially licensed monopolies, with profit levels effectively negotiated with the regulator OFWAT.  Where is the competitive dynamic in that?  Current reviews seem to recognise these problems - for example, see http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/competition/review/rpt_com_noursecover.pdfAt the moment there is no competition in the sewage market (except in the market for supply of goods/ services to Thames Water et al).  See http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/competition/competitonfaqs/prs_faq_wslwasteeffluThames Water's response in Aug 08 to competition discussions (which seems very well considered to me) can be found here: http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/content?id=9cc28d01-cc18-11dd-aec2-6b04a8ad5c21Of course none of this answers the question of whether the resource costs to society of creating/ managing a competitive market in water supply justify the benefits.Andrew

Andrew Dakers ● 6087d

"Those who claim allegiance to mainstream Tory politics are therefore conning you if they claim to be concerned about the Mogden pong. (Unless, of course, they live within its purview.)"Can you think of an example of any who have?

Phil Andrews ● 6087d

I was against the Iraq war and wrote to my Labour MP, but there you go...

Colin Murphy ● 6087d

The biggest irony of the posts on this thread is the failure to pick up on the point that Vanessa's letter was AGAINST privatisation of the water utilities, soon to be carried out by the Thatcher governments.Water utilities, in the main, were originally set up by local authorities for the benefit of their communities. Privatisation meant that the only issue of concern for these capitalist organisations is the profit generated. It follows that any Tory who admires Thatcher and her sell off of community assets should fully support the objective of Thames Water to defend the bottom line whatever the consequences. Those who claim allegiance to mainstream Tory politics are therefore conning you if they claim to be concerned about the Mogden pong. (Unless, of course, they live within its purview.)

John Connelly ● 6087d

Happy to, just so long as you'll allow me to correct my typo ("attitude").

Phil Andrews ● 6088d

"The misery caused to residents by the additude of the Thames Water management is too important to become a plaything in your yah-boo world of adversarial party politics."You don't have a sense of self-irony, do you Phil? So we'll just leave that remark hanging in the air, shall we?

Robin Taylor ● 6088d

Robin There is something about the New Labour psyche which reacts very badly to any suggestion of residents being able to do anything without the guidance of the hallowed party machine.A few years ago Labour tabled a motion at Borough Council praising the then Mayor of London Ken Livingstone for the success of the Safer Neighbourhood Teams. I proposed an amendment acknowledging the success of the Mayor but extending our praise to all those lay people, residents' leaders and other members of the public who had given their time to attend the panels and help make the project work.  New Labour described my amendment as "spiteful"!The simple fact is that every initiative to tackle the Mogden problem has begun with residents, and would have rapidly petered out without their tenacious commitment to see things through.  It is fair comment to say that thus far under the current administration no more, and arguably less, has been done to support those residents than under the previous one, however I strongly suspect that the previous administration did not suffer the internal resistance to their efforts that our half of the current administration is increasingly having to confront in our efforts.  The good news is that we as community councillors are fanatically committed to overcoming these obstacles to a degree that our predecessors clearly weren't.  It is action and resolve, not pieces of paper, that our community needs.  New Labour served Abatement Notices but then stood idly by and watched while Thames ignored them and the bureaucracy at Hounslow Civic Centre was content to allow it to happen.We in the ICG, through our Community Empowerment program which impacts fundamentally upon the whole organisation, intend to bring about root and branch changes which in the longer term will ensure that the bureaucracy will willingly accept the leadership of the community in all its dealings.The misery caused to residents by the additude of the Thames Water management is too important to become a plaything in your yah-boo world of adversarial party politics.  Residents are being equipped to take control of the situation because politicians and bureaucrats have repeatedly failed them.

Phil Andrews ● 6088d

"... well it might be stinking even more had Hounslow's previous Labour council not served an abatement notice in order to get Thames Water to comply with its obligations."....but Thames hasn't complied with its legal obligations. It flaunts them every day."perhaps in the 1980s it would have been worse had the then Labur Councillor Peter Smith and the local authority not backed up Pat Cole's petition with the threat of legal action."I don't know but since 2001 its hard to believe that it could EVER have been any worse and that the people of Hounslow and Richmond would have possibly put up with it. "Has the current Tory administration threatened any legal retaliation in its nearly four years of existence yet?"No they haven't. The Environmental Dept is not fit for purpose. It is wet,weak and apathetic.

Steve Taylor ● 6088d

... well it might be stinking even more had Hounslow's previous Labour council not served an abatement notice in order to get Thames Water to comply with its obligations.Likewise, perhaps in the 1980s it would have been worse had the then Labur Councillor Peter Smith and the local authority not backed up Pat Cole's petition with the threat of legal action.Has the current Tory administration threatened any legal retaliation in its nearly four years of existence yet?

Robin Taylor ● 6088d

"How do you know? You've only been living in the area since the late 1990s."Er - because it stinks

Steve Taylor ● 6088d

"Labour did NOTHING until residents took control of the issue and forced the first Abatement notice in 2001."How do you know? You've only been living in the area since the late 1990s.

Robin Taylor ● 6088d

"We are now talking about 1989"Oh - I thought we were now in 2009. Good grief - a petition in 1985 and Labour did NOTHING until residents took control of the issue and forced the first Abatement notice in 2001. By 'residents' I of course mean the Action Group formed by one Phil Andrews and one Hanifa Dobson.

Steve Taylor ● 6088d

Hold on a minute, you said Pat Cole had organised the 1985 petition. We are now talking about 1989. Were these two seperate petitions both about the general pong - or about some specific aspect of the plant - and did they achieve their objectives?

Robin Taylor ● 6088d

"Would be interested to know who is organising the petition though - any ideas Robin?"Pat Cole, later to become Vice Chair of the ICG.

Phil Andrews ● 6088d

Yep - excellent letter. Surprised at the author though as she was the one who said she'd sorted out Mogden back in 2001 and all was rosy, the smell was gone etc etc.  Would be interested to know who is organising the petition though - any ideas Robin?Point of interest:  Now that Labour moved to double the site capacity and ensure the odour is increased over the next 5 years, Thames Water is apparently going to subcontract the running and management of the site. No doubt to increase profits even more.

Steve Taylor ● 6088d

Sounds eminently sensible - can't see why she stays in either.

Mick Brent ● 6088d

She supports fox hunting and is a Europhobe. Can't see why she's in the party, really.

Robin Taylor ● 6088d

No, Mohammed Ali Hussein and Osiris Akkebala. The former was from Leeds and the latter from the USA, so their connection with Vauxhall was tenuous to say the least.Mollie would not have supported any by-election campaign unless there was a free drink involved, but that's another story.Vauxhall was the one where Kate Hoey was first elected to parliament btw.  I found her quite charming at the election count, but I gather you are not a fan?

Phil Andrews ● 6088d

Don't worry, Phil. Your secret is safe with me.By the way, tell me about these two black community leaders who supported Patrick Harrington's NF candidacy in the 1989 Vauxhall by-election. I'm intrigued. Was one of them called Asante, perchance?

Robin Taylor ● 6088d

You know I fear any mention of my political history Robin.  If my constituents find out about it I'm done for.

Phil Andrews ● 6088d

A perennial problem, I suppose.By the way, when you saw the title of the thread, did you think it was going to be another historical gem about you? Betchya did.

Robin Taylor ● 6088d

Good letter, but what is your point exactly?

Phil Andrews ● 6088d