Pollards Hill, Croydon

The introduction of a new borough-wide waste collection strategy, meant that Moat Homes, a registered provider of social housing for Merton Council, were looking at new, compliant waste management options for their residential estates.

With the focus on Croydon’s Pollards Hill Estate, a large 1960’s development with 55 blocks of flats and 850 properties in total, Moat was keen for the new bin system to provide easy-to-use recycling facilities, address issues of side waste and fly-tipping, and meet fire safety standards.

Moat carried out a comprehensive refurbishment of the estate from 2016-2021, and the challenge for planners Airey Miller as they developed an effective waste and recycling strategy was finding a suitable location for a communal waste and recycling hub for each block of flats. They needed to comply with fire safety guidelines and be accessible for both the residents and collectors in the normal way, but the layout of the estate meant that they were very susceptible to fly-tipping.

After discussions with Merton Council, an agreement was reached to place both the flats and houses on a communal collection round, ensuring that all adjoining properties received the same levels of service. The planning consent had to be amended, with additional parking spaces provided to make up for those lost in the creation of the waste and recycling hubs. The phased installation was completed by metroSTOR in partnership with contractor United Living between March and October 2021.

Alan Mortimer MCIOB, Regeneration Programme Manager at Moat, had some interesting insights into how the waste and recycling hubs have performed at Pollards Hill:

“There were some mixed reactions to the initial roll-out, but residents have quickly become accustomed to using the communal facilities and we’re already seeing a reduction in fly-tipping and a lot more recycling, largely because the facilities are accessible, safe and easy to use. Along with the other work we have done around the estate with upgrades to the homes and the surrounding landscaping, I believe that the waste and recycling hubs have made a lasting improvement to the Pollards Hill neighbourhood and the residents’ daily lives.”