> ”People would notice very quickly if their bins weren't being collected.”

This was a constant problem at my London council. They collected our rubbish bin reliably, but never our council-supplied recycling bin. Eventually we found out that the rules had changed and recycling had to be put in specially marked clear plastic bags, but the bags were almost impossible to get. You literally had to go to the local library on a specific day of the week to get told “no sorry, the bags didn’t come in this week, try again next week”. They literally couldn’t make it any more difficult or kafkaesque. Eventually we just learned to take our recycling down the street to an estate building and dump it in their bins.

And at the same time this was going on, the same council was spending money on billboards and bus stop advertising encouraging people to recycle!

Tower Hamlets, you are the absolute worst!

My wife was in a flat in Wandsworth for a bit, through which I learnt they're not actually required to do recycling collection. Landlord provided a communal refuse bin, but no recycling. Wandsworth won't collect bags on street from residents above businesses (but those businesses can put bags on street twice a week, that's no problem).

I think they suggested a couple of recycling centres it could be taken to, but who really is doing that, especially without a car.

In a similar vein: it turns out councils are only liable for pothole-related damage if they know about the pothole - i.e. if it was reported or they found it themselves. Maybe fair enough.

But the county of Gloucestershire fixed the issue by ceasing all pothole inspections. If they don't know about them, they aren't liable.

On this basis, they reject 97% of all claims.

Based on our experience many of the potholes around us (in Gloucestershire) get fixed

My source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crlnwdy0e72o

You could probably wardrive that data....

Tower Hamlets is absolutely the worst borough in London. It's dirty and it stinks - and that's just the election results! They make bankrupt Croydon look respectable.

Location-wise, I really enjoyed living there. Close to everything with great cycle routes. Easy access to fast tube/Elizabeth line connections. Some nice parks, and great walking/running routes along the canals/docks/river. Quick walk (or illegal cycle) through the tunnel to Greenwich.

But you're right, politically it's a disaster! During one of the general elections a few years back there was a local referendum held on the same night about how the mayoral governance was going to work in the borough. Rahman (who's now the mayor) actually had his thugs posted at the doors accosting voters as they arrived and urging them to vote for his preferred option. Police were there keeping an eye on them but didn't seem to be intervening. Guess this sort of electoral interference is okay in Tower Hamlets!