Site visits are one of the best things about being a Councillor because you can point to an issue and say to a council officer: "there you go, what do you think of that!" and they will see it rather than just note a name of an area from an email.
This morning I spent a few hours doing the rounds in Three Score, a new development in my ward, with 2 highly experienced council officers looking at the situation. What we saw was rubbish, weeds, broken glass, fly tipping, over grown bushes, hacked back bushes and a real sense that the footpaths in particular had no care in them.
One resident said to me it felt like a "forgotten" area - except, he added, when they needed his tax money.
There's a lot that needs to be done - the residents here pay full council tax and demand full services. Next week I am showing the City Council CEO around the area too in a bid to raise its profile and get the action it needs.
1 comment:
Just down the road at Larkman Lane with Earlham Green Lane junction; I wish some Officer or Councillor would look at the unbelievable state of the road surface; multi pot holes; multi failed patchwork bodgeups. Needs serious looking at and substantial area resurfacing.
As you mention Antony; unless officers actually forced into a accompanied instection; emails are archived and little or nothing happens. We had this obstacle a few years back with level crossing safety and officer lack of safety priorities. Now officers see the errors of their ways and Park Lane, Heigham Lane, Larkman Lane, 2 new Bowthorpe crossings are spanking new; freshly marked, pimple paving for the blind, new zappie amber lights; safety now paramount!
But should non professional public have to point out these obvious aspects of proper maintenance when professional officer monitoring and works scheduling should be in place with regards to litter, over school holiday graffiti, last winters road damage still evident, missing street signs, overgrown trees and bushes?
As you say, a quick inspection reveals many unmaintained things; action required, rather than the back burner.
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