Focus time

With no Council meetings for the past couple of weeks, the main political activity has been in the ward. The latest North Road Focus (number 106) as usual stimulated a steady stream of phone calls and emails from constituents about local problems. During the past week I have been contacted about bus routes, litter, dog mess, anti-social behaviour, a dangerous wall, a planning appeal and the travellers' site.
Unfortunately, just as the nice weather makes delivering more enjoyable, it also allows some anti-social families to open their front doors and windows, sit on the pavement outside their houses, drink and play music loudly, much to the annoyance of their neighbours. Last year Gurney Street was plagued by a couple of families, this year the problem has moved elsewhere in the ward.
Many of the streets in North Road ward are of small Victorian terraced houses opening straight onto the pavement. In these circumstances, by their selfish and socially unacceptable behaviour, a couple of problem families can transform a hitherto pleasant street.
The complainants have to keep a diary of their neighbour's behaviour, to provide evidence for the ASB team to act on. One of the problems is that the wardens are only on call up to 10pm and the police just don't respond to calls about late night noise. People feel powerless in the face of anti-social provocation and believe the police don't take their problems seriously.