As a ward councillor, I sometimes get asked to sort out some small problem that really doesn't need me to take action: but I'm always happy to help out where I can. Perhaps the complainant doesn't know where to turn for help, or perhaps - and this is a real indictment of "local democracy" - he or she thinks no-one in authority will take any notice of their complaint, so they turn to the ward councillor to sort things out for them.
One such problem arose recently in Pendleton Road. There is a small building there belonging to Northern Gas Networks. I know that because there's a plaque on the door saying so. As you can see, one of the walls beside the steps had fallen down and was potentially dangerous - young children play around the area.
A local resident contacted me to ask if the wall could be repaired and if the rubble which had spread around could be cleaned up. This resident also told me that the street sign at the end of the road, and the signs indicating the cycle path, had been stolen from their posts, as you can see from the third photo above.
I went to investigate, spent a couple of minutes tidying up the rubble and phoned Northern Gas Networks on the number shown on the plaque. NGN confirmed over the phone that it was their problem, thanked me for bringing it to their attention and promised to get it sorted out. A couple of weeks later the wall was repaired and my neat pile of rubble removed, though, as you can see, they came with one coping stone short! I've phoned them again...
As for the missing street signs: here we have a slightly different story. I emailed the Highways Department, and, as is often the case with this particular department, got no response whatsoever.
So, after a week, I asked Democratic Services (the Council Department which, among many other things, assists councillors in their duties) to repeat my request to Highways. This time, a reply was received, promising to get new signs made and installed. So far there has been no action on site, but no doubt there will be soon! Otherwise, just like the resident got in touch with me, so I shall get in touch with Dem Services and get them to crack the whip!
2 comments:
If I was informed correctly, all the bike route signs are supposed to be on square posts, so they can't be turned around. That looks like a round one.
There are three or four signs at this point where the cycle route crosses the Fitzwilliam Drive: most of them are missing. I think the one on the round post which I am clutching is to warn drivers of the existence of the crossing, not a cycle route indicator as such.
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