Green Councils??.....or just plain useless!!

[Monkster]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

, with 'pot-holes' we're into quantitative things - 5 cms wide and 1 cm deep is no problem, but when you get ones which are seriously deep then they become a serious hazard ...

Right then, I concede about the weeds Let them grow
But I'm not on about small pot holes I probably wouldn't even notice them or cracks but I'm talking about the ones approximately 14inchs x 7 inches by 3 inches deep in busy roads.(obviously I haven't had a chance to measure them accurately for fear of being run over!)
It's just an observation in my town but obviously everyone else is much luckier.

[Paul mabbott]

I think Monkster's original mail was talking about two different things which leads to some confused responses. Going back to the potholes in the roads (and I'm more concerned by holes in pavements, personally!). I think we need to consider who is responsible. Sure, it's the local authority that has to mend them but who creates them in the first place? In many cases the large holes result from skimpy filling by utilities who have dug holes for cables, pipes &c. One particular problem, in our local streets is that builders place skips &c on the road (or the path) which cause cracks in the tarmac &c.. Lorries unloading heavy materials put down supporting legs which dig into the road and so on and so on ...
Shouldn't these people be responsible for repairing the damage they've done? It seems, to me, impossible or inordinately expensive for the council's workforce to go around filling these holes up ....

[svenrufus]

The bottom line in this debate is 'How much are you prepared to pay for this?'
I hear lots of people complain about things that their council are not doing at all or well enough, but I often hear the same people complain that their council tax has gone up again. More and more duties are being placed on council's shoulders, therefore more and more costs to bear. If we as residents are not prepared to pay for this in direct tax or Council Tax, the council has to make savings somehow. To my mind a few 'weeds' and to a lesser extent, a few potholes, is a small price to pay to make sure that the most vulnerable children and adults get the social service care that they need (and all the other essential front line services they provide). It's a question of priorities.

[DaiTheDragon]

I thought the councils put the potholes there on purpose to give the suspension on 4x4’s something to do.
A weed is only a weed if you don’t like it.

Dai

[nightshade]

Originally Posted by DaiTheDragon

I thought the councils put the potholes there on purpose to give the suspension on 4x4’s something to do.
A weed is only a weed if you don’t like it.

Dai

ROFL

[Ipso Facto]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

... we have regular spraying (of glyphosate, I suppose) and bare streets (also bare patches in the gardens because they're not too careful). Some of us are pressing for the weed-killing to stop ...

I hate to see the dead, brown margins of grassy areas along the roads - I am also a bit concerned about my dog picking something up that could harm his health ... I'm a bit paranoid about this having already lost one in a poisoning incident - I don't want to go there again!

The council (I assume it was them) have also uped the anti this week. The pavement along the main road was gradually getting narrower as the grass encroached but it has now been physically cut back leaving an uneven 9" step between pavement and grass. The pavement is probably 18" wider but it looks awful!!!

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by svenrufus

The bottom line in this debate is 'How much are you prepared to pay for this?'
I hear lots of people complain about things that their council are not doing at all or well enough, but I often hear the same people complain that their council tax has gone up again. More and more duties are being placed on council's shoulders, therefore more and more costs to bear. If we as residents are not prepared to pay for this in direct tax or Council Tax, the council has to make savings somehow. To my mind a few 'weeds' and to a lesser extent, a few potholes, is a small price to pay to make sure that the most vulnerable children and adults get the social service care that they need (and all the other essential front line services they provide). It's a question of priorities.

apologies for the following being off topic....

But well, I was watching the modern history of Britain the other night and made me very very thankful that I am alive today and have it so easy compared to the late 40s (not to mention the war)....
I couldn't believe it when I saw that the power stations had to close because snow closed the railways and they couldn't get coal!! Or that by 1947 the Royal Navy had only one serving battleship.......

Astonishingly lucky that's what we are really.......