These are Pauline Halfpenny and Wendy Kolbe.
They will both be at the Meeting of County Councillors in Kendal, where I will be speaking later today at 10.30 am.
It will be interesting to see if they speak up on behalf of the 200 hundred Ulverstonians that signed the petition!
The following email was sent to them some days ago:
"Below is the question that I have submitted to the Committee:
* * * * * * *
My Question to the County Council Committee meeting which will accompany the petition is the following:
As a substantial number of the road markings in Ulverston still remain extremely faint and in some cases illegible and
As it is so important to Ulverston people to get these markings repainted in the next month, and the County is unable to do the work, is there any alternative to Ulverstonians doing the painting themselves?
The wording of the petition is:
Repainting the Road Markings in Ulverston
The situation has got so bad that over 50% of the white markings in the town including Halt, Roundabout and in particular the Zebra Crossing at the top of Brewery Street are extremely faint. We request that the County deal with this problem within the next few weeks as it can be quite dangerous in some cases.
* * * * * * *
I realise that you will and are both concerned about this matter.
I shall focus on three aspects of this situation:
First - the safety aspect which I know is of concern to the police even though they cannot officially comment (but I am told, do, unofficially)
Two - the effect it has on the people in the town who notice, because they feel no one is able to get things done. This leads to a feeling of frustration, depression and feeling that 'nobody cares' - even if they do. Many may not even notice but register subconsciously that the town is drab. When you walk down the newly surfaced and marked out New Market Street for example, you almost feel your shoulders go back as you start to walk tall after years of putting up with a mess
Three - the effect on tourists visiting the town. I hadn't realised just how many of these there are and that many come once a year at least sometimes more. People I have spoken to agree that there is a decline in the town which cannot be good for business.
I believe that something dramatic needs to be done and have come to realise that it would take a lot less energy and would be far more satisfying to do it ourselves.
We could have the satisfaction that we had made Ulverston look good ourselves if we did it.
Having been in touch with many other parish and town councils it is clear others feel the same though it is said that many are too 'scared' to complain.
I trust that some of this makes sense to you.
I shall be very interested to find out your reactions and whether you feel strongly enough to speak out, supporting me in some way.
Geoff Dellow"
6 comments:
the brewery street markings are sorted
Precisely and so have the Roundabout, at the bottom of Soutergate and the No Entry sign beside it.
All these were done well after this petition created.
The problem with 'the system' is that you can only present one petition per County Council Meeting.
Last time, six weeks ago, the petition was to do with the state of the cobbles in Market Street (United Utilities are returning to repair the damage); this time about the road markings in the town (Many of them now done).
Pretty high success rate.
Kicking up a fuss works!
It's possible that other things contributed to the latter - who knows - the main thing is that the job gets done!
Come on now, a little cheer please!
Well done i respect your love for the town.
Geoff,You don't half rabble some shite
Facts:
The petition regarding the state of roadmarkings in the town first started to circulate on Saturday 6th September after I learnt that you could only address the County Council for two minutes if you only had a question to ask them.
However if you had a petition you could speak for 5 minutes.
In the Evening Mail, September 25th:
"Cllr Wendy Kolbe of Ulverston East ward said: “It’s so difficult at this junction. I have not been a driver all my life but I’m now so much more aware. There are a few traffic issues we need to address such as the zebra crossing on Fountain Street which can’t be seen very well.”"
Note the zebra crossing at the top of Brewery street which was a lot worse was not mentioned.
On 1st October, at the Neighbourhood Forum, Wendy Kolbe was asked about the state of road markings in the town. She replied that she was well aware of the problem and the matter was in hand.
On October 15th, I circulated a photograph of the unpainted 'No Entry' sign near Mill St to all thirty of the parish and town councils in South Lakeland asking them if they wanted to join me when I went with the town's petition to Kendal.
As recently as 21st October workers from the County Highways Dept were seen in town for a morning when they repainted several road signs between Brewery Street and Mill St.
However for some mysterious reason they did not continue to the top of Market Square and repaint the stop sign on Dalton Gate - which was not mentioned specifically in the petition.
Who knows what prompted the roadmarkings to get painted.
What is strange is that if Wendy Kolbe truly was aware of the extent of the problem and was behind the work being done on the 21st October, why was it that the Dalton Gate markings where omitted.
Or could it be that the wording on the petition was being followed and because this omitted to mention Daltongate, this was not included.
Will we ever know the answer?
Do we care as long as it got done.
However it does look as though 'making a fuss' goes a long way and has favourable consequences!
Yes geoff,and what is your point,instead of rabbleing shite tell us all
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