That's impressive!
Addressed to Glyn Davies, Head of Estates for local NHS, today 1st April.
Dear Sir,
This is perhaps an unfortunate date to chose to send a serious email!
It comes to you because of our inability to get answers to your plans to repair this wall which is located on your boundary of the Ulverston Health Centre and Union Lane, Ulverston
This video has, in desperation, been put on Youtube to alert you to the problem and pin points accurately the location of the problem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW2jLBF4_N4
It explains that a serious number of stones at the base of the wall in Union Lane have become loose and no longer offer support.
This problem has been repeatedly reported :
Several times to the Ulverston Health Centre itself
To the Highways Department and then on to the SLDC who then say that it is none of their concern because the wall is on your property.
Could you first confirm that you have received this email and then after consideration, what you propose to do?
Sincerely
Dr Geoff Dellow,
The Coach House, Union Lane, LA12 7BU
John Riley was round here within four hours to evaluate the problem and promised to get the wall repaired straight away.
He felt that it was more important to rebuild the wall in several places where it was leaning badly but this would require funding beyond his immediate budget and requires investigation of the future of the wall.
Now what will be really impressive is when the repairs are actually done . .
8 comments:
The fact that we got such an immediate response has several implications:
1. The people at the desk at the Health Centre do not forward messages to the people responsible. This is worrying as their paid to be there and one can only assume that Jane Tudor their boss doesn't do her job well.
2.Colin Hodgson who was asked to get involved several times, doesn't do his job as Councillor in making sure that requests get to the right places.
Why then does he do the job?
Why does the public, including me, vote for him.
The more I have to do with this guy, the more I realise is that he's just a slick con man. I'm now sure that we should replace him at the next election. I'll support anyone willing to run against him that is reliable. Otherwise I'll have to run against him myself !
You'll be able to ask him soon,isn't there some election coming up they normally crawl out of the woodwork around this time asking for your votes.I can't wait till they come knocking on my door as i'll be telling them what i think of them,don't see them all year round
I've just made Colin Hodgson aware of these statements in case he wishes to repond.
That isn't the only wall ready to tumble. Gill Banks especially.
Holes in the local roads are dangerous too, especially to cyclists. The quick fill-in that took place was useless.
But I guess promises of action by election candidates is one thing, inability for them to get things done is something else.
Maybe we do need a voluntary local action group with a modest budget to pay for materials (and equipment if necessary) to get things done. But, no doubt, the red tape involved would treble the cost?
Colin did in fact respond very quickly:
Geoff
I am having some difficulty accessing you blog ,could you please forward details of Paul Jones 's problem and I will
do what I can to resolve the issue as I do not recall having any communication from him
Colin
----- Original Message ----- From: "Geoff Dellow"
To: "Colin Hodgson"
Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2010 8:01 AM
Subject: My Blog
Colin,
You may want to answer the allegations made about your lack of response to requests by Paul Holmes for your help in the following matter:
http://geoffdellow.blogspot.com/2010/04/response-in-two-and-half-hours-here-in.html
Geoff
* * * * * * *
What is it with these politicians? Why can't they read the question before answering it?
I am surprised to read your criticism of Councillor Hodgson as I have found him helpful and supportive on a number of occasions. We vote for him because he works hard for this town, his commitment to the restoration of Hoad Monument for example has been admirable.
I'm not surprised at your support for Colin.
He had mine until more recently.
I find him to be a very skilled politician at keeping others supporting him.
He has strong support from the editor of the Evening Mail who alters reports from our local reporter so as to get Colin's picture on the front paper. Eg "What a load of Cobblers" some time ago.
His photo is often on the front page lamenting the loss of a service:Why wasn't he leading the fight before this service was lost.
What's he doing now about the impending closure of the Tourist Information Centre and promoting a local take over as in Broughton?
He picks the popular projects to support - like Hoad - but ignores tricky ones like the Ulverston Car Parks even though they're on his patch.
18 months ago he led the Tory group of councillors at a consultative three meetings on future planning for the Town Centre. At this meeting it was decided unanimously that the Stockbridge Car Park was underused and needed better signing in the Market Square as visitors were unaware of its existence. Yet Colin has done nothing on this issue even though he has been reminded, the issue taken to Cabinet by me,and it is his responsibility.
In spite of his inaction, he is eager to champion the fight against hikes in car park fees.
Colin bleats loudly about issues but doesn't graft behind the scenes to get difficult policies through.
Neither does he take up complaints from local residents like this issue of the wall of which he was notified by letter on February 12th.
Having an unresponsive councillor is worse than having no councillor at all. With the latter you know it's up to you alone and you can see this issue through. Handing it over to inactive people creates problems of delay and frustration.
No overall I think we would be better off without Colin.
I would love to get some comments that reassured me that Colin really does take difficult issues to heart and pursue them. By contrast I get many comments of support for Norman Bishop-Rowe who is regularly praised by people on Croftlands for sorting out their problems.
Sadly I have other instances where he has ducked difficult issues and given the impression of giving support only to vote against the issue as was the case over the sale of SLDC land in South Ulverston a year ago.
I have just talked to Colin Hodgson who is not only showing great concern about the state of the wall here on Union Lane but of the safety of certain sections of Gill Banks.
He was very genuine and furious with me for my comments on this blog and this indicates to me that in some ways I have misjudged his determination to see difficult matters through.
I have also talked to a past work colleague of his who supports him as a sincere man.
I believe I have misjudged him and have apologised to him for my views over his inaction of the wall issue and I believe that he never received the letter sent to him in February.
I was impressed by his forthright attitude to defend himself over this matter and am grateful for the firm position he is taking over this and the matter of Gill Banks.
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