How many of these are still in circulation?
They belong to the town;why aren't they being used?
AR referred to these so I wrote to Jayne Kendal
Jayne,
How are you?
A quick one!
What has happened to the Squirrel seats that were in County Square.
I believed they went away for repainting . . . . and then what?
Geoff
and true to form got an immediate reply at 8:17 this morning:
Geoff
the seats are in the council depot awaiting painting. UTC has a programme of painting all of the seats. They will then decide where the seats from CS will be positioned
jayne
To which I replied:
Jayne,
Why is it taking so long?
This is ridiculous. The town's resources aren't being taken seriously, I would have thought.
Can we have access to them and we'll paint them ourselves? - job done in three days.
I've suggested that they are used at Lightburn Park to encourage adults to participate by watching the skateboarders.
This idea was adopted by Tony Naylor who was going to have a word with you. That was almost six months ago.
Geoff
Once again bureaucracy and inaction take hold.
I suggest we all write to the Town Council to enquire what's going on - David Parratt is reached using townhall@ulverstoncouncil.org.uk
Writing really does have an effect particularly if it's not just me.
8 comments:
I don't no which depot there in as there not at north lonsdale road depot
Looks like we've got an information network here that can provide answers not available through the normal (evasive) channels!
Any other offers about these benches?
How many of them have had a new lick of paint?
How many are missing?
Come in Councillor Colin Williams, he has his pulse on the street furniture scene in Ulverston!
Which reminds me - I have a pot of red primer I bought some time ago to highlight rust infested county street furniture.
Thought it would be fun to add a little colour to the town - in a helpful way!
The reply I got from Jayne Kendal was prompt but predictable. As I said before ,too many people involved in what should be a simple thing. Can't anyone use their initiative ? Get those benches painted and put back !
Geoff, some information, You are probably aware that the seats were donated to the town by Glaxo as part of Glaxo's 50th anniversary celebrations.
There were 50 seats, each one numbered and each specifically identified by its number on a location map.
I believe that each location was agreed by the town council.
The seats were copies of the original Furness Railway platform seats and were painted in the Furness Railway livery.
Each of the Glaxo seats were hand painted by Glaxo craftsmen and I seem to recall a cost/time of three days for each seat.
I also recall that along with the seats was a monetary contribution for future maintenance/painting.
It would be interesting to know how many of the 50 remain in the care of UDC and how many went a walk via Ebay?
Email to the Town Council:
Dear Councillors,
I am being informed by Jayne Kendal that the above are still being painted and that the UTC are responsible for the delay.
Several people I have spoken to cannot understand why this is taking so long when there is a need for several of these benches in new locations and have been requested for use by for instance the SLDC parks dept for use in Lightburn Park and in new locations in the town centre.
Could you please advise me what is happening?
Do you not agree that people are justified in becoming very frustrated at the great delay in any action,
Sincerely
Geoff Dellow
- - - - - - -
Reply:
Dear Mr Dellow,
Let me set the record straight on the Squirrel Seats.
I have spoken with Jayne Kendall and she did not say that UTC are responsible for the delay, but that the painting of all the seats was in hand, which is correct.
There is no delay. The fact of the matter is that the seats came under the responsibility of SLDC, but UTC through the Ulverston in Bloom Committee ( also covering physical improvements in the town) decided to take over responsibility for the seats and for their refurbishment to bring them up to a satisfactory standard. There was also the question of funding which has been achieved from various sources. The seat outside the opticians near Market Cross has been painted and is being resited shortly and all other seats will be progressed as soon as possible. It was always the intention to start the painting programme from the new financial year, ie from April 2010.
Regards,
David Parratt
Town Clerk
Ulverston Town Council
- - - - - - -
my reply:
David Parratt,
Thanks for the update which goes towards explaining the DELAY.
Delay there certainly has been (we are quibbling with words) ; it makes no difference that it was planned and therefore the UTC are responsible; they planned for there to be a delay.
Your explanation for the delay however is helpful to a general public that are asking questions.
Geoff Dellow
Am I missing something?
Or are the officials really saying:
Mind your own business - the matter is being taken care of - we know best - you don't need to know - Animal Farm ?
So what this dave pratt is saying they removed all these seats to re paint them all months and months ago but then found out they've spunked all the money elsewhere.So they've now had to wait all this time till april when they get all the new funding,why not wait until now to remove the seats when they knew they'd have the money to re do them all.The cost of paint must';ve gone up hell off a lot if they've had to wait till april to do them,this wouldn't happen in kendal.
This is just like the council houses under the south lakes housing banner.It's hard work getting jobs done just before christmas because they've wasted so much money elsewhere.So from november any big jobs are put on hold until april when the new funding is handed out
It doesn't occur to these bureaucrats with their unimaginative thinking that there might be some daft buggers who would enjoy sprucing up the benches - after all we quite enjoy painting the Murial by the body shop.
When will it occur to the council people that there isn't the money to carry on the old way and that volunteers might actually enjoy taking charge themselves.
I'm certainly enjoying keeping my picnic table functioning no matter how many times it gets broken and the neighbours repeatedly retreive it from the Beck every time it gets thrown in.
Not all of us tick over the same way. Some have always enjoyed a tussle especially if we've been in business for ourselves.
"Don't let the buggers get you down" isn't a bad motto.
Now what can we get up to, to put UTC on the spot and get around their double speak. Some creative thinking required:
Bails of straw with live squirels in cages inside or simply dyed red white and blue.
Any other weird ideas : a pile of mattresses? and a sheet cover thrown in.
Now that's taking things too far! Or are we trying to attract very cheap immigrant labour?
* * *
There were actually some in County Hall that cheered when the patches of asphalt were mysteriously replaced in Lower Brook Street!
Some see this attitude as "inspirational" I believe!
i noticed today that one of these seats have been installed top of town just up from tesco.Not sure when they started as i noticed bits of wood under the legs to try and level it
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