The idiocy of local government

And most of us have to put up with it.

These are obviously my views and you will have to use your judgement to decide whether you agree with  my logic.

First premise: that when a hole has to be dug in a cobbled street in can be repaired in a way that will be entirely satisfactory to nearly everyone.

How effective the repair is, depends on the standard of workmanship and not the problem itself.

This has been shown to be true if you examine a repair that Balfour Beatty did, some time back that is opposite and on the other side of the road to the Westmorland Gazette Office. This was done well because they were being inspected - by me! I was in touch with their boss at Penrith who I have got to know through a previous campaign to get contractors to do quality work.

On the other hand if a hole needs to be dug in an asphalted street the problem is more difficult because of the need to seal the new asphalt with the old - something that is neglected in filling most of the potholes that occur.

Nearly all the problems we have with the cobbles in town is because the local Highways office in the past, was administered by Nick Raymond who didn't require Capita to inspect work do on the street.

This is true because United Utilities had received no complaints from anyone when I contacted them with the help of one of their employees. The result from this contact was for them to apologise for the poor workmanship done by their contractor Balfour Beatty and even though it was over two years after they had done the work ( when they can be legally requested to return), to come back and repair the damage except in the area between New Market Street and Brogden Street where the Highways department undertook to do the work - one can assume with payment to CCC for this by United Utilities.

So we end up with a series of problems in a lot of places down Market street which have arisen because of the negligence of our Highways Department.

If they had done their work of supervision properly then there would be no need for them to now repair the cobbles at a cost to us of £100,000 at a time when money is scarce.

In my next instalment I point out that they are going to rip up ALL the cobbles between and including the junctions of New Market Street and Brogden Dt with Market St where we have the best stretch of cobbles in place in the whole street. Furthermore they don't plan to  even tackle some of the worse areas in the whole street that are below Brogden Street ie at the junction of Union Street and Market Street.

So we get all the disruption of closing off the street, spend £100,000 doing work that some of it doesn't need doing and leave behind a half finished job requiring more cash, more waits and a similar amount of disruption all over again with the accompanying loss of revenue to our shops and businesses.

If you wish to see my evidence then watch the video I have placed on Youtube, featured on a previous posting.