Sent off this morning to chief executive jill.stannard@cumbriacc.gov.uk, Corporate Director of Environment marie.fallon@cumbriacc.gov.uk see the Cumbria County web site ccccopy to James Airey
Do you think your contractors respect you?
Neither do we in Ulverston.
Your Highways Department have authorised Amey to work on the setts ( cobbles) down market street.
Today they will continue to do work they see as totally unnecessary : ripping up perfectly good cobbles and relaying them again. At the same time they will not be relaying cobbles further down the street that they agree need doing much more.
They think the County Council are crazy and say so on video.
In view of this poor management by the Cumbria County Council, where your contractors are ridiculing your decisions, do you not think your salaries are over inflated?
We await your reply with interest.
Dr Geoff Dellow
Here is a press release that has just been put out:
Highways Contractors today agreed that what they were being asked to do was crazy - something they have come to expect from Cumbria County Council.
Here on video Amey contractors agree that in the course of doing work to cost the tax payer £150,000. they are being told to rip up a perfectly good cobbled highway, and then relay it when further down the street cobbles that do need relaying will be left.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh4l55AQs7A
This situation was foreseen and warned against in a video made six weeks ago which resulted in an interview with James Airey the County Councillor for the area.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njFDTNhhr58
Sadly however it seems that James Airey has been unable to change their minds. This is a legacy of the former Head of Highways for this area Nick Raymond who has been moved sideways and a new person appointed
Ulverstonians and shopkeepers are furious that not only is the money being badly spent but that the work has disrupted the commercial functioning of the town in particular items popular market for six weeks already .
Yet in another six weeks of disruption unnecessary work is being done AND the job will only be half finished so that to get all the cobbles in good condition the town will be subjected to disruption yet again in the future.
What is particularly galling is that had the County Highways Dept being doing their job of monitoring the quality of work done in the past by contractors when the replaced the cobbles, then this expensive work wouldn't be necessary at all.
The issue is also being discussed on the Ulverston blog at http://geoffdellow.blogspot.com/2011/03/in-inane-county-council.html
16 comments:
Yeah well done Dellow.
You have probably just got that guy the sack because he made comments about what there doing.
Why do you feel the need to interfere with something that's got nothing to do with you ?
This is a sad way of looking at things.
Why should someone get the sack for stating the truth.
One step further is to ask:
Why, knowing that his work makes no sense and is 'crazy', doesn't he refuse to do it?
Or at least tell the press himself. We need whistleblowers and in theory they are protected.
How are we going to stop wasteful practices if we don't get involved and try to change the system that makes a mockery of 'democracy'.
"Nothing to do with you"
Some of the money that is being spent is mine.
The work is disrupting the life on my town.
The final result will be great until you get to the bottom at Union St and then everyone will comment:
"How bloddy rediculous. Why did they stop work here. "
What will shop keepers and the rest of the town say, assuming there's money available, when in a couple of years time, they want to close Market Street off again to repair the last lot of cobbles to bring them up to the standard of the rest?
Why Anon don't you - come out in the open - get involved with the life of the town, start to understand how businesses can work successfully, and stop sniping.
Are you going to fork out for the added work that will be needed.
Isn't it important to make sure our money is spent wisely.
There's little of it around.
Should Executives still be paid rediculous salaries if they can't supervise their staff and the contractors they employ correctly?
Should we continue to vote in councillors who allow these kind of things to go on?
Anonymous - you don't bring much to the debate do you ? Of course it's got something to do with Geoff - and me - and you - in fact all of us are paying for this cock-up. Aren't you bovvered ?
Just give up!! You can't change anything it's pointless and you look stupid banging on about it online nobody likes Geoff keyboard warrior dellow so just stop!
well done Geoff,
The honest man should be prommoted to highways manager.
The salary of the Chief at £170,000 + expences and perks is imoral.She will no doubt go off and retire with a fat package due to stress She should "Fall on her sword" if she wont SACK HER.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGk4AKOwJbc
Come on now.
What a defeatist attitude.
And it's not true.
This cock up has arisen under the leadership of Nick Raymond who as a result of our campaign has been moved to where he can do us no harm. ( We circulated every Town and Rural Council in South Lakeland and they came up with numerous accounts of his misdeeds - his lack of action is documented here - click on the label Nick Raymond at the bottom of the post - he was last heard of in the suburbs of Carlisle).
True, to start with, politicians at every level got absolutely nowhere with him - he arrogantly ignored them - but we adopted an alternative approach.
We went direct to United Utilities whose contractors Balfour Beatty had done appalling down Market Street when they installed a water main.
Unlike the Cumbria County Council, United Utilities had a reputation they wanted to maintain.
They agreed their work was unsatisfactory, paid me £25 for my trouble, and returned when they had no legal obligation to do so because our complaint came in after the two year period specified in their contract. They repaired all their bad work except for the patches that is now being done and here and instead paid the County to do the repairs for them.
Since that time, I have been in regular contact with the United Utilities boss in Penrith and whenever they have done work here they now do it to an excellent standard - as was done when a water main needed repair opposite the Westmorland Gazette office - documented on a video here and subject of a separate posting on this blog.
So you are totally wrong - an individual with a network of support ( in this case a United employee Roz Harris who is from Ulverston) can achieve things that our politicians are incapable of:
They 'think inside the box' - approaching only the local government - when we went to the commercial companies and even the Department of Highways in London (who were horrified at what was happening here in Ulverston).
I publish here as a separate posting just one of my emails to United Utilities regarding their good work opposite the Westmorland Gazette.
Now are you convinced that we all can achieve something if we set our minds to it.
I agree it's not easy: the odds are stacked against you but in fact one can achieve things when other politicians fail.
It's well worth having a go.
Well put Geoff if those who gurn at you gurn to OUR SERVANTS, things might improve.
Put a link on your blog and ask them to do it .
Mr Dellow.
bviously the workman concerned will be disciplined. You have no right to covertly film someone and then put the rsults on a global site. I hope you are pleased qwith your actions and that if this man decides to sue you you are made to pay.
Get your facts right before defaming an innocent man.
Could your comment apply to you do you think?
A report claims that the average person on a typical day would be seen by 70 CCTV cameras, although many of these sightings would be brief glimpses from cameras in shops.
You cannot in this day and age discipline anyone for telling the truth.
He may get promotion for not being POND LIFE like some.
Well done outspoken and forthright.
PAX
Mr Dellow,
What I ma aining at is the fact that we need to be constructive in our comments. You appear to be in the business of creating trouble. I for one do not seem to appreciate your methods of investigation. Try to be a bit more pro active. Yes it may be difficult to work with authorities but constant negative commenst does not help anyones cause. I dont understand your comment about "Could your comment apply to you?" Please explaing in less cryptic terms.
I work for the authority and therefore all the pitfallS etc. The work in Ulverston has been welcomed by many residents. OK it may tale a lot longer than anticipated. Estimation is not an exact science. Estimation is exactly what is says.
This work is providing a Rolls Royce job that will stand the test of time and give Ulverston a market area that will be the envy of many.
Why just repair small areas and leave other bits in between?
Do not sneak around filming innocent workmen and goad them into saying exactly what you want to hear!
BE a man and approach them with a full explanation as to your full intentions.
I.E. to couse as much aggravation as possible. Then you may not hear what you want!
If you had told this man who you wrere and what you wanteed I am sure you would have had an entirely different outcome.
Mr Very Angry.
How anyone can endorse your deceitful sneaking around, constant interference in things that have nothing to do with you is beyond me. You're an arogant meddling old fool making life worse for those poor wretches you get within range.
Mr Very Angry,
I wish you well with your anger.
I too get very angry and have learnt to turn that tremendous emotional energy into a positive outcome.
In this case getting our democratic system to function as well as a business that has to be accountable to its customers.
If you went to a coal merchant in the past and instead of delivery coal, they delivered dog shit, how would you feel and what would you actually do with this emotional energy?
Anon
Pot calling kettle black?
Who is sneaking (Anon ?)- for the most part I film openly - It's true my coat sleave got in the way but I would not have got the shots I did if the camera hadn't been in front of this guys nose.
If I am in a public place I see no reason to ask permission unless I want to.
I fear you come from a culture of blind obedience to authority. For the most part this is good when you work in an army environment - even then you can be held to account for following commands that are considered to be illegal.
For my part I am very much the opposite and expect others to give me reasons and convince me before I do anything. I live in a world where everything is my business which I agree is very demanding but is the way I maintain my self belief and enjoy life.
My way of life has loads of benefits to others; does yours?
Well done Dr Dellow.
Keep up the good work.
There are plenty of popular TV programs doing the same as you revealing malpractices.
Your Blog is a Tonic.
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