I made contact with these officers by phone asking for the environment officer to do with housing.
Jane Latham then dealt with my enquiries .
They admitted their coverage on their web site of their role in ensuring good quality rented accommodation, could be greatly improved.
The email to contact them is housingrenewal@southlakeland.gov.uk and is to be found here on their web site.
Their procedure is:
If requested by you, they will visit any property to determine whether in their opinion there is a problem caused by the condition of the building.
If there is , they will contact the landlord informally to get them to put things right.
If dampness, for instance is caused by the tenant, they will take no further action.
For instance if a lot of clothes are dried in a room without adequate ventilation leading to damp problems then this is the responsibility of the tenant. If on the other hand it is caused by the state of the building they will attempt to get the landlord to do this.
If the landlord agrees informally to put things right - fine. If not they will serve a formal notice for the landlord to do the work necessary.
If then the landlord still does not put things right they will step in and pay for the work themselves and recover their costs from the landlord afterwards.
I asked how much contact they had had in the last year, with the public from their area, which covers that of SLDC ie including Ulverston and Kendal. They said that they had about 25 to 30 requests which resulted in only one notice being served to a landlord. In this case the recommended work was done.
On this basis you would expect there to be no problem in this area.
So over to you.
If you need further confidential help come back to me.
If you are getting no satisfaction I am willing to come in and video the problem and put it on Youtube.
I can do this entirely anonymously so that no one need know which property I am referring to and your identity would be protected.
My next step could be to approach the police to see at what stage they would get involved.
I could also go to the various rental agencies to find out their policy regarding damp properties and landlords with poor property.
I don't plan to do any further work unless tenants contact me and are willing to do something for themselves.
This issue could feature in the coming elections in May to determine the prospective candidate's attitude if in fact we can establish that there is a problem.
Showing posts with label SLDC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SLDC. Show all posts
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Monday, 13 June 2011
Survey of accomodation in the South Lakeland District
I've just filled a very thorough survey that SLDC have commissioned in order to determine the housing needs in their area.
They have it as an important issue to find housing for local people so providing as much information as we can will put pressure on them to enact helpful policies
The survey is being conducted here.
It's your chance to inform the council of what the needs in this area really are - particularly in reference to the need for affordable housing.
It occurs to me that it may be a way of alerting them about second homes and holiday cottages - fill it in as though you were the owner - the information on the property should still be valid.
They have it as an important issue to find housing for local people so providing as much information as we can will put pressure on them to enact helpful policies
The survey is being conducted here.
It's your chance to inform the council of what the needs in this area really are - particularly in reference to the need for affordable housing.
It occurs to me that it may be a way of alerting them about second homes and holiday cottages - fill it in as though you were the owner - the information on the property should still be valid.
Sunday, 20 March 2011
New initiative
Seeing the sad state of our Market in town, I've resolved to do what I can to bring the management of our market back into the hands of local people. At the same time I hope to buy back the right to manage the Stockbridge Lane car park.
Both these two facilities are being poorly managed by SLDC.
I'm hoping that they will want to surrender their control.
I'm in touch with a large group of stall holders that would be willing to attend our market if the prices were lower. A full market is worth striving for.
David Gardiner - the guy at the plant stall says that the towns where they have control of their own market stalls are surviving reasonably well, the stall holders here are feeling pretty dispirited.
We can do a lot better.
With the approval of the rest of our committee, I plan to brighten the Market Square up with a few of our flags each Thursday until the Flag Festival starts.
Everything is on track for their being an impressive display of 50 new flags in The Gill. This is the part of The Festival that we're responsible for; the rest is being run the Better Towns Team chaired by Ralph Spours (Jane Kendall has resigned), Jean Povey, Cllr Judy Pickthall and Peter Winston (who took the project back in mid February having given it to us in early January). We are continuing what we had started having been officially been given the job in January.
James Airey, County, District and Town Councillor has agreed to meet me soon to review the present situation regarding the work on the cobbles on Market Street
I put it to him that:
Let me know if you think this is a good idea and whether you want to get involved.
Both these two facilities are being poorly managed by SLDC.
I'm hoping that they will want to surrender their control.
I'm in touch with a large group of stall holders that would be willing to attend our market if the prices were lower. A full market is worth striving for.
David Gardiner - the guy at the plant stall says that the towns where they have control of their own market stalls are surviving reasonably well, the stall holders here are feeling pretty dispirited.
We can do a lot better.
With the approval of the rest of our committee, I plan to brighten the Market Square up with a few of our flags each Thursday until the Flag Festival starts.
Everything is on track for their being an impressive display of 50 new flags in The Gill. This is the part of The Festival that we're responsible for; the rest is being run the Better Towns Team chaired by Ralph Spours (Jane Kendall has resigned), Jean Povey, Cllr Judy Pickthall and Peter Winston (who took the project back in mid February having given it to us in early January). We are continuing what we had started having been officially been given the job in January.
James Airey, County, District and Town Councillor has agreed to meet me soon to review the present situation regarding the work on the cobbles on Market Street
I put it to him that:
"The main question is :
Will the work down Market Street be completed by Friday April 29th when the Flags go up for the Flag Festival, The Royal Wedding and the influx of people visiting the town for the 10th Anniversary of Printfest ?
The work down Market Street is having a devastating effect on the numbers of people coming to the Market which in turn effects the takings of the local shops.
The relaxed easy going attitude of the I.T. Shaw workers is upsetting to the traders who work hard to earn a living."
Will the work down Market Street be completed by Friday April 29th when the Flags go up for the Flag Festival, The Royal Wedding and the influx of people visiting the town for the 10th Anniversary of Printfest ?
The work down Market Street is having a devastating effect on the numbers of people coming to the Market which in turn effects the takings of the local shops.
The relaxed easy going attitude of the I.T. Shaw workers is upsetting to the traders who work hard to earn a living."
Let me know if you think this is a good idea and whether you want to get involved.
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Important planning consultation today
The Local Development Framework
Just found out that the above is on: the Coro 1:30 till 7:30
Important if you want to have your say on future development in this area.
Here's background info on this consultation, sent in by one of our readers:
On this site you will find the drop in days for your area.
The next for Ulverston is on March 3rd 1:30 till 7:30
Just found out that the above is on: the Coro 1:30 till 7:30
Important if you want to have your say on future development in this area.
Here's background info on this consultation, sent in by one of our readers:
SOUTH LAKELAND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK
LAND ALLOCATIONS - CONSULTATION ON EMERGING OPTIONS
South Lakeland District Council is consulting widely from 21 January to 15 April 2011 on its suggestions, and seeking community views, on new sites for homes, jobs and community facilities, to meet the needs of communities in South Lakeland (outside the National Parks) to 2025. The consultation is being publicised widely and includes a series of consultation ‘drop-in’ days when you can discuss and share views with Council Officers.
This is an important opportunity for local communities to consider not only the District Council’s site suggestions but also to comment on other sites not suggested - or indeed to put forward new sites and ideas not previously looked at. We hope you can take time to consider the suggestions and let us have your comments by Friday 15 April 2011. The Council will consider all comments before preparing a final draft plan. When this is published, everyone will again have opportunity to make representations. These will be considered by an independent Inspector when assessing the ‘soundness’ of the document.
Full details of the proposals and how you can let us have your views are on the Council’s website at www.southlakeland.gov.uk/landallocations and also to inspect at South Lakeland House (Kendal), Ulverston Town Hall and libraries at Arnside, Grange over Sands, Kendal, Kirkby Lonsdale, Milnthorpe and Ulverston. We can also provide information on CD or paper on request.
Please make your response on-line if possible as this will save admin costs, but you may also complete the form and email it to us at developmentplans@southlakeland.gov.uk or post it to Development Plans Manager, SLDC, South Lakeland House, Lowther Street, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4DL. All responses will be made available to view on-line (with signatures and addresses removed) and therefore cannot be treated as confidential. Responses will not be acknowledged individually, except on request.
In responding, please also let us know if you wish to be informed when the Land Allocations document is submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination.
If your contact details are incorrect, or you do not wish to be consulted in future on the Land Allocations, or if you have any other queries, then please contact us on 01539 717490 or email developmentplans@southlakeland.gov.uk
Yours sincerely
Dan Hudson
Development Strategy Manager
On this site you will find the drop in days for your area.
The next for Ulverston is on March 3rd 1:30 till 7:30
Saturday, 14 August 2010
SLDC financial support for a Tourist Information Centre
David Phillips, who is charge of the present TICs in South Lakeland has provided the following information:
£375,000 is available over the next four years to cover five centres including Ulverston,starting with £150,ooo in the first year.
He agreed that a likely split was that the amount available would diminish by a third each year and that Ulverston could get £25,000 to £30,000 in the first year falling to £8,000 to £10,000 in the fourth and final year.
The other TICs to be supported were : Kendal, Windermere, Broughton and Ambleside.
Then he states that Grange and Coniston's grant will be decided at a special grant panel meeting in October.
£375,000 is available over the next four years to cover five centres including Ulverston,starting with £150,ooo in the first year.
He agreed that a likely split was that the amount available would diminish by a third each year and that Ulverston could get £25,000 to £30,000 in the first year falling to £8,000 to £10,000 in the fourth and final year.
The other TICs to be supported were : Kendal, Windermere, Broughton and Ambleside.
Then he states that Grange and Coniston's grant will be decided at a special grant panel meeting in October.
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Rubbish in our main street
And No, It's got nothing to do with "Your Move"
What message does this kind of thing give to our tourists?
Friday, 5 March 2010
Talking toilets - a consultation
The consultation in the Coro last Wednesday raises a number of important points.
First the quality and thoughtfulness of the points made by the visiting public were impressive.Some of the post-its are shown below.
Why indeed does it cost SLDC an average of £405/week to maintain a toilet. This is incredible and surely shows gross mismanagement.
Second, why are we spending £24,000 on a consultation. One fears that it's going to be money down the drain resulting in a beautiful report with no action whatever.
The last time we had a consultation a year ago has resulted in nothing. Even the simple unanimous request for a sign in Market Street to the underused car park at Stockbridge Lane has been ignored. This inspite of the repeated assurances of the County Councillors at the time that we should "leave it to us".
We did. - Nothing.
We raised it at a subsequent SLDC cabinet meeting. - "The subject was under review"
Consultations a rapidly becoming a dirty word. Initially we feel pleased to be consulted then this leaves a sour taste in our mouth as we realise no action is forthcoming.
It is essential that the politicians are honest with the public and spell out before a consiultation just what is feasible so that false expectations aren't raised.
What money is available to implement the suggestions made by the public?
To be continued:
We want more control of not only our toilets but our Tourist Information Centre, the illegal car parking policy and particularly our town's car parks.
The SLDC want to ditch their responsibilities without surrendering a major source of income, badly administered, Car Parking Fees.
Town Councillor Colin Williams makes a comment on his blog
First the quality and thoughtfulness of the points made by the visiting public were impressive.Some of the post-its are shown below.
Why indeed does it cost SLDC an average of £405/week to maintain a toilet. This is incredible and surely shows gross mismanagement.
Second, why are we spending £24,000 on a consultation. One fears that it's going to be money down the drain resulting in a beautiful report with no action whatever.
The last time we had a consultation a year ago has resulted in nothing. Even the simple unanimous request for a sign in Market Street to the underused car park at Stockbridge Lane has been ignored. This inspite of the repeated assurances of the County Councillors at the time that we should "leave it to us".
We did. - Nothing.
We raised it at a subsequent SLDC cabinet meeting. - "The subject was under review"
Consultations a rapidly becoming a dirty word. Initially we feel pleased to be consulted then this leaves a sour taste in our mouth as we realise no action is forthcoming.
It is essential that the politicians are honest with the public and spell out before a consiultation just what is feasible so that false expectations aren't raised.
What money is available to implement the suggestions made by the public?
To be continued:
We want more control of not only our toilets but our Tourist Information Centre, the illegal car parking policy and particularly our town's car parks.
The SLDC want to ditch their responsibilities without surrendering a major source of income, badly administered, Car Parking Fees.
Town Councillor Colin Williams makes a comment on his blog
Friday, 30 October 2009
SLDC certainly know how to waste our money
Ian Boydon reports in the Westmorland Gazette that:
"MORE than £24,000 is to be spent asking residents of South Lakeland if they think the district council should give up responsibility for public toilets. "
This must run as the biggest, most foolish waste of our money ever.
Though not a massive sum - though you could build a luxury Toilet block for that amount - it certainly rates as foolish. It could even be called devious because it looks more like an excuse to close all the toilets down. It looks like yet another "consultation" which the public ignore because they suspect that democracy has flown out the window and diktat has crept in via the skirting board - as do the rats in some poorly maintained farmhouses.
Surely a far less expensive solution is to hand the toilets back to the Town and rural councils to administer. I'm sure that Ulverston Town Council could do a far better job and be more sensitive to the needs of Ulverstonians.
This reasoning applies equally well to the Tourist Information office and the management of our Car Parks.
The Toilet Survey is wasting money in a way that was only surpassed, when £75,000 was spent by SLDC for looking into a mouthwatering scheme for Ulverston. Then, a beautiful glossy survey, done by Capita (jobs for the boys) on the future development of Ulverston Canal which now sits on the shelves, was ignored by the council and never adopted. Why commission a survey when you haven't the intention of implementing any part of it? (Here's a 3.9 MB sample of a beautiful couple of pictures!)
No wonder the Audit commission places SLDC as one of the most mismanaged Councils in Britain - being placed in the bottom 15% (in 2003 it was in the bottom 4% now it rates "adequate") along with the County which is in the bottom 30% thanks to the Tories in the past. But little credit to the Lib Dems who have made little difference. The problem here is that the officers rule the roost and the best the Councillors can do is go bla, bla on the front pages of the Mail :
"Isn't it terrible how the County/District have closed this and that" with full size portrait of Colin Hodgson.
Why the Hell didn't he see 'this and that' coming beforehand and do something about it then ? Instead he waits until it's too late and bleats loudly to the surrounding hills and his Tory mates echo back weakly "Blaaa, blaaa. Isn't it terrible what Kendal are doing to us"
"Wake up woolly minded beasty" I cry, "Aren't there more of you outside of Kendal than in?"
"Do you never go bleating to your fellow councillors in the other far-flung outposts of South Lakeland like Sedburgh and Ambleside who are also ignored"
"No, it's far too comfortable here in Ulverston and we do love to have our photo on the front of the paper and have cosy meetings in the council chamber in a town where no one gives us hassle - until you came along - and we're not bleating to you - you call a black sheep, a black sheep - that's not friendly"
"Grrr, Grr, Grrrrrrrr," I reply in my best Wolf's accent
"MORE than £24,000 is to be spent asking residents of South Lakeland if they think the district council should give up responsibility for public toilets. "
This must run as the biggest, most foolish waste of our money ever.
Though not a massive sum - though you could build a luxury Toilet block for that amount - it certainly rates as foolish. It could even be called devious because it looks more like an excuse to close all the toilets down. It looks like yet another "consultation" which the public ignore because they suspect that democracy has flown out the window and diktat has crept in via the skirting board - as do the rats in some poorly maintained farmhouses.
Surely a far less expensive solution is to hand the toilets back to the Town and rural councils to administer. I'm sure that Ulverston Town Council could do a far better job and be more sensitive to the needs of Ulverstonians.
This reasoning applies equally well to the Tourist Information office and the management of our Car Parks.
The Toilet Survey is wasting money in a way that was only surpassed, when £75,000 was spent by SLDC for looking into a mouthwatering scheme for Ulverston. Then, a beautiful glossy survey, done by Capita (jobs for the boys) on the future development of Ulverston Canal which now sits on the shelves, was ignored by the council and never adopted. Why commission a survey when you haven't the intention of implementing any part of it? (Here's a 3.9 MB sample of a beautiful couple of pictures!)
No wonder the Audit commission places SLDC as one of the most mismanaged Councils in Britain - being placed in the bottom 15% (in 2003 it was in the bottom 4% now it rates "adequate") along with the County which is in the bottom 30% thanks to the Tories in the past. But little credit to the Lib Dems who have made little difference. The problem here is that the officers rule the roost and the best the Councillors can do is go bla, bla on the front pages of the Mail :
"Isn't it terrible how the County/District have closed this and that" with full size portrait of Colin Hodgson.
Why the Hell didn't he see 'this and that' coming beforehand and do something about it then ? Instead he waits until it's too late and bleats loudly to the surrounding hills and his Tory mates echo back weakly "Blaaa, blaaa. Isn't it terrible what Kendal are doing to us"
"Wake up woolly minded beasty" I cry, "Aren't there more of you outside of Kendal than in?"
"Do you never go bleating to your fellow councillors in the other far-flung outposts of South Lakeland like Sedburgh and Ambleside who are also ignored"
"No, it's far too comfortable here in Ulverston and we do love to have our photo on the front of the paper and have cosy meetings in the council chamber in a town where no one gives us hassle - until you came along - and we're not bleating to you - you call a black sheep, a black sheep - that's not friendly"
"Grrr, Grr, Grrrrrrrr," I reply in my best Wolf's accent
Monday, 12 October 2009
"Oh No" - Illegal activities again
Local Government - this time SLDC - are winding me up a treat and I'm in great danger of turning criminal in frustration.
The locking up of the public toilets at dusk is driving me bonkers.
I past a man peeing beside someone's front door as I walked along Upper Brook Street.
"Do you really have to ?" received the rejoinder " I'm busting for a pee - where else can I go"
I had no reply.
I talked to someone yesterday who told me they had shit in the alleyway across from the toilet in The Gill. She had to clean it up herself.
The fair is in town and The Gill is milling with people - it's also the Lantern Procession - and the toilets are locked - with their lights on!
Do we have to revert to life in the middle ages.
Someone could easily nick the hasps on all the toilets in the town so that they can't be locked any more.
If that fails , I guess the next step is remove the gates themselves - not difficult!
Anyone who checks will find that the nuts on the ones in The Gill are only finger tight . . . . .
The locking up of the public toilets at dusk is driving me bonkers.
I past a man peeing beside someone's front door as I walked along Upper Brook Street.
"Do you really have to ?" received the rejoinder " I'm busting for a pee - where else can I go"
I had no reply.
I talked to someone yesterday who told me they had shit in the alleyway across from the toilet in The Gill. She had to clean it up herself.
The fair is in town and The Gill is milling with people - it's also the Lantern Procession - and the toilets are locked - with their lights on!
Do we have to revert to life in the middle ages.
Someone could easily nick the hasps on all the toilets in the town so that they can't be locked any more.
If that fails , I guess the next step is remove the gates themselves - not difficult!
Anyone who checks will find that the nuts on the ones in The Gill are only finger tight . . . . .
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Very unhappy if not absolutely furious
The responses received from the SLDC to the three questions put to them a week ago, are all totally inadequate and make an individual wonder "why bother talking to the council at all".
Unless a Councillor takes up an issue on an individual's part then the council will fob questions off with answers that often avoid the issue or are meaningless.
Persuading a Councillor to think about something, that they didn't think of themselves first, is a major problem.
As they are not for the most part proactive, looking for problems that need solutions.
Reason fails to penetrate their thinking. In my experience the sight of ten or more voters is the main thing that makes them jump.
Unless a Councillor takes up an issue on an individual's part then the council will fob questions off with answers that often avoid the issue or are meaningless.
Persuading a Councillor to think about something, that they didn't think of themselves first, is a major problem.
As they are not for the most part proactive, looking for problems that need solutions.
Reason fails to penetrate their thinking. In my experience the sight of ten or more voters is the main thing that makes them jump.
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Questions put to the full SLDC meeting at the Coro tonight
These three questions concern the importance to the town of tourism and the severe problems we experience with parking in our streets.
1. Stockbridge Lane car park
As an occasional Market Stall holder I have found that it is very important to the survival and success of our markets on Thursday and Saturday and to shopping in the town as a whole that as many people are encouraged to visit the town not only to shop but to enjoy our many activities throughout the year.
Many times in the summer all the car parks in the town except one are full to bursting with essential visitors. Stockbridge Lane Car Park is the exception. It is the nearest large car park to the Market Cross , capacity 88 cars, which is never full except at the Dickensian Festival when additional car parking is also needed at the Health Centre.
At other times the occupancy of this car park is never above 50% and often as low as 15% even in the height of the summer, as you will know from your takings at the meter.
Why is this car park so little used ? There is no sign at the Market Cross to indicate this car park exists. This needs to be rectified immediately .
Debbie Binch of the CCC approached Dave Conlin to appeal for a sign here on Monday January 12th with no result.
Secondly a better use of this car park would be for the business people to be offered this car park at a greatly reduced rate over the year this freeing up many of our streets close to town. In this way SLDC would receive far more money for its car park than at present.
SLDC would benefit as would the town.
Why can’t the Town Council to be given the responsibility over its own car parks? It would then be able to offer free parking on Market days as do towns like Hawick in Scotland if it decided that this made commercial sense.
The town is suffering from a lack of tourism; everything possible should be done to prevent this.
2. 27 Princess Street.
For some time now the Town has had to endure the sight of a burnt out house at 27 Princess St which is on the route taken by all tourists that arrive by train.
Far worse the neighbouring houses have had to endure the misuse of this house for over ten years and its lack of repair and broken windows. Repeated attempts by the residents and local councillors have failed to achieve a change. Only when there was a fire that threatened the safety of the residents adjacent did the council start to listen.
Could the Council assure the town that a resolution to this sad episode is at an end and that it will enforce a compulsory purchase of this property if present negotiations with the council and the present owner fail?
3. Web site for the town.
The towns shops and activities are a great source of benefit to the town's tourist trade and attractiveness. Why is it the the SLDC has never done a good job of designing an effective Ulverston website for this purpose.
The present Ulverston Online web site continues to come top of Google rankings yet it has very little information on it from a tourists viewpoint and many of the links don't work.
Jayne Kendall describes its purpose as being a portal and not a site specifically to promote Ulverston.
Yet the description of the site on Goolge is
“Ulverston Online
Lake District, Tourism and Ulverston information from Ulverston Online - the website of the festival town.”
Festival town? There is no information on this site about Ulverston’s festivals. A tourist would loose patience before discovering this on another site if they were lucky.
By contrast Newcastle recognised the importance of promoting itself to the world on the Internet five years ago and were in a position to reap the benefits of its hard promotional work with a surge in tourists when the pound weakened against many other of the worlds currencies.
Ulverston could have benefited in a similar way.
Though the Town Council have had a new web site designed, this is primarily to promote the views of the Councillors and its business; it is not specifically targeted to the tourist.
When will something be done to improve this situation by handing the responsibility and running of this site to an organisation that promotes tourism with flair throughout the Southern Lake District so that we all benefit from each other's strengths?
If the Council is not going to provide a good presentation of our town will it then remove this site from the prime slot on Google so that tourists do not get the impression that are town is a complete shambles. Private business can then be encouraged to take up the slack and become top slot on Google.
Response received Monday 28th September:
(clicking on the image will bring up an enlarged version)
1. Stockbridge Lane car park
As an occasional Market Stall holder I have found that it is very important to the survival and success of our markets on Thursday and Saturday and to shopping in the town as a whole that as many people are encouraged to visit the town not only to shop but to enjoy our many activities throughout the year.
Many times in the summer all the car parks in the town except one are full to bursting with essential visitors. Stockbridge Lane Car Park is the exception. It is the nearest large car park to the Market Cross , capacity 88 cars, which is never full except at the Dickensian Festival when additional car parking is also needed at the Health Centre.
At other times the occupancy of this car park is never above 50% and often as low as 15% even in the height of the summer, as you will know from your takings at the meter.
Why is this car park so little used ? There is no sign at the Market Cross to indicate this car park exists. This needs to be rectified immediately .
Debbie Binch of the CCC approached Dave Conlin to appeal for a sign here on Monday January 12th with no result.
Secondly a better use of this car park would be for the business people to be offered this car park at a greatly reduced rate over the year this freeing up many of our streets close to town. In this way SLDC would receive far more money for its car park than at present.
SLDC would benefit as would the town.
Why can’t the Town Council to be given the responsibility over its own car parks? It would then be able to offer free parking on Market days as do towns like Hawick in Scotland if it decided that this made commercial sense.
The town is suffering from a lack of tourism; everything possible should be done to prevent this.
2. 27 Princess Street.
For some time now the Town has had to endure the sight of a burnt out house at 27 Princess St which is on the route taken by all tourists that arrive by train.
Far worse the neighbouring houses have had to endure the misuse of this house for over ten years and its lack of repair and broken windows. Repeated attempts by the residents and local councillors have failed to achieve a change. Only when there was a fire that threatened the safety of the residents adjacent did the council start to listen.
Could the Council assure the town that a resolution to this sad episode is at an end and that it will enforce a compulsory purchase of this property if present negotiations with the council and the present owner fail?
3. Web site for the town.
The towns shops and activities are a great source of benefit to the town's tourist trade and attractiveness. Why is it the the SLDC has never done a good job of designing an effective Ulverston website for this purpose.
The present Ulverston Online web site continues to come top of Google rankings yet it has very little information on it from a tourists viewpoint and many of the links don't work.
Jayne Kendall describes its purpose as being a portal and not a site specifically to promote Ulverston.
Yet the description of the site on Goolge is
“Ulverston Online
Lake District, Tourism and Ulverston information from Ulverston Online - the website of the festival town.”
Festival town? There is no information on this site about Ulverston’s festivals. A tourist would loose patience before discovering this on another site if they were lucky.
By contrast Newcastle recognised the importance of promoting itself to the world on the Internet five years ago and were in a position to reap the benefits of its hard promotional work with a surge in tourists when the pound weakened against many other of the worlds currencies.
Ulverston could have benefited in a similar way.
Though the Town Council have had a new web site designed, this is primarily to promote the views of the Councillors and its business; it is not specifically targeted to the tourist.
When will something be done to improve this situation by handing the responsibility and running of this site to an organisation that promotes tourism with flair throughout the Southern Lake District so that we all benefit from each other's strengths?
If the Council is not going to provide a good presentation of our town will it then remove this site from the prime slot on Google so that tourists do not get the impression that are town is a complete shambles. Private business can then be encouraged to take up the slack and become top slot on Google.
Response received Monday 28th September:
(clicking on the image will bring up an enlarged version)
Monday, 11 May 2009
A disgrace in the 21st century
This is Prince's Street Ulverston, seen by all that come into town from the station.
These are a grand set of terraced houses (featuring the dog sculpture on the roof) ,going down another floor at the back.
For over 15 years, I understand, the property in the middle has been going downhill with disruptive behaviour from multiple tenants going on inside and a rapidly deteriorating exterior outside.
It has been a nightmare for the neighbours.
The fact that this situation has been allowed to continue is a disgrace and reflects on two serious problems that we have with local government.
One: the councillors involved have not pursued this issue with vigour. One concludes that they think that once they have raised the matter with the officials at the SLDC, their job is done.
Secondly over the past 12 years there have been a series of avoidance strategies and inaction by the SLDC officers and the Cllrs have done nothing to correct this.
It was only when there was a near disaster with a fire in the building, caused by a tenant, that things began to change. Had it not been through a stroke of luck with the fire engine being quickly available, then the fire would have taken hold with the whole block of houses.
The Fire service have now boarded up the main property.
Even after the fire nothing happened and it was left to the neighbours to raise the issue.
A meeting was eventually called with the council officials in March with the following resulting vague proposals. To download the SLDC responses to the neighbours questions click here and then click the link labelled "Response to Dr McQuillin.pdf" part way down the page. Here is the Evening Mail report of the recent situation.
Now at last the Council are going to decide what they will do at their Cabinet Meeting, this next May 27th.
They will have to be on their toes as they have an appauling record on this issue. Mr Tummie was not convincing at the earlier March meeting; his boss Mr Sykes was seen to be squirming in his seat at the incompetent performance being given by his 'team'. This whole sad saga confirms the low position held by SLDC in the bottom 15% in the country as measured by the Audit committee. It now has an opportunity to rectify the matter.
The SLDC can count on a public outcry from Ulverston if this house is not quickly sold to a new responsible builder for the ultmate use by a private family.
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