The decision that the pottery was dangerous appears to have been made on the basis of one councillor supported by her parents.
Why was her view that they were dangerous accepted without consulting those of the SLDC officers, Deborah Wright, Community Spaces officer and her boss Jim Maguire who only three days before had inspected the park and took the view that the pottery was in fact an asset to the park?
Who were the officers that had detailed knowledge of the dangers?
Why were the views of these officers who had this information overridden?
Surely the views of officers Wright and Maguire were more valid than those of a lone councillor and her parents.
Why was the decision made in such haste? Would it not be possible to consult with the group that SLDC frequently communicated with - The BUGs and discuss the problem of the dangerous pottery if in fact your officers believed this to be true. Why were all the pots removed and not just those that were considered dangerous?
A more important question is :
Why was action taken so quickly in this particular case when complaints regarding the safety of the Seesaw, made two years ago have been ignored? Complaints that described serious physical injury of a broken collar bone, and another case of injuries to a child's head. Why was action taken in the case of the pottery, when officers Wright and Maguire, became aware of a series of more serious faults in the park when they visited a few days earlier. The list of faults were substantial whilst the officers were full of praise for the pottery which they failed to see as dangerous.
Do the actions of SLDC not appear to suggest that the decision process was irrational, vindictive and has to be described as bullying without consultation. A view that is supported by those of it's own officers, Wright and Maguire who were greatly distressed by being made to carry out actions they clearly disagreed with.
How can the public have confidence in a council that acts in this way?
Surely The Chief Executive Laurence Conway needs to review the way his staff function and make substantial changes : the main one being delegation of responsibility to those familiar with the situation 'on the ground' namely Mill Dam Park
The BUGs now request that the dangers of all the pottery be reassessed by SLDC officers and all those considered safe be reinstated in the exact position they were placed - which is a matter of video .
Conclusion:
Decisions need to be made by the officers in charge and with their specialised responsibilities. Here a designated risk assessment needs to be followed resulting in a consistent criteria across South Lakeland.The views of their officers should be followed rather than random views of members of the public and local councillors who have no training in judging what is and is not safe.
What has happened raises serious concerns about the functioning of SLDC as a rational institution. Surely the action of the top management brings the institution of SLDC into disrupute with the general public not only within South Lakeland but all across the country and even across Europe
Friday, 5 July 2013
Thursday, 4 July 2013
Reply from Simon Rowley , SLDC
Dear Mr Dellow,
Thank you for your e-mail of 1st July regarding the above site and in reference to my letter to you of 28th June .
I do appreciate that the removal of the art work from within the park and its boundary fencing could be viewed by some as unnecessary or even unreasonable , but the reasons for their removal are clear and as detailed in my letter to you .
I do find the situation regrettable but the Authority must act on matters that are raised with it in respect of public safety and the issue that the fixing and display of the pieces were not agreed to, prior to the display , which would have allowed greater consideration ,communication and consultation with the wider community . We have to take account of views and concerns from across the community.
The concerns raised by some members of the public were specific to the safety issues , that some of the pieces had sharp edges and points and some were already broken and again had sharp edges. Other concerns raised were that the park was being defaced .
On their behalf, these concerns were relayed via the ward member who also expressed their concern over these matters and the apparent lack of consultation and communication with the wider community and any approval for this to take place .
I can confirm that the pottery has now been taken down and packed carefully in bubble wrap and boxed awaiting collection .
I recognise the good intent of your group and the value of engaging communities with the management of their local parks and play areas. I would like to reiterate that as part of the current review of facilities at Mill Dam (and its on-going management) the authority is keen to work in partnership with local residents and community groups to enhance and improve this play area and that this would of course include yourself and group .
Yours sincerely
Simon Rowley | Assistant Director Neighbourhood Services
South Lakeland District Council, South Lakeland House, Lowther Street, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4DQ
Tel: 0845 050 4434 | Direct Tel: 01539 793110 | Email: s.rowley@southlakeland.gov.uk
Website: www.southlakeland.gov.uk
Thank you for your e-mail of 1st July regarding the above site and in reference to my letter to you of 28th June .
I do appreciate that the removal of the art work from within the park and its boundary fencing could be viewed by some as unnecessary or even unreasonable , but the reasons for their removal are clear and as detailed in my letter to you .
I do find the situation regrettable but the Authority must act on matters that are raised with it in respect of public safety and the issue that the fixing and display of the pieces were not agreed to, prior to the display , which would have allowed greater consideration ,communication and consultation with the wider community . We have to take account of views and concerns from across the community.
The concerns raised by some members of the public were specific to the safety issues , that some of the pieces had sharp edges and points and some were already broken and again had sharp edges. Other concerns raised were that the park was being defaced .
On their behalf, these concerns were relayed via the ward member who also expressed their concern over these matters and the apparent lack of consultation and communication with the wider community and any approval for this to take place .
I can confirm that the pottery has now been taken down and packed carefully in bubble wrap and boxed awaiting collection .
I recognise the good intent of your group and the value of engaging communities with the management of their local parks and play areas. I would like to reiterate that as part of the current review of facilities at Mill Dam (and its on-going management) the authority is keen to work in partnership with local residents and community groups to enhance and improve this play area and that this would of course include yourself and group .
Yours sincerely
Simon Rowley | Assistant Director Neighbourhood Services
South Lakeland District Council, South Lakeland House, Lowther Street, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4DQ
Tel: 0845 050 4434 | Direct Tel: 01539 793110 | Email: s.rowley@southlakeland.gov.uk
Website: www.southlakeland.gov.uk
* * * * *
Our reply is that at all times the BUGs, the group formed at the suggestion of SLDC in mid 2011, made SLDC aware of it's intentions. In this case parks officer Tony Naylor was informed as recently as June 5th of the intention to do some work in the park (a practice that has been repeated where any action is taken). Over a period of four years, 50 emails have been sent to keep SLDC informed of its actions. In the particular case of the pottery the same pottery was installed in early 2012 with no negative feedback from SLDC. The problem is on the part of SLDC officers who do not appear to communicate with each other. On the other hand there have been serious difficiencies in SLDC operation which can be illustrated where they have not taken prompt action that was promissed by them eg regarding the making safe the Seesaw that is causing several serious accidents.
Removal of pottery from Mill Dam Park, Ulverston
Late last Friday, Chris and I was staggered to receive an email from Rowley of SLDC to tell us that they were going to remove all the pottery that had been in the park immediately.
Here is the pottery in question:
As I attempt to right this I am extremely distressed and find it hard to write anything.
I believe I am dealing with bullies of the worst kind. I can deal with bullies in the flesh and know how to respond but faceless bureaucrats are another thing totally.
What is very comforting is that the people from SLDC who removed the pottery on Monday morning were obviously also deeply distressed and allowed me to film their reaction. They were the new officer for Community Spaces Deborah Wright and her boss Jim Maguire who personally insisted on removing the pottery so that no damage was done in the process. They insisted that they had been instructed that the pottery had to come down and they had no choice than to do as they were told.
Their deep distress brings all three of us together convincesme that we will work extremely well together once the bullies that precipitated this event have reviewed their actions.
It would appear that the officers were not consulted but were just given orders as subordinates.
One could conclude that the instruction of such a drastic nature must have been authorised by the person at the very top of SLDC - from the chief executive Lawrence Conway. It would seem that he was mindless of the deep distress to users of the park , parents and children,who are livid at the behavior of SLDC, he was mindless of the members of the community that have put so much work over the last three years and he was mindless of the distress caused to his officers who had to carry out his orders. (As Shakespeare says-"There is something rotten in the state of Denmark"). Parents were shocked to hear that the issue was Health and Safety due to the hazard generated by the pottery made by their children and themselves. Their furious reaction has been that SLDC have repeatedly ignored their requests to have the height of the Seesaw reduced following serious injury to their children falling off and now SLDC picks on this trivial issue which everyone without question finds to be impossible to understand : that the pottery is dangerous to children.
Here on this page was a video of the officers explaining their feelings at being made to remove the pottery, the original with images of the Deborah Wright and Jim Maguire has been removed at the request of Jim Maguire for privacy reasons. Instead an alternative version with the sound track only has been used. Now Jim Maguire is stating that he wants even the sound track version removed. In reponceI feel it is extreemly important that the the public get the correct impression of how distressed the two officers were at being made to take the pottery down. My alternative is to replace even the sound version with a verbatim written statement. As I am confused as to how far to give way to these requests, I am going to remove even this version until I have taken time to consider my position carefully. So here goes :
Gone
On hearing that the issue was Health and Safety due to the hazard generated by the pottery made by their children and themselves. Their furious reaction has been that SLDC have repeatedly ignored their requests to have the height of the Seesaw reduced following serious injury to their children falling off and now SLDC picks on this trivial issue which everyone without question finds to be impossible: that the pottery is dangerous to children.
Here is the directive that we received last Friday sent 28 June 2013 17:44:19 GMT+01:00
Dear Mr Dellow
Please find attached a letter regarding Mill Dam play area in Ulverston - the contents of which I hope are self explanatory.
Yours sincerely
Simon Rowley
Assistant Director Neighbourhood Services
This was our response on Monday at 10 am:
We are shattered by the heavy handed approach to this issue. The proverbial sledge hammer to crack . . . . . Sadly you have come across to some as bullies.
We have complied with your previous requests and have kept SLDC informed ahead of time to all our actions through a series of some 50 emails sent my me over period of four years up to the present time, some of them concerning repairs we have done with Peter Clarke's help to benches that had waited for you to repair for two years with no sign of you sign of you doing them. The general public have a very low opinion of your involvement in the park and quite the opposite of ours.
Your letter below states that there have been complaints from the public and at least two councillors - you use the plural.
Could you tell us what exactly were the nature of the complaints and who were the councillors that complained and how did these complaints arise.
Did both councillors complain to you or did you approach the councillors for their views?
We are as ever keen to resolve as issue with the public, the vast majority of which support us.
Lastly and very important which pottery are you complaining about?
Your statement would appear to apply to it all.
When you take the pottery down please pack them safely as they are seen as precious to those that made them.
Sadly your behaviour has been seen as very heavy handed by members of the public who use the park, some of whom work for the press and they are incredulous at what you appear to be saying.
Would it not have been possible to deal directly with me and our group so that we could compromise?
Geoff Dellow
From: Peter Clarke
Subject: RE: Work in Mill Dam Park
Date: 5 June 2013 10:56:37 GMT+01:00
To: Geoff Dellow
Cc: Tony Naylor
Geoff
I am afraid that the ground under the seesaw will not be raised until perhaps August or September due to other ongoing works and holidays but it will happen
Peter Clarke
Recreation Engineer
South Lakeland dc
07977 283904
-----Original Message-----
From: Geoff Dellow [mailto:gd@tygh.co.uk]
Sent: 05 June 2013 09:48
To: Clarke, Peter
Subject: Work in Mill Dam Park
Hi Peter,
What glorious weather we are having.
We have repaired the picnic table that was damaged and put it back in the park.
We plan an activity day this Sunday when we will put the pottery back on the fence and plant new bedding plants in. The sweet peas are doing well.
What is the status of raising the ground level under the Seesaw ?
Geoff
Relevant history.
A small group of volunteers started to work in Mill Dam Park four years ago . We have paid for everything out of our own pockets :bulbs, plants except were donated, benches, wood for two benches that we made, all repairs except for wood supplied immediately by Peter Clarke by SLDC for a bench with no seat - after a wait of two years of inaction made to Tony Naylor officer in charge of parks.
After an exchange of 25 emails with Tony Naylor would rarely did what he promised we turned to communicating with Peter Clarke who by contrast was extremely helpful.
The above event appears to have been precipitated by a meeting in the park on Tuesday 18th June afternoon with Cllr Colin Pickthall who persuaded Cllr Irving to attend as our District Councillor regarding a consultation with local residents regarding the choice of equipment to be bought for the park with £8,100 which the builders Persimmons will (?) be paying in the future.
Then followed a meeting of the BUGs represented by Dellow, Atkinson and Kelly with the officers from SLDC Wright and Maguire in the park together with Southward of Playdale on Wednesday 28th June at 2pm, when the officers were full of admiration of the work done by the BUGs in the park and the pottery was greatly admired. Note the Health and Safety of the park was discussed - the log stumps in the ground , the height of the Seesaw, the opening of the gates outwards onto the street. The installed pottery was of no concern whatsoever.
PS. Should you wish to ask for an explanation of the above actions, the email address of the SLDC chief executive is Lawrence Conway - L.Conway@southlakeland.gov.uk ie L.Conway at southlakeland.gov.uk
I'm sure that he would appreciate hearing of your concerns.
Please read the subsequent entries on this blog which are important.
Here is the pottery in question:
As I attempt to right this I am extremely distressed and find it hard to write anything.
I believe I am dealing with bullies of the worst kind. I can deal with bullies in the flesh and know how to respond but faceless bureaucrats are another thing totally.
What is very comforting is that the people from SLDC who removed the pottery on Monday morning were obviously also deeply distressed and allowed me to film their reaction. They were the new officer for Community Spaces Deborah Wright and her boss Jim Maguire who personally insisted on removing the pottery so that no damage was done in the process. They insisted that they had been instructed that the pottery had to come down and they had no choice than to do as they were told.
Their deep distress brings all three of us together convincesme that we will work extremely well together once the bullies that precipitated this event have reviewed their actions.
It would appear that the officers were not consulted but were just given orders as subordinates.
One could conclude that the instruction of such a drastic nature must have been authorised by the person at the very top of SLDC - from the chief executive Lawrence Conway. It would seem that he was mindless of the deep distress to users of the park , parents and children,who are livid at the behavior of SLDC, he was mindless of the members of the community that have put so much work over the last three years and he was mindless of the distress caused to his officers who had to carry out his orders. (As Shakespeare says-"There is something rotten in the state of Denmark"). Parents were shocked to hear that the issue was Health and Safety due to the hazard generated by the pottery made by their children and themselves. Their furious reaction has been that SLDC have repeatedly ignored their requests to have the height of the Seesaw reduced following serious injury to their children falling off and now SLDC picks on this trivial issue which everyone without question finds to be impossible to understand : that the pottery is dangerous to children.
Here on this page was a video of the officers explaining their feelings at being made to remove the pottery, the original with images of the Deborah Wright and Jim Maguire has been removed at the request of Jim Maguire for privacy reasons. Instead an alternative version with the sound track only has been used. Now Jim Maguire is stating that he wants even the sound track version removed. In reponceI feel it is extreemly important that the the public get the correct impression of how distressed the two officers were at being made to take the pottery down. My alternative is to replace even the sound version with a verbatim written statement. As I am confused as to how far to give way to these requests, I am going to remove even this version until I have taken time to consider my position carefully. So here goes :
Gone
On hearing that the issue was Health and Safety due to the hazard generated by the pottery made by their children and themselves. Their furious reaction has been that SLDC have repeatedly ignored their requests to have the height of the Seesaw reduced following serious injury to their children falling off and now SLDC picks on this trivial issue which everyone without question finds to be impossible: that the pottery is dangerous to children.
Here is the directive that we received last Friday sent 28 June 2013 17:44:19 GMT+01:00
Dear Mr Dellow
Please find attached a letter regarding Mill Dam play area in Ulverston - the contents of which I hope are self explanatory.
Yours sincerely
Simon Rowley
Assistant Director Neighbourhood Services
This was our response on Monday at 10 am:
We are shattered by the heavy handed approach to this issue. The proverbial sledge hammer to crack . . . . . Sadly you have come across to some as bullies.
We have complied with your previous requests and have kept SLDC informed ahead of time to all our actions through a series of some 50 emails sent my me over period of four years up to the present time, some of them concerning repairs we have done with Peter Clarke's help to benches that had waited for you to repair for two years with no sign of you sign of you doing them. The general public have a very low opinion of your involvement in the park and quite the opposite of ours.
Your letter below states that there have been complaints from the public and at least two councillors - you use the plural.
Could you tell us what exactly were the nature of the complaints and who were the councillors that complained and how did these complaints arise.
Did both councillors complain to you or did you approach the councillors for their views?
We are as ever keen to resolve as issue with the public, the vast majority of which support us.
Lastly and very important which pottery are you complaining about?
Your statement would appear to apply to it all.
When you take the pottery down please pack them safely as they are seen as precious to those that made them.
Sadly your behaviour has been seen as very heavy handed by members of the public who use the park, some of whom work for the press and they are incredulous at what you appear to be saying.
Would it not have been possible to deal directly with me and our group so that we could compromise?
Geoff Dellow
* * * *
Since Monday the Evening Mail has identified the councillor (single) to be Helen Irving who is both town and District councillor for this area and the public to be Cllr Irving's parents.
* * * *
Our last email contact with SLDC was with Peter Clarke on June 5th 2013 as follows:From: Peter Clarke
Subject: RE: Work in Mill Dam Park
Date: 5 June 2013 10:56:37 GMT+01:00
To: Geoff Dellow
Cc: Tony Naylor
Geoff
I am afraid that the ground under the seesaw will not be raised until perhaps August or September due to other ongoing works and holidays but it will happen
Peter Clarke
Recreation Engineer
South Lakeland dc
07977 283904
-----Original Message-----
From: Geoff Dellow [mailto:gd@tygh.co.uk]
Sent: 05 June 2013 09:48
To: Clarke, Peter
Subject: Work in Mill Dam Park
Hi Peter,
What glorious weather we are having.
We have repaired the picnic table that was damaged and put it back in the park.
We plan an activity day this Sunday when we will put the pottery back on the fence and plant new bedding plants in. The sweet peas are doing well.
What is the status of raising the ground level under the Seesaw ?
Geoff
Relevant history.
A small group of volunteers started to work in Mill Dam Park four years ago . We have paid for everything out of our own pockets :bulbs, plants except were donated, benches, wood for two benches that we made, all repairs except for wood supplied immediately by Peter Clarke by SLDC for a bench with no seat - after a wait of two years of inaction made to Tony Naylor officer in charge of parks.
After an exchange of 25 emails with Tony Naylor would rarely did what he promised we turned to communicating with Peter Clarke who by contrast was extremely helpful.
The above event appears to have been precipitated by a meeting in the park on Tuesday 18th June afternoon with Cllr Colin Pickthall who persuaded Cllr Irving to attend as our District Councillor regarding a consultation with local residents regarding the choice of equipment to be bought for the park with £8,100 which the builders Persimmons will (?) be paying in the future.
Then followed a meeting of the BUGs represented by Dellow, Atkinson and Kelly with the officers from SLDC Wright and Maguire in the park together with Southward of Playdale on Wednesday 28th June at 2pm, when the officers were full of admiration of the work done by the BUGs in the park and the pottery was greatly admired. Note the Health and Safety of the park was discussed - the log stumps in the ground , the height of the Seesaw, the opening of the gates outwards onto the street. The installed pottery was of no concern whatsoever.
PS. Should you wish to ask for an explanation of the above actions, the email address of the SLDC chief executive is Lawrence Conway - L.Conway@southlakeland.gov.uk ie L.Conway at southlakeland.gov.uk
I'm sure that he would appreciate hearing of your concerns.
Please read the subsequent entries on this blog which are important.
Sunday, 30 June 2013
Answers to my questions to Cllr Mark Wilson, new county councillor for East Ward
Why Mark? He is the councillor for the area of the 'South Lakes' with the highest concentration of people using the Citizen's Advice Bureau. At Christmas time he reassured us that there would be no problem in providing a CAB Centre here in Ulverston when the centre in Theatre St closed. I assume therefore that he will be most concerned that the CAB is still not up and running with a face-to-face drop in centre here in the centre of Ulverston.
I also copied in Cllr John Clough who also showed concern for the CAB issue when it was raised by Roger Lindsay last November and reassured me that I could always get information from him by email. . . . He ran for the North County Council Ward against James Airey in the recent election. James Airey was returned as the county councillor.
I received no reply from either of the two Labour Councillors to my email sent a week ago on Sunday 23rd June. Here is a copy:
Mark,
Could you give me an update on when the CAB is likely to open here in Ulverston?
I called in to talk to Jayne Kendall yesterday to find that that she understood that the process is being held up by the signing of a lease to reuse the premises that were used previously.
Why is this process taking so long?
I put it to her that if a business was held up by the signing of a lease, it would be fixed within a week. She agreed with me and was only able to make what appeared to be a feeble response.
She is hoping that the CAB is operating in "four to six weeks". What will she say in six weeks time? - The same? She said something similar when I asked the last time. was it six weeks ago?
In the mean time, how is Cumbria Rural coping with the flood of new calls? My experience has been that it took six calls within their stated office hours before the phone was answered. I'm about to try again to check. Have you tried recently to find out what the situation is really like?
You will have many people in your ward that have cases in process. How are they coping? Do they understand how they should proceed in the mean time?
How many people do you have in your ward that have ongoing cases at this very minute?
Do we have a councillor in Ulverston that is keeping close contact with the situation and helping resolve problems that may occur? How much help are Cumbria Rural being helped to resolve their problems?
It is now three months since the Ulverston Centre closed. Couldn't there be a more informative notice placed on the window of the former premises to help people that by the nature of their plight are not good at taking care of themselves?
Don't you feel that this statement doesn't ring true and is hollow?
An article in the Westmorland Gazette on June 6th page 15 - middle bottom reassures us that ""We will soon have appointments in Kendal and Ulverston. Check our website for details www.cumbriaruralcab.org.uk/ When you do this you get the following http://www.cumbriaruralcab.org.uk/Cumbria_Rural_CAB/Cumbria_Rural_CAB.html
Going here I get no details at all , do you?
Are we really a caring society in Ulverston?
My enquiry regarding provision for the homeless demonstrates that there is no longer any help available in Ulverston - you have to go to Barrow. (Source Sgt Rupert Johnston) (The previous provision by the granary and Impact Housing has apparently closed.)This may be OK while the weather is warm but what will happen in five month's time. What resources will we have then?
It's hard times needing good co-ordination of resources and caring people to pull out the stops. What a previously concerned people like Roger Lindsay doing? What am I doing?
I shall be revisiting you for some answers at the end of the week.
Geoff
I also copied in Cllr John Clough who also showed concern for the CAB issue when it was raised by Roger Lindsay last November and reassured me that I could always get information from him by email. . . . He ran for the North County Council Ward against James Airey in the recent election. James Airey was returned as the county councillor.
I received no reply from either of the two Labour Councillors to my email sent a week ago on Sunday 23rd June. Here is a copy:
Mark,
Could you give me an update on when the CAB is likely to open here in Ulverston?
I called in to talk to Jayne Kendall yesterday to find that that she understood that the process is being held up by the signing of a lease to reuse the premises that were used previously.
Why is this process taking so long?
I put it to her that if a business was held up by the signing of a lease, it would be fixed within a week. She agreed with me and was only able to make what appeared to be a feeble response.
She is hoping that the CAB is operating in "four to six weeks". What will she say in six weeks time? - The same? She said something similar when I asked the last time. was it six weeks ago?
In the mean time, how is Cumbria Rural coping with the flood of new calls? My experience has been that it took six calls within their stated office hours before the phone was answered. I'm about to try again to check. Have you tried recently to find out what the situation is really like?
You will have many people in your ward that have cases in process. How are they coping? Do they understand how they should proceed in the mean time?
How many people do you have in your ward that have ongoing cases at this very minute?
Do we have a councillor in Ulverston that is keeping close contact with the situation and helping resolve problems that may occur? How much help are Cumbria Rural being helped to resolve their problems?
It is now three months since the Ulverston Centre closed. Couldn't there be a more informative notice placed on the window of the former premises to help people that by the nature of their plight are not good at taking care of themselves?
Don't you feel that this statement doesn't ring true and is hollow?
An article in the Westmorland Gazette on June 6th page 15 - middle bottom reassures us that ""We will soon have appointments in Kendal and Ulverston. Check our website for details www.cumbriaruralcab.org.uk/ When you do this you get the following http://www.cumbriaruralcab.org.uk/Cumbria_Rural_CAB/Cumbria_Rural_CAB.html
Going here I get no details at all , do you?
Are we really a caring society in Ulverston?
My enquiry regarding provision for the homeless demonstrates that there is no longer any help available in Ulverston - you have to go to Barrow. (Source Sgt Rupert Johnston) (The previous provision by the granary and Impact Housing has apparently closed.)This may be OK while the weather is warm but what will happen in five month's time. What resources will we have then?
It's hard times needing good co-ordination of resources and caring people to pull out the stops. What a previously concerned people like Roger Lindsay doing? What am I doing?
I shall be revisiting you for some answers at the end of the week.
Geoff
Thursday, 27 June 2013
If you want to see what I'm up to
See the BUGs on Facebook where we're talking to SLDC Royalty - so to speak.
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
No sense of URGENCY
The Ulverston CAB closed completely unexpectedly from the viewpoint of those using it.
Those being helped with cases arrived at the office in Benson Street expecting further help in their urgent case - they were about to loose their home through not being able to handle their debt - something the CAB had been very effective in the past at solving - only to find the office closed with an impersonal notice in the window. " We deeply regret - - -blah,blah,blah.
Roger Lindsay had alerted us all to the likelihood of the office closing in November. John Dersley the then director of the CAB in Ulverston had decided back in July last year that the Ulverston office had to close. Yet what has happened since the closing three months ago has been extremely badly planned and carried out. Some of the former volunteers have become so disillusioned by the way the closing was handled that they refuse to re-engage. Promises of an immediate reopening of the Ulverston base were made yet three months later Jayne Kendall told me yesterday that this could happen in four to six week's time. Brilliantly designed and equipped offices stand empty adjacent to the town hall.
I am trying to contact a councillor who is 'on the case' but there isn't one. Even Mark Wilson, the town, district and now county councillor who stated back in January that 'everything would be alright' has to take time to find out what the current situation is with a phone call when asked and then the answer received is superficial.
Apparently the previous office is to be taken over again. The situation is apparently waiting for a lease to be signed.
I ask myself if this was an office offering financial services to the wealthy on say how to invest their stocks and shares would there be more than a day's delay yet in this case we have waited a hundred days. You get the feeling that because we're dealing with people that can't cope with this kind of thing then there is no urgency. Even by contrast if their house had collapsed around them we would insist that they get rescued instantly.
This is not an instant death but a death by depression and frustration, a death by severe anger and injustice, a death inflicted by callous evil people who seek to make money out of others that don't understand how to handle the system. People who sadly believed there used to be people to help them as they had helped others.
Is Ulverston in fact a caring town?
I've written to Mark Wilson and fellow Cllr Clough who showed a CAB concern three months ago, to find out.
I shall report back at the weekend with the answers they give.
I fear that the answer will be more of "We don't know but the system is coping and the office may be open in six weeks time"
But then it may not. Welcome to caring Ulverston.
Those being helped with cases arrived at the office in Benson Street expecting further help in their urgent case - they were about to loose their home through not being able to handle their debt - something the CAB had been very effective in the past at solving - only to find the office closed with an impersonal notice in the window. " We deeply regret - - -blah,blah,blah.
Roger Lindsay had alerted us all to the likelihood of the office closing in November. John Dersley the then director of the CAB in Ulverston had decided back in July last year that the Ulverston office had to close. Yet what has happened since the closing three months ago has been extremely badly planned and carried out. Some of the former volunteers have become so disillusioned by the way the closing was handled that they refuse to re-engage. Promises of an immediate reopening of the Ulverston base were made yet three months later Jayne Kendall told me yesterday that this could happen in four to six week's time. Brilliantly designed and equipped offices stand empty adjacent to the town hall.
I am trying to contact a councillor who is 'on the case' but there isn't one. Even Mark Wilson, the town, district and now county councillor who stated back in January that 'everything would be alright' has to take time to find out what the current situation is with a phone call when asked and then the answer received is superficial.
Apparently the previous office is to be taken over again. The situation is apparently waiting for a lease to be signed.
I ask myself if this was an office offering financial services to the wealthy on say how to invest their stocks and shares would there be more than a day's delay yet in this case we have waited a hundred days. You get the feeling that because we're dealing with people that can't cope with this kind of thing then there is no urgency. Even by contrast if their house had collapsed around them we would insist that they get rescued instantly.
This is not an instant death but a death by depression and frustration, a death by severe anger and injustice, a death inflicted by callous evil people who seek to make money out of others that don't understand how to handle the system. People who sadly believed there used to be people to help them as they had helped others.
Is Ulverston in fact a caring town?
I've written to Mark Wilson and fellow Cllr Clough who showed a CAB concern three months ago, to find out.
I shall report back at the weekend with the answers they give.
I fear that the answer will be more of "We don't know but the system is coping and the office may be open in six weeks time"
But then it may not. Welcome to caring Ulverston.
Monday, 24 June 2013
Sunday, 23 June 2013
Ulverston in Bloom's Open Houses today
You'd be forgiven for missing this : is it that there have been too many alternative activities recently?
Brenda Caton's house at 46 Soutergate is truly exceptional - she's been preparing for this weekend for months. She even spent two whole days in the full sun, a week ago, scrubbing her slate crazy paving are in readiness.
She has an amazing collection of succulents of every description, some never seen in the UK - brought from Italy - cascading down the wall. Some exquisite dark plants, honestly - this is not to be missed - easy access from her alleyway. Last day today - otherwise you'll have to wait 'til next year . . . . .
Brenda Caton's house at 46 Soutergate is truly exceptional - she's been preparing for this weekend for months. She even spent two whole days in the full sun, a week ago, scrubbing her slate crazy paving are in readiness.
She has an amazing collection of succulents of every description, some never seen in the UK - brought from Italy - cascading down the wall. Some exquisite dark plants, honestly - this is not to be missed - easy access from her alleyway. Last day today - otherwise you'll have to wait 'til next year . . . . .
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