Forum Topic

Pedestrian danger removed.

The hoarding to the building site at the top of Northfield Avenue where it meets the Uxbridge Road has been taken back almost 45" from the curb edge. Until today pedestrians were forced to walk in the busy road. A group of caring residents posted a video exposing this danger because normal methods of communication with officers and councillors had failed to remove this hazard. Please google  "wecnf youtube"  to see what was happening before.

Arthur Breens ● 4515d10 Comments

Complain answer received 24 hrs late with no thank you or sorry. details to follow

Arthur Breens ● 4459d

I made a complaint. The council set dead-lines which they broke. The complaint (response deadline now 14 Jan 2014)was of A) no officer trainingB) no risk assessmentC) no reporting system for public for road safety issuesD) no one responsible for road safety in the boroughE) flawed complaints procedure.The hoarding proved very difficult for us to have adjusted through the council officers but when they did take action the problem was so easily remedied by the builder.   

Arthur Breens ● 4485d

Bud, And now Julian has come back to say he has been working on it a number of days. Pity he never told me.

Arthur Breens ● 4514d

BudThank you for this. Sent reminder today to Leader, Portfolio Holder and Chief Executive about my original request for a risk assessment for these pavement closure decisions. I asked on the 18th Nov. The reminder in more terse tones produced an immediate response from Chief Executive's office. So we wait 10 working days for a substantive reply.If they don't reply with a risk analysis straight away as on the 18th (because they are sort of in the public domain) then experience indicates that none were done.A pretty casual state of affairs where lives are concerned.

Arthur Breens ● 4514d

If I'm being naive here, please excuse me - Julian Bell is leader of the council, so, go to the top if you're not getting answers. Bug him until it comes on his radar and he gets pissed off and does something about it. His contacts details are:julian.bell@ealing.gov.uk07903 424905Alternatively, the following link is a listing for the Ealing Cabinet http://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/200033/councillors/567/cabinet

Bud Richards ● 4514d

Name and shame Arthur, name and shame.

Nigel Brooks ● 4514d

Emily and others,Very many thanks for these posts. It is very difficult for the public to understand how those we pay reach these decisions. Any inquiries produce no response and no minutes in the old style of "never apologize never explain". My ward councillor seemed to be supporting the officer at the centre of this fiasco not the residents (and their safety) she purports to represent. Silence too from the chief executive and the leader and the portfolio holder. Making a complaint is not an option. The system spins it out such that it disappears into the history books. I asked for a risk assessment for this pavement closure on Monday. I have received none so I assume nothing exists. The officer responsible needs to be removed urgently from this role in the interests of public safety but how can this be achieved?

Arthur Breens ● 4514d

I noticed that. Thanks to the enterprising residents - a shame that it took a video for pedestrian safety to get taken seriously.

Emily Heath ● 4514d

Well done Arthur & WEN.

Sam Salisbury ● 4515d

I've shut pavements and put hoardings up all over London but never in my home boroughI have not got a clue how they were allowed to do what they did here originally or how a licence was grantedAside from consideration of the blind, elderly, bus routes and general pedestrians I've no idea how they erected it safely without shutting the roadI wonder if its worth being a bona fide Contractor who plays by the rules sometimes

Colin Goodman ● 4515d