Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914701)

Just what we need, people to inform the council of where we aren't up to scratch. How can we improve if we don't know what's wrong?

However, it would be more productive to e-mail photos with a brief description of any grotspots to:

[email protected]

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 914695)

Will try and take one tomorrow.

One of Accy's biggest grot spot is yards from the Town Hall.

The back that runs off Dutton Street, behind the video shop.

Piles of disgusting filth, which has been there for months.

I know you can report it, but we already have the correct department on speed-dial for Ossy, and just presume someone will clear it, but they don't.

Originally Posted by lancsdave (Post 914708)

I agree with that one. Have to look at it every week when I go to the bank with my millions :)

Originally Posted by lancsdave (Post 914708)

I agree with that one. Have to look at it every week when I go to the bank with my millions :)

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 914715)

.... please post on here as well so we can create a gallery of shame.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914721)

Someone should have done this years ago.

Well done, Neil.

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris (Post 914727)

Why doesn't someone take some pictures of the dossers, beggars, alkis and smackheads in the town centre?

Then maybe Ken will believe us and other Labour councillors like Bernard, Claytonender and Clare Pritchard will end their deafening silence on the subject?

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914721)

Someone should have done this years ago.

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris (Post 914727)

Why doesn't someone take some pictures of the dossers, beggars, alkis and smackheads in the town centre?

Then maybe Ken will believe us and other Labour councillors like Bernard, Claytonender and Clare Pritchard will end their deafening silence on the subject?

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 914715)

Take a picture with your phone next time

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 914732)

Apply for funding.

Sounds like a super community art project.

:D

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 914695)

Will try and take one tomorrow.

One of Accy's biggest grot spot is yards from the Town Hall.

The back that runs off Dutton Street, behind the video shop.

Piles of disgusting filth, which has been there for months.

I know you can report it, but we already have the correct department on speed-dial for Ossy, and just presume someone will clear it, but they don't.

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 914748)

Are these what you mean?

Originally Posted by nevvy69 (Post 914829)

Im a member of the public too aswell as working for the council, although things arn't perfect, i respect everyone who does there best, even though it may not be to everyones standards.

Originally Posted by Gobbiner17 (Post 914869)

There used to be a time when everyone scrubbed their own doorstep and kept their fronts clean and tidy. You don't see that any more.

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 914854)

I think you have missed my point.
There are not enough council workers who do the tasks you mentioned in your post now and with any cuts at all in front line workers things will get worse.

We don't have enough boots on the ground cleaning our streets and maintaining our parks and open spaces. This is blatantly obvious to anyone who walks around the borough to see.

I am involved with parks and green spaces so more about it than cleansing so I will give you an example.

Green flag is a standard for parks that I really don't like. I think it should be a minimum standard but here in Hyndburn it appears to be a target many parks fall well short of. Recently it was judging time again so it was a case of every available body in the parks being judged which has left other neglected because there are not enough people to keep the parks that achieve green flag at that standard without neglecting others.

I use the work neglect often, some may think its harsh but if you look at the very few pictures I posted you will see why I use it.

I don't blame our park keepers/gardeners for this, I blame those who dont provide enough of them. Some of the pictures are of my local park, Rhyddings park, we have one bloke in there trying to look after it on his own. He works hard, is friendly, polite and really helpful but he is just one man and at times he is pulled out to work elsewhere, he has no chance of keeping it like it should be. The standard is going downhill and it will get worse unless money is put in and not taken out of parks and cleansing.

I have not mentioned the community groups that work with the councils parks dept. Together they have raised over £3.5 millions in the last 5 or so years. Without the groups working with the council most of that money would not have come to Hyndburn. Imagine how grim our parks would be now without this partnership approach we have.

Its time for the council to show us they do care, to return some of the commitment we the people have given to them and show us they do care as much as we care.

I need to take a chill pill now.

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 914873)

Slightly off topic, but if the alley off Dutton Street is a mess today, and I photograph it on my phone, is there a way of posting it on here?

I'm a bit thick when it comes to stuff like that.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914875)

Did you ever say any of that to Peter, I wonder?

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914878)

You can always phone 01254 388111 and report it to the Enquiries Team who will forward the details to the cleansing department.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914875)

perhaps there is room for economy in the 450+ hanging baskets that all need to be watered daily .

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 914882)

Ok, I will.

I do report things there. Usually stuff dumped in Ossy.

It just suprises me this particular location has been a hazard, and an eye-sore for an absolute age, being so close as it is to the Town Hall.

Originally Posted by Tealeaf (Post 914883)

Why do you need to water flower baskets daily when it rains every day in Accy?

Originally Posted by Tealeaf (Post 914883)

Why do you need to water flower baskets daily when it rains every day in Accy?

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914886)

You don't mean since......before May, do you?

I think you'll find you're probably mistaken there, old boy. The streets were paved with gold back in those halcyon days, there were no grotspots and the council was run by people who really knew how to connect with the public.

Sorry, I seem to have slipped on a pair of Conservative rose-tinted glasses by mistake.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914888)

I have been told that the flower towers and hanging baskets each have their own watering contracts which cost around £6,000 per year. The 40 bedding troughs along Eastgate are watered weekly by HBC staff.

More efficient ways of having floral displays are being looked into but this does not mean that they will disappear under an evil Labour council.

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 914891)

Water, and lack of it for hanging baskets, has been discussed in this thread before...

http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/f...ney-18481.html

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914888)

I have been told that the flower towers and hanging baskets each have their own watering contracts which cost around £6,000 per year. The 40 bedding troughs along Eastgate are watered weekly by HBC staff.

More efficient ways of having floral displays are being looked into but this does not mean that they will disappear under an evil Labour council.

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 291469)

After a little research I've found from the budget papers of the area council meeting minutes that the cost of making and installing the hanging baskets was FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A disgraceful amount of money to waste when they have died within a few short weeks, because no one can even reach them to give them water.

The woman who owns the florist opposite the Town Hall is livid. She has two dead ones they placed seventeen feet from the floor, swinging dead in the breeze outside her shop.

I love flowers and the idea of greening up our area, but if you haven't got the sense to think about maintenance don't waste our bloody money.

Hang your head in shame Mr Britcliffe. Preferably seventeen feet off the floor so we can't water it!!!

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 914895)

The cost for the baskets in 2006 was £5,000.


http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/f...s-22480-2.html

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914875)

Did you ever say any of that to Peter, I wonder?

I see he thinks that all the flowers in the borough will disappear next year because of a remark by Graham Jones, someone he simply can't seem to stop referencing. Perhaps there is a more effective way of prettying up the borough, perhaps we don't need to buy force-grown bedding of a certain colour that only flowers for two weeks at the right time, perhaps there is room for economy in the 450+ hanging baskets that all need to be watered daily or the flower towers that cost the borough £47,000 per year. Perhaps if Area Councils had been reviewed earlier then the £240,000+ per year that it is said it costs to administer them could have been diverted into actually improving the borough rather than fancy calendars and expensive meetings that few residents turn up to.


Parks and waste collections are the thing that people see first when it comes to council services because they are right there in front of them. Anyone who seriously thinks that a Labour council will make those services worse and expect to survive needs their head examining.

I personally never had a problem with Environmental Services before and I certainly don't now. They were responding to my e-mails and photos of grotspots in Rishton long before I was a councillor, giving me log numbers and an update of when they were cleared. I would still urge you all to send your photos and a brief report to [email protected] before adding them to the Accyweb gallery as you are far more likely to get something done about it.

You're remarkably quick to have a go at the council now that it isn't headed by Cllr Britcliffe, it's such a shame you didn't point out the flaws earlier so that he could take all the glory for sorting them out.

One might almost think that someone is pulling your strings on this forum.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914886)

You don't mean since......before May, do you?

I think you'll find you're probably mistaken there, old boy. The streets were paved with gold back in those halcyon days, there were no grotspots and the council was run by people who really knew how to connect with the public.

Sorry, I seem to have slipped on a pair of Conservative rose-tinted glasses by mistake.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914875)

perhaps we don't need to buy force-grown bedding of a certain colour that only flowers for two weeks at the right time, perhaps there is room for economy in the 450+ hanging baskets that all need to be watered daily or the flower towers that cost the borough £47,000 per year. Perhaps if Area Councils had been reviewed earlier then the £240,000+ per year that it is said it costs to administer them could have been diverted into actually improving the borough rather than fancy calendars and expensive meetings that few residents turn up to.

Originally Posted by Alan Varrechia (Post 914903)

Give them back to Jaysay at once, you know he can't see without them....:D:D:D:D

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914875)

Did you ever say any of that to Peter, I wonder?

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914875)

I see he thinks that all the flowers in the borough will disappear next year because of a remark by Graham Jones, someone he simply can't seem to stop referencing. Perhaps there is a more effective way of prettying up the borough, perhaps we don't need to buy force-grown bedding of a certain colour that only flowers for two weeks at the right time, perhaps there is room for economy in the 450+ hanging baskets that all need to be watered daily or the flower towers that cost the borough £47,000 per year.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914875)

I would still urge you all to send your photos and a brief report to [email protected] before adding them to the Accyweb gallery as you are far more likely to get something done about it.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914875)

You're remarkably quick to have a go at the council now that it isn't headed by Cllr Britcliffe, it's such a shame you didn't point out the flaws earlier so that he could take all the glory for sorting them out.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914875)

One might almost think that someone is pulling your strings on this forum.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914886)

You don't mean since......before May, do you?

I think you'll find you're probably mistaken there, old boy. The streets were paved with gold back in those halcyon days, there were no grotspots and the council was run by people who really knew how to connect with the public.

Sorry, I seem to have slipped on a pair of Conservative rose-tinted glasses by mistake.

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 914950)

Like I said before its better to do both. Its harder to ignore when its made public.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914888)

......under an evil Labour council.

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 914951)

Your having a laugh, I hope. Pop over to Ossy and we can take a walk around. I will even buy you a beer if you stop insulting me :p:D

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914888)

I have been told that the flower towers and hanging baskets each have their own watering contracts which cost around £6,000 per year. The 40 bedding troughs along Eastgate are watered weekly by HBC staff.

More efficient ways of having floral displays are being looked into but this does not mean that they will disappear under an evil Labour council.

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 914953)

You are the only person on this thread that thinks the Labour council is evil. I don't.

I am concerned by the massive amount of debt or MP says we are in. I am still disappointed he appears to be the councils spokesperson and not one of our many councillors. The usual way for councils to reduce debt is by slashing staff, that means a direct impact on front line services. For me personally the concern is the impact to our parks and green spaces. you are a cabinet member so I am sure you know exactly what my concerns are, if not ask Ciaran in a few weeks when he has been to our meeting.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914956)

There is now no Cabinet Action Fund because Cllr Britcliffe spent it all in one month and basically if (for example) Friends of Rhyddings Park came cap in hand to the council there just isn't any way of justifably giving you any money without handing it out to the other 300 groups that want money too.

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 914957)

I think you have to look at each individual request for help and see what the council will get in return for its investment.

I think I mentioned the £3.5 million raised by local green space groups working with the council. How much match was put in by HBC I don't know for certain but I would guess around 10%.
To me that is amazing value for tax payers money, do you agree or not?

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914959)

I'll take your word that those are accurate figures but yes, it is a good return.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914959)

The watchword now of spending by the new administration is that we should strive wherever possible to get at least £1 back for every £1 spent.

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 914951)

I will even buy you a beer if you stop insulting me :p:D

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914954)

A beer, eh? Got any real ale over in Ossy?

Originally Posted by lancsdave (Post 914978)

Why not meet on neutral ground. Grab a couple of cans and sit on the bench outside the Market Hall with the 'in-crowd' :D

Originally Posted by lancsdave (Post 914978)

Why not meet on neutral ground. Grab a couple of cans and sit on the bench outside the Market Hall with the 'in-crowd' :D

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914954)

A beer, eh? Got any real ale over in Ossy?

Originally Posted by katex (Post 914993)

Yes, is fine to send your pictures into HBC, but inundation with these would only lead to saturation.

Originally Posted by katex (Post 914993)

'Did you know!

• Each day, the hand sweepers collect enough litter and rubbish to fill around 100 refuse sacks.
• Each month, the mechanical sweepers pick up around 100 tonnes of litter and debris.'

No, I didn't know that.

Originally Posted by katex (Post 914993)

It's just the money, folks, and we would not be keen on paying more Council Tax, now would we. ;)

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 914994)

I have posted before that I don't agree with a council tax freeze. The councils costs are going up each year by inflation so in effect their budget is going down - I believe its a stupid idea by the government.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914959)

There is simply no money to give away, every penny needs to be justified from now on.

Originally Posted by lancsdave (Post 914995)

Or maybe as Ken points out, it does not need to go up but spent more wisely

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 914998)

What about the daily silver platters of butties?

Our the new council still having Hurn's in to do the treats?

:rolleyes:

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 914998)

What about the daily silver platters of butties?

Our the new council still having Hurn's in to do the treats?

:rolleyes:

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 915002)

When I popped in for a quick meeting and to get some papers signed I was fed choccy hobnobs bought by the Councillor that morning.

Originally Posted by Bernard Dawson (Post 915001)

We're down to just a brew now G.Not even a biscuit.

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 915005)

How galling.

This is like the dark times, after the fall of the Roman Empire.

:rolleyes:

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 915005)

How galling.

This is like the dark times, after the fall of the Roman Empire.

:rolleyes:

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 915013)

I know, having to sign papers still using a pen :rolleyes:

It was for a funding bid, I wonder if they will match it £1 for £1 as it is for the whole of Hyndburn :D:D

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 915000)

I think both are needed.

Take a walk around Milnshaw Park, it needs £100,000's to bring it up to an acceptable standard as do many of our parks. Some of the money needed is very hard to find from external funders as they class a lot of the work needed as the councils statutory duty to maintain.

Community groups can not do it all on there own either. Support is needed from officers and in Hyndburn we are very lucky to have a excellent parks and open spaces department. I wont name names publicly but if we could clone them we would be able to bring even more money into the borough.

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 915025)

Do all parks in the borough have the support of Friends groups?

If not, why not?

Nationwide it's been very common way of ensuring things are done for many years.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 914954)

Flytipping and general untidiness is an ongoing and endemic problem, even my beloved Rishton keeps me and my team in a constant war with litter and dumped sofas. Cllrs Grayson, Cleary and myself take weekly walkabouts around the village to report just this sort of thing, I'd urge other councillors to do the same.

A beer, eh? Got any real ale over in Ossy?

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 914992)

I don't drink often but I am sure somewhere must do. We could pop in the Rose & Crown and ask Peter :D

Originally Posted by Bernard Dawson (Post 915001)

We're down to just a brew now G.Not even a biscuit.

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 915025)

Do all parks in the borough have the support of Friends groups?

If not, why not?

Nationwide it's been very common way of ensuring things are done for many years.

Originally Posted by jaysay (Post 915043)

Well the only reason there is a Friends of Rhyddings Park is because people like Neil and Gayle are prepared to give their time up for the good of the community, it can also be achieved in other areas, all it takes are other like minded people to do the same

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 915022)

The next time there's the chance to nominate worthy citizens, for one of those little medals, we'll put your name forward......:rolleyes::D

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 915025)

Do all parks in the borough have the support of Friends groups?

If not, why not?

Originally Posted by accyman (Post 915012)

if there is a separate budget for parks i think bare minimum should be allocated to the favored parks to keep them tidy and more given to the run down parks so they can catch up all be it slowly due to the huge amount of work and expense that will be required due to many years of neglect.

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 914992)

I don't drink often but I am sure somewhere must do. We could pop in the Rose & Crown and ask Peter :D

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 914998)

What about the daily silver platters of butties?

Our the new council still having Hurn's in to do the treats?

:rolleyes:

Originally Posted by lancsdave (Post 914978)

Why not meet on neutral ground. Grab a couple of cans and sit on the bench outside the Market Hall with the 'in-crowd' :D

Originally Posted by katex (Post 914993)

Yes, is fine to send your pictures into HBC, but inundation with these would only lead to saturation.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 915062)

How you fixed Sunday afternoon?

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 915054)

Its not always easy finding people who want to be involved, its even harder finding people who actually want to do anything about the problems they see and raise.

Lots of people like to talk the talk but not get dirty hands, we are fast becoming, if we are not already there, a nation of people who expect everything to be done for us by the council and then moan when the council want money of them.

Often the council help to set up these groups but they struggle to give them the support they need to get started and to write funding bids, create drawings and costings etc.

The Big Society where the people will do everything and we don't need council officers is not possible in my opinion. The officers are the experts in their field and the two working together to a common goal is the way forward in my opinion.

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 915080)

Perhaps the councillors who have parks in their wards, without Friends groups, should be looking for those people right now, in order to rectify this anomaly.

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 915080)

Can't you and Gayle have some babies, and send 'em off to other Hyndburn parks?

I of course mean via a test tube, rather than a more enjoyable way.

:D

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 915086)

Did I mention that our constitution does not allow Councillors or Council Officers to be members or have voting rights. Both come to our meetings but only as guests.

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 915086)

We have 11 Polish chicks I will post pictures :D

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 915091)

I think that's probably a wise idea.

However, nothing to stop councillors from finding willing people to help found the groups, if they have a park in their ward that would benefit.

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 915086)

Hopefully we will be having babies around the 16th of July and we are doing it a very enjoyable way. We have 11 Polish Bantam eggs in an incubator. If we are lucky enough to hatch any chicks I will post pictures :D

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 915068)

Not at all, just greater awareness and possibly longer response times. Site inspections are now done on a fortnightly basis rather than before as they came in due to cutbacks but I've been to see the heads of department and we think there's a viable way to free up staff so I'm looking into it with Cllr Wells.

There's usually a simple way to make things better, sometimes it just takes a fresh set of eyes.