Failure to finish job off

[megilleland]

Somebody has cut the hedge on the highway verge in Muir Close and failed to clean up after them. This is the second time that the verge has been left untidy this year and will most probably result in me again having to tidy it all up and taking the waste to the local tip. The state of the kerbs with weeds growing out of them are a disgrace throughout the estate, but no one is really interested in keeping the environment clean. No doubt coronavirus will be the excuse for doing nothing this year, but its about time the council, Balfour Beatty and the Housing Associations sorted this matter out. I have been here 20 years and it is a perennial problem. The same goes for the trees in the area - getting too big and blocking light from people's gardens and houses.

       

[Denise Lloyd]

All a bit of a mess really - with new developments now the Council will not adopt the green areas so the new residents have to be a fairly hefty service charge which is proving to some of the owners to be quite a rip off!!!!!!!!!!!!  Mind you it is for these residents to round up on the developer in the first place and demand value for money.

[Peter Thomas-Cruttwell]

Did the council leave it like this? 

[Victor Wright]

If this was left like this by Balfour Beatty you need to get onto your local councillor Martin, this is not on. Half a job and a big mess! 

[megilleland]

I believe a private contractor cut the hedge. This area has always been confusing as to who is responsible for the highway verges, trees and open spaces. The verge with this hedge on was the responsibility of the council, although the grass cutting was undertaken by Muir Housing up to a few years ago. Muir Housing then arranged for Hereford Housing to cut the verge and other open spaces surrounding Muir Close. Certain trees come under the council and others under Muir. These areas known as ransom strips allow these bodies to charge service fees to residents to maintain them. There is a strip of grass behind the garages and opposite Sherborne Close which is rarely cut - I wonder whose job that is?

[megilleland]

Reply from Connexus (Hereford Housing) 20th July 2020

Good Morning Mr Gilleland & thank you for your email, I have spoken to our Grounds Maintenance Team who have confirmed we do not maintain this area & have suggested you contact the council or highways department or it may be a private contractor.

Thank You

Mary
Customer Services

[megilleland]

In The Daily Express today:

Quote

Labour's Rosie Duffield said nitrous oxide - also known as hippy crack or Nos - has been linked to 25 deaths since 2010. And she warned that the "gateway drug", usually inhaled through balloons, could lead to youngsters trying other substances like cannabis or cocaine. Empty pressurised canisters of the gas, widely used in the catering industry, litter streets and parkland all over Britain.

Found two boxes of these Mosa N2O Cream Chargers (2 Boxes of 24) under the hedge in Muir Close last June - first time I have come across them. Reported these to Balfour Beatty as I didn't know what to do with them.

Quote

Reply June 19th 2020
Thank you for your report, we have passed the details of the problem to our public realm delivery partner, Balfour Beatty  Living Places.

Your case reference number is: CAS-764352-J5H9G1

No advice so far. Do I throw them in the recycling bin as they are pressurised containers?

[twowheelsgood]

BBLP really are the pits. So much for the fundamental review of their contract we were promised at the last election by the present Council.

[megilleland]

On 18/07/2020 at 16:18, Victor Wright said:

If this was left like this by Balfour Beatty you need to get onto your local councillor Martin, this is not on. Half a job and a big mess! 

I did copy in my local councillor, but had no response from him to date.

[megilleland]

Having got acknowledgements to this complaint but no action I have decided to clear up the mess and trust that either Muir or Balfour Beatty will pick up the mess. Let's see how long it takes. Our local councillor, Bernard Hunt needs to get Muir, Connexus and Balfour Beatty to sort this ongoing problem out. I have spoken to the owner of the house about ownership and responsibility of the verge and hedge and I am getting a different story from him to that plied to me over the years.

[megilleland]

Your enquiry has been logged in our system and will be allocated for inspection based on current priorities and an assessment made if work is required. 

If you have an queries please call 01432 261800. 

Your reference numbers are provided below to assist you. 

Herefordshire Council Ref: 

Balfour Beatty Ref:  11089501 

Thank you for contacting Herefordshire Council. 

 

Just waiting for Cllr Hunt to respond and then they will all have acknowledged my complaint, but no action to date. 
 

[megilleland]

Still no action from anyone. Herefordshire Housing (Connexus) have dropped out of the running as replied above. I wonder who going to move it first - most probably me as usual. I'll try and fit it in while being a 24 hr carer - it gives me a bit of fresh air.

[megilleland]

Another week gone by - everyone hoping I'm going to take it all up the tip. Still nothing from Muir Housing, Cllr Hunt or BBLP. Notice that some people have taken to cutting the lower branches off the lime trees in between the houses in Muir Close and of course have left the debris where it fell. Maintenance what's that? And to think we pay Muir a "No service charge" and council lax. No chance of catching Covid19 up here - you don't see anyone in "authority", although we had a police van and two police cars with six police officers attending an incident for a couple of hours in one of Muir's properties.

[megilleland]

One month on and the waste is still there, although it may disappear in the next two weeks. Muir have now got their contractors cutting the grass verges under their assumed responsibility and are doing a good job. Disappointed that no one from the above organisations has replied on the situation only to acknowledge my complaint, but this seems to be the future way of working. No one on the ground to inspect the area like they used to, so assume all these managers are now sofa workers. Noticed and showed the contractors the state of the trees around Muir Housing - one half dead, branches cut off trees and left on ground so the grass can't be cut and it looks as if someone has deliberately cut the bark and injected a substance into another. Such a shame our local councillor has also failed to react. If anyone wants to talk about sorting this mess out I am always available at the house being a 24hr carer.

[megilleland]

Waste still on the verge since July 18th. No one interested in sorting this out or contacting me. All sitting at home with their computers.

[megilleland]

On 07/09/2020 at 11:40, megilleland said:

Waste still on the verge since July 18th. No one interested in sorting this out or contacting me. All sitting at home with their computers.

Still nothing happening, unfortunately Cllr Hunt sadly died as he had contacted me the week before his death. 

However 5 months have now passed. Took a short walk around the house (13th December) prior to my weekly litter pick and came across more moronic activity to brighten one's day. There is a public waste bin 2 mins away, but too much trouble for the brainless to deposit their waste sensibly.

Cat litter left around the garages. Dumped on the footpath every 2/3 months.

Drink cans left on top of hedge every week.

And now masks hung up in shrubbery.

Balfour Beatty acknowledge my reports - little done.

The kerbs still need a hoeing to get the weeds out and drains emptying - very simple, but what do you do with the waste?

 

 

[twowheelsgood]

Epitomises everything that's wrong with Herefordshire Council and Balfour Beatty Living Places - all too busy playing internal politics and climbing the greasy pole to get their hands dirty with actual work. You can see this level of neglect and apathy all over the City and the County. I doubt it can ever get pulled back, especially as people's behaviour becomes increasingly self-centred. Maybe Mr Hunt's successor will pick up the challenge, but who would want to be a councillor?

[megilleland]

Balfour Beatty have just come along and taken away the waste bin which is regularly used and full because it is an environmental health hazard. It appears that the bin has had cat waste deposited in it and the operative has refused to empty it. This cat waste as mentioned above is regularly deposited behind the garages at Muir Close by persons unknown who carry this waste presumably from their house and drop it on the footpath by the garages. The photo of this rubbish dated 7th September this year has lain strewn over the footpath until last week when I swept it all up and put in the waste bin. The bin is emptied every week, and now it is removed, will mean that the litter will now be cast over the road and in the garage entrances.

Balfour Beatty say there are other bins close by. I am taking the hedge waste from the verge (see above) reported in July this year to the tip tomorrow. As usual no action when reported. I haven't bothered about the tree branches cut off a lime tree and left on the ground also since July. It's about time Muir Housing, Herefordshire Housing, local councilors and Balfour Beatty came up with a plan to enhance Hereford's estates instead of ignoring it.

[megilleland]

Pet waste article in The Guardian today

Quote

Excremental growth: UK sniffs a pandemic puppy poo problem

A year into the coronavirus crisis, local media, council newsletters, social network users and disgruntled environmental health experts across the UK are warning that the country is in the grip of a dog mess emergency – and that new puppy owners are shirking their responsibilities to clean up after their lockdown pets.

Regarding the Guardian article I don't think I have seen a dog poo bin so a lot of it must be going into litter bins. Can't the dog owners put their pet waste in their black bins or is not allowed? Is Herefordshire Council going to take away all the waste bins as they did in Muir Close because of one person constantly dumping their cat litter on the footpath behind the garages.

[twowheelsgood]

I think you should send this link to the new £155k pa* CEO - let's see how  "passionate" he really is "about shaping and delivering better outcomes and outstanding public services for residents, businesses and visitors". *near enough the same as the PM at £158k!

[megilleland]

From Herefordshire Council website:

Quote

Dog poo

Dog poo is a health hazard, all dog owners have a legal duty to clean up after their dog. Failure to do so could result in a Dog Control Order with an £80 fixed penalty notice, or a maximum fine of £1,000.

Please use our online form to report dog poo.

Dog poo bins
There are two hundred dog poo bins across the county that are emptied frequently, however if you notice a full bin, please use our online form to report a full litter bin.

If you would like to request a new dog poo bin please contact your parish council.

Is there a doo poo bin in your area? Muir Close borders the large open space close to Argyll Rise and I cannot see any sited in this area - maybe I am wrong. Now the waste bin in Muir Close has been removed and judging by the amount of dog poo in this area. Somebody needs to get this problem sorted out.