Local government services, much like the NHS, often receive negative press when things go wrong. This is understandable. The impact on local peoples’ lives is significant when they do. For staff this can be very demotivating because the majority try their hardest and when things do go wrong all are tarred with the same brush; perceptions by local people is that ‘the Council’ has failed when failure itself is often down to very few individuals.
As a local Cllr one of my prime responsibilities is to represent resident’s views and inevitably this is more often the case when complaints arise. However, I also feel that one of my roles is to highlight staff’s good work when, in the main, this is taken for granted.
A classic example of this is Walsall’s highways department. I have previously posted about the road closure at Norton Road and the shockingly poor/dangerous state of a road gulley opposite the Ironing Shop in Pelsall: by all accounts the highways department handled these issues very well indeed; well done there. And very well done for resurfacing, properly, Church Road.
Where I am less pleased with the department is with the poor approach to planning strategically for car parking arrangements in the vicinity of the new combined facility development when this was always going to be an issue and highlighted by Cllrs and residents several times during the consultation process. Not good. Neither am I greatly encouraged by the department’s response since local Cllrs picked up on this problem (again) a few weeks ago. However, more recent communications with officers and politicians suggest things might take a positive turn. I hope so.
On a much more positive note I am very pleased to report that the department is proactively planning for next winter in the principality. We have historically and repeatedly suffered by less investment and prioritisation because Pelsall is not classified as a ‘district centre’ in Walsall. A direct consequence of this is that we do not receive the highways and pavement treatment that other district centres do with the resulting difficulties and dangers with ice and snow.
I should acknowledge at this stage the input from Cllr Illmann-Walker who became aware of an opportunity to improve the service non-district centres receive in winter and who then took the trouble to contact me about it. As a result of this, and my discussions with the local Co-op and the head of Highways in Walsall, it would seem (for now!) that we might have a new way forward to improve the pavements on the High Street in Pelsall this coming winter compared with previous ones.
The proposed scheme will rely on the Council providing a manually operated grit dispenser that local stakeholders will use when necessary.
Grit spreading equipment for pedestrian areas.
Quoted here is an extract of an email from the Local Authority:
“We are reviewing our winter service policy and what I would like to do is get the communities involved in cleaning high footfall areas where we do not grit. An example of this would be the shopping area in Pelsall which is not classed as a District Centre.
We are thinking of asking the shop keepers if they can band together and if we supply shovels, grit and a hand spreader whether they will clean the footpaths of snow. We know, from Councillors Longhi and Illman Walker that the Co Op is keen and they, like a number of supermarkets, like to participate with their local communities.”
So, red tape permitting, it looks like this year’s winter is being planned for in a way that Pelsall residents and shop keepers will benefit by. Fingers crossed.
Marco Longhi was elected in May 1999 and represents Pelsall ward in Walsall.
