The story of a hole
Posted by: Richard in Complaints, Glasgow, Personal, Ramblings, RantsOnce more unto the breach!, and once more we do battle with Glasgow council and associated hole-digging/cone-placing cohorts.
We returned from our 2 week holiday to find some of those flimsy barricades around a shallow hole in the ground right outside our house, carefully positioned to cause us great difficulty in getting our car in and out of the driveway. In all fairness, they appear to have removed a stop-cock of some sort which was badly exposed due to wear and tear, so not all bad.
We figured it had just appeared, and it’d be gone within a short while. Three weeks later, and it’s still there. Plus there seem to be other ones located around the area that I’ve noticed when going on runs. But the filling in part is clearly more complicated than the “Doing the work” bit, and is taking weeks to fit in to their schedule. So yesterday Frances phoned up the council to enquire/complain/cajole. Three people later, and it transpires it’s “Scottish Water’s hole”.
Council official said they’d report it, and that we should contact Scottish Water ourselves if nothing happened within a few days. Mmmm, we thought.
Well, I’m pleased to report something happened today! Oh the joys of a window overlooking the street.
Yes, somebody drove up in a van, complete with trailer containing something very grimy and probably heavy and noisy. There were piles of tarmac in the back. He even had shovels, a wheelbarrow and brushes. All very technical, but to my untutored eye - everything I figured you could reasonably need to fill in the hole and tidy up afterwards.
So, after he’d finished his phone call I think he’d been on when he arrived (although that’d be illegal, but I’m sure he’s a good chap), he, well… Walked over to the hole and looked at it. At least once.
Comforted that he’d no doubt completed another fine job, he got back in to the van and drove off. I’m sure he put his seatbelt on when he got around the corner, after all, he’s driving a van…
Progress indeed.
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July 13th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Your Council has a statutory duty, New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, to ensure that all businessess or utilities carry the work out timeously. They cannot escape this obligation.
How do I know, I had a problem with our local water board, who placed lights etc and then did zilch for five working days. I looked on our Council website and there it was, the responsibility spelt out. I them emailed the Council and pointed out their statutory duty as shewn on their website.
Result, work completed with two working days. Chase the Council, you will get nowhere with the Water people. OK they are a different company to mine but they are subject to the same rules and regulations, which should be enforced by your Council.
July 13th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Been meaning to come back and update, but been rather busy. Shock-horror, workmen did actually turn up the very next day to fill in the hole, although the previous inspection visit makes me think they’d forgotten all about it.
The bollards are still there, mind, so we still have difficulty getting the car out, but some progress at least, so just a case of chasing them to come tidy up now.
r.