Friday, 7 June 2013
Surgery last week and other stuff
A steady stream of residents kept us busy on Saturday and I am pleased to say all or most of the issues raised have either been dealt with by Cllr Davis and some by me throughout this week. I am still concerned that waste collection from housing association properties is not working as well as I would like mainly due to the sheer mass of rubbish left by residents and the haphazard way the bins are filled. Getting a 'pride of place' attitude in some areas appears to be far more challenging than we at first expected. So the process of alerting housing associations goes on and we look for improvements in the immediate future. Taxi journeys to and from Poole hospital was one very interesting issue, one that is going to take a bit longer to understand as I am not sure as to the system used for booking such transport and whose responsibility it is to see that Christchurch firms get a fair crack of the contracts. More on this as we big a bit deeper. Immediately after the surgery we sped down to the opening of our posh new library and met all the dignitaries gathered to officiate the unveiling and to listen to a Dorset poet's rendition of his poem on Christchurch.....in Dorset! Very funny and very pertinent. Great library facilities now in Christchurch with community rooms and IT suites, I have to say I was really impressed. Well done Dorset County Council. The rest of the week has been hectic interspersed with a day in London and various meetings pertaining to the restructuring of the CBCEDDC partnership and a particularly interesting meeting with my team from the Dorset Community Safety Partnership. Despite all the headlines Dorset and particularly Christchurch is a very safe place to live visit and work in. This week is our Community Safety Week and events are taking place all over Dorset. Not the least was the demonstration yesterday by our Fire Service of extracting crash victims from vehicles. Christchurch Quay was awash with fire engines, police cars and with all the supporting agencies in attendance a very interesting morning for those who attended. So we have our summer at last and I now look forward to a warm weekend.
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11 comments:
Unfortunately, I am unable to find a transcript of the aforementioned poem but wouldn't it have been even more pertinent had it been about Christchurch in Hampshire?
Ray, may I respectfully take issue with you in respect of your comment on waste disposal"I am still concerned that waste collection from housing association properties is not working as well as I would like mainly due to the sheer mass of rubbish left by residents and the haphazard way the bins are filled".
In Christchurch we have many, many sheltered and extra care housing schemes run by local housing associations. If we take Bure House as an example, all residents who live here are here because they have disability problems, medical problems such as Dementia etc.
When DWP came round last year to deliver the new 770ltr containers, I asked the supervisor in charge what provision is being made for people such as those in Bure House, because he kept telling us that if the wrong things were put in the wrong containers, they would refuse to empty them. He told me there was no separate provision for these people. We have had a few problems with DWP since they started, not because of the wrong things being in the bins, but because they couldn't be bothered to empty them. On one occasion, I personally wheeled the containers out of the compound and placed them on the pavement where they pick them up from for emptying. Would you believe, I took out 3 770ltr containers, opened them up for them, and they emptied one and left the other two. Perhaps if a little more thought had gone into sorting out the best way to deal with those with Disability/Health/Mental issues who are part of an independent living scheme, many of the current issues would have been addressed.
Somerford1962, I wouldn't mind seeing this poem. Ray, any chance of the name of the poet or even a link to the poem? However, Somerford1962, you may remember John Donne, no man is an island. It goes on: Every man is a piece of the continent, // A part of the main. We are in Dorset, a beautiful county of national and world fame, so why not refer to it, or are we to be so ridiculously parochial?
Barry, you make a very good point and one I hadn't considered. it must be very difficult for many in our area. Ray, any thoughts?
Whilst I agree with your sentiments about the county of Dorset Mr Assesor I am afraid Christchurch is not, and never has been, part of it. This site explains the difference between the historic counties and those created for administrative purposes. I just prefer to recognise the historic boundaries rather than those created by the Local Government Acts of the 1970s as do many local people who are proud of their Hampshire heritage.
http://www.abcounties.co.uk/countyconf.php
Christchurch was incorporated into Dorset in 1974, that is almost 40 years ago. A surprisingly traditionalist comment, however, from one who wishes also to see the demise of about 750 years' of mayorship. Does it really matter? Nothing wrong with being in Dorset; things move on. By the way, how do you know I'm not Miss/Mrs/Ms Assessor?!!!
It matters to those of us who were born here and consider ourselves natives of Hampshire. The town maybe have been annexed by Dorset 40 years ago, however its place in Hampshire goes back to Norman times and even earlier. Long before there was Mayor! Anyway, whether or not Christchurch remains in Dorset is an issue that should be decided by local people, not Johnny, or for that matter, Jill Come Latelys!
I have arranged for the poem to be included in the next Courier magazine soon to be circulated to all homes.
Re comment from Barry, this is an important issue which I suggest should be in the knowledge of your ward Councillor it is for him/her to take this matter up specific to Bure House.. Meanwhile I will talk to my team to establish what considerations are being made to take on board the circumstances you describe.
The poem is called ''Search for Christchurch' (I suspect a jibe at those who want us back in Hampshire) the author is Elvis McGonagall As previously said it will be published shortly in the Courier.
Response to Barry.
I have spoken to DWP in respect of the concerns raised in order to establish if the issues are in fact widespread. The reply was that in fact the process deployed by DWP of working with carers at collection points for the described facilities was working well. They had similar concerns early in the process but none as the system has been rolled out and the system across the Borough is working well. There are concerns where recycled waste is contaminated causing whole batches to be directed to land fill but incidents are reducing. The Council members representatives will be made aware of this exchange and as previously stated local issues should be advised to ward Councillors. There are issues relating to housing association properties being used as a general neighbourhood tipping site but these have all been assessed and dealt with.
I think that this is a good time to close this exchange. The common denominator is that in our own way we all want to do the best for this Christchurch community. So lets climax on a positive note and move on. Thanks!
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