BLOCKED GRID ON CULVERT

THIS CULVERT IS SUPPOSED TO BE CLEANED THREE TIMES PER WEEK IN INCLEMENT WEATHER. I have it in writing but it is totally meaningless. It has now been two months since any one cleared it and now we are coming in to the wet weather we will see this area being flooded right up and through the underpass, as it was last year. Then it freezes over and creates a skating rink.

One of the resons for this blog has been the death in 2000 of Robert Mills in this culvert, when he fell through a missing handrail and died in the burn.

Immediately the council issued a lying statement that the handrail had been inspected the day previous. Those of us who live here were branded liars as we knew the handrail had been broken for months. I went to court to swear to that as did several neighbours.

It seems to me that there is now a campaign of discrimination being practised in the area as some kind of retribution for that, and the neglect and incompetence here is just appalling.

I have a file of letters from managers etc. saying this and that will be done. It seems that anarchy exists within the department responsible for this area, and they just ignore it all. Last week I saw a worker who was scraping at leaves in Glenluce, walk round and look at the grid and then walked back to continue is chat on his mobile, whilst kicking the leaves around. So it is known about.

LAMP POST VANDALISED

This is one of many in the area that have been like this for weeks, very dangerous in an area where lots of kids and pets pass every day.

Dangerous path between Burnbrae and Methven.

This path which leads to Burnbrae from Methven place has not been maintained for years and is allowed to fester in this dangerous condition. It is run over by grass machines and the slabs have gaps between them. The hedge has not been cut for over a year. The steps are overgrown and dangerous. To the left of the picture is the concrete hazard of a play park shown earleir in the Blog.

Graffiti on lockups.

This is one of several patches in the area that we are told cannot be removed as it is on rough cast and apparently no technology exists that can remove it.

Destroyed pedestrian footpath.

This pathway is very heavily used by kids and old folk alike. There are 4 schools in the area and on school days it is very busy. It is also used to go to the shops in Lindores. The council hut/bothy on the right has a drain into or out of it and it leaks on to the path, which is soggy all the time. Grass machines then churn up the area . There is no drainage. Top soil was dumped on the left of the picture and created even more of a flooding problem. This has been reported on Fix My Street and someone left an anonomous remark calling me an "ignorant, arrogant, fool." So somebody has read the report and the response shows who is ignorant and arrogant and a fool. Just look at the history on here.



FIX MY STREET REPORT HERE.

PLASTIC DOG POO BINS NOT A GOOD IDEA IN THESE PARTS.

VANDALISED STREET LIGHT

Another one of the many like this for months.

SEWAGE IN THE BURN

SEWAGE leaking into the burn at Burnbrae. Happens every time it rains.

Graffiti

Apparently it is now beyond SLC to remove this graffiti as it has been sprayed on to roughcast. And despite all the tools and technology available they cannot remove it, so I was told in an e-mail which I now cannot find.

What about painting over it then as I see done on other graffiti in the town.

Play area

This play area as reported by me on many manY occasions is a disgusting health and safety hazard to the wee kids who play there.

Concrete and slabs around the equipment.
No weed control.
Broken slabs.
No litter picking.
Broken glass lies here until a wee old lady from Burnbrae sweeps it up.
Grass machine run over slabs and break them up.
It is used at night as a drinking den and then the buckie bottles get smashed here.

Flooded neglected ruined footpath.

This pathway has been like this now for two years. reported by me many many times. It is a disgrace, and in frosty weather becomes a sheet of ice. The council dumped a load of top soil on the burn side of the path, and so made the flooding deeper and worse than it was. It was as if it was done for cynical reasons. Anyone with half a brain can see what the problem is but it seems to be beyond them to fix all this apart from the lies that they tell when questioned about it all, what a shamefull disgrace. It illustrates perfectly the quality of service we council tax payers receive in this neck of the woods. Incompetence and neglect on a grand scale. There never was a better argument for privatisation of services.

THERE IS A LEAKING PIPE OR DRAIN HERE, BESIDE THE BOTHY, NO ONE HAS DUG ANYTHING HERE.

Bill Macdonald phoned me last week twice to tell me what was being done to rectifiy this. It just is not happening Bill. No digging no drainage nothing.

The paths in this area are shocking and have been for the thiry years I have been here.

Live wires

The panel has been vandalise and the wires are hanging out of the lamp post. Wee kids and pets are in danger of electrocution here.

Note the condition of the footpaths in the background. Unweeded broken and rutted. This from a council that is trying to encourage parents to walk or let their children walk to school.

This footpath his heavily used on school days due to the four schools in the area.

Burnbrae Culvert.

Taken by me today the culvert at Burnbrae as usual not being cleaned and has been like this for weeks.

6 WEEKS TO REPLY

This is the original picture as can be seen from the date. It does not take a rocket scientist to work out that the path has no drainage due to the rutting and build up of soil on the left of the picture.

This path serves at least 4 schools in the area and is heavily used by kids. It also serves the shops in Lindores and is heavily used by pensioners going to the shops for papers etc. And then we get this guff from SLC on kids walking to school. Utter hypocrisy.




THE AREA TO THE LEFT OF THE PICTURE IS WHAT CAUSES THE PATH TO FLOOD AS THERE IS NO DRAINAGE DOWN THE HILL TO THE BURN SO IT ALL BUILDS UP RIGHT HERE. SO GUYS YOU HAVE NOW ADDED SOME MORE SOIL TO MAKE THE FLOODING DEEPER.
THE GRASS MACHINES COME ALONG AND PLOW IT ALL UP AS DURING WET WEATHER IT IS ALL SOGGY.




If EXPOLRATORY digging took place here it must have been done Colditz style.


The shrub beds that were planted at great expense, what a disgrace, what a contrast to those at the village or Civic Centre. No hoes allowed, digging ist verboten!











EXPLORATORY DIGGING?





This is the area where the leak is from a drain or pipe I suspect a drain as it is only evident during rainy weather. It will rain again.

















This reply I have received 6 WEEKS after making it, is typical of the problem we have put up with here for to long. There is no easy way to say this but the reply is just PURE LIES. I am posting the photographs that I took this morning of the area in question, and if anyone can see any evidence of exploratory digging here I will gladly withdraw these allegations and apologise. All that has been done here is that the shrub bed has been blasted with weed killer, and the area on the burn side of the path has had some soil and seed dumped there. The very opposite to what is required.

What makes me so bloody angry is the fact that officials just lie as a natural reaction to every single problem, to try and cover blatant incompetence and shoddy work, the history in this area is proof of that. Lying has become an accepted method of problem solving.

The contempt is demonstrates for people like me who pay the wages of these liars leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth, especially since I am paying £30 per week for them.

That is one of the reason I have set this blog up, I am sick fed up being constantly lied to.

When we see the antics of our MPs and MSPs is it any wonder.

BELOW IS THAT REPLY:

-----Original Message-----
From: Hampsey, Brian
Sent: 01 July 2009 09:22
To: Gray, Donald
Cc: Reid, Colin (Community)
Subject: FW: West Mains

Hi Donald,

Sorry for the delay regarding all the issues which have been raised by Mr McNiven our course of action is as follows.

The flooding on the footpath, an exploratory dig was carried out and we could not find any signs of a burst, the area will be soiled and seeded and we will monitor the location for any future problems.

The play area between Burnbrae and Methven, all the play equipment will be painted, the slabbed area will be weeded and edged all broken slabs on the path leading to the play area will be replaced all this work has been scheduled to be completed by 10^th July.

Regards Brian.

Graffit and grass cutters. Methven Place.

Here is two problems. First graffiti on the rear of Methven Place lockups, which is in full view of train passengers. But it does not take much imagination to see that there are areas such as this which would benefit from being planted with brambles or thorn bushes to keep vandals away from the walls. The whole banking area needs to be planted, much more useful than the neglected eyesore beds we have elsewhere!

We can also see where the kamikaze grass cutters tear along the bank slipping and causing ruts, really unnecessary and nonsense.

Hog weed

This has been reported a month ago but has now been made much worse by a grass machine plowing through here and leaving stumps behind which are oozing sap which is what is dangerous about this plant. The sap is what causes blister and lesions on any one who comes into contact. Many young kids and pets pass here every day. Most people are not aware of the danger this plant presents. A neighbours dog had a piece of this in his mouth as I passed this morning. He was not aware of the danger and was distressed when I told him his dog might become ill, I will keep in touch with him.

Why is it a problem?

Giant Hogweed presents a serious public health threat, the stems and leaves are covered with small hairs coated with poisonous sap. Even the slightest touch can cause painful blisters and severe skin irritation. The symptoms can take a couple of days to develop, the skin becomes highly photosensitive producing large watery blisters however the effects can be long lasting, with contact resulting in recurrent dermatitis. This is a particular concern for small children who may use the stems as pea-shooters or pretend telescopes resulting in horrific injuries.

It is a threat to biodiversity out competing native species and monopolising local environments. On riverbanks once it has died back in the winter the area is vulnerable to erosion.

It is scheduled in the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Play area

Play area between Methven and Burnbrae West Mains. This play area is hazardous and a health and safety issue for children and has been for years. The surface is uneven broken weed infested concrete slabs that are being run over and broken and moved by council machinery. It is used at night by al fresco drinkers who then smash their bottles before leaving. And then on school days it is used as an eating area by local school kids who leave their packaging behind.

This play area is sadly in need of repair upgrading and much more intensive maintenance. A litter picker walked straight past this morning and picked up nothin. Broken glass is swept up by an old lady from Burnbrae.

The council are guilty of wanton neglect and a failure to maintain their duty of care to this community with their disregard of HSE legislation.

Burnbrae

This is Burnbrae Place which has been blighted, first by excessive lockups which were disused due to no maintainenance and vandalism and then demolished after being burned out. The remains of the foundations were just left and has been this way for 12 years or more. Why can this area not be given an upgrade, and why can we not have graffiti removed please.











Here we have more graffiti which has been here for a year or more, I thought SLC had a negative tolerance policy on this.