I've had a busy day.
I had just got back from an EVA - an Environmental Visual Assessment - or, in plain English, a walkabout with Katesgrove PCSOs and Council officials (and a resident) identifying and tackling 'grot spots'. I was pleased to note that the 16 separate items I found to report in a recent walkabout in one area had all been tackled.
Then I spoke to a lady, an Affinity tenant (part of the North Whitley PFI area covers Katesgrove). She had had no hot water in her flat for - would you believe it - nine weeks. As you can imagine, she was stressed, tense and frustrated beyond belief. I called Affinity straight away and made it clear that they needed to give a defined date by which her new boiler would have the part that apparently was missing and that would make it work - and that they had to stick to that date. The date, as it happens, is tomorrow (and it had better happen) - but that doesn't excuse the failure to sort the problem over the last 9 weeks. I have asked for an inquiry - and for compensation for the tenant. No excuses. Would she have got her hot water fixed if she had contacted her Councillors earlier? Well, in that situation you would not be sure how you would act, but I suspect intervention will at reduce the chances of someone else being put in that position.
This afternoon saw a whirlwind visit to the new VIth Form Centre at Kendrick School (though I missed the Minister who was late. Oh well....) before a regular catch-up meeting with the local police. The main conversation topic was the merger of the police's Neighbourhood Action Groups with the Council's Safer Reading Forums. The overall idea is sensible, as there is considerable duplication (and it got really boring repeatedly hearing Labour Councillors defending this waste, so I'm glad that they have now acknowledged it). However, the detail of the implementation is vital. Some swapping of information on a raft of local issues and then back to deal with 30-plus Council emails which had appeared in that period.
All in all, a productive day out of the office.
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