Katesgrove Lib Dems

Aggressive Beggars

One problem that causes a regular nuisance at the town centre edge of Katesgrove Ward is the presence of aggressive beggars. There are a small number of them, and some have been given ASBOs for the town centre only (not very thoughtful).
This is part of a wider problem and I have raised this with the police, not for the first time. The police need evidence and/or reports including a description of the individuals concerned. One of them has been seen selling the Big Issue, and his behaviour has been reported to the magazine with a view to his seller's badge removed. I am happy to channel any reports to speed up a resolution to this problem. Please email me with any information.

All Work...

Finally, a day off work but there is no rest for the wicked!

I've had a meeting this morning with one of the Housing Associations responsible for some social housing in Katesgrove. Their block has seen an on-going problem with anti-social behaviour from kids which is proving difficult to solve.

For an ordinary person, the problem is where exactly do you start?

We have: the Safer Reading Campaign, Anti-Social Behaviour Action Groups, Neighbourhood Action Groups, Police Community Support Officers, Community Wardens, Youth Workers and of course the Housing Association themselves.

It's all very well having a multi-agency approach to problem solving but when the multi-agencies don't talk to each other, who is going to do it? Co-ordinating action is perhaps one of the more difficult areas of being a councillor but it is the only way to ensure that residents concerns are met and dealt with.

I'd better get on with it then!

Needle Match

One of the good things about being a councillor is the ability to get things done that directly affect the quality of our constituents' lives. Despite my ward colleague Gareth reporting on a regular basis the anti-social behaviour and drug taking that has been going on in the underground car park at Elizabeth Edgar Cottages, it's hugely dissapointing to find that a year later the problems are still ongoing.

Still there 10 July

The freehold to the cottages is held by the council but it's leased by Charterist Properties who let it to residents of some nearby flats and offices. In the last year nothing meaningful has been done to stop the drug addicts who have been using the car park as a place to party. Okay, the managing agents have put up a fence, but installed a gate to the car park a seven year old could get over solving precisely nothing.

Gareth and I visited the cottages over a week ago and were promised that the place would be cleared up in "the next few days". Obviously I'm annoyed to find that the needles are still there a week later, the gates are still not secure and infact nothing appears to have been done despite the promises.

Longbarn Lane Recreation Ground

The Lib Dem Focus Team descended on the area around Longbarn Recreation Ground on Saturday and saw first hand what the locals have to put up with... and also discovered first hand the service they get when they do report things.

Mini-motos and motorbikes regularly plague the Rec and residents are quite fed up with it. On Saturday we discovered two adults and a child tearing around the place, racing through alleyways with no helmets. Now the police were very nice when we reported the incident in progress, but you just got the idea that someone would not be turning up to catch them red handed. And so it proved to be the case 20 minutes later when the bikers finally got bored and left.

The Rec is a much need piece of parkland for the locals, but it is not designed for scrambling. We'll be calling for proper gating to keep the bikes out and trying to find out why there is so little action to stop them.