Slippery steps will cause an accident
9:40am Saturday 29th September 2012 in Latest News
Sue Lea and Coun Dave Wood
SLIPPERY steps in Eastcott have been called an accident waiting to happen by concerned residents.
People living near the steps, which run from Dunsford Close to a green area near Valleyside, have complained that a build-up of mud and fallen leaves pose a danger.
They say that the mess has not been cleaned up for months, and are calling on Swindon Council to take action.
The steps are supposed to be checked and swept by Swindon Commercial Services every three weeks, according to the council contractor’s schedule.
Resident Su Lea, 47, of Dunsford Close, uses the steps three times a day to walk her dog.
She claims they were last cleaned in May, when she complained to Lib Dem councillors when they were seeking re-election, but nothing has happened since.
She says pedestrians take their lives into their own hands when they try to walk up or down the steps.
The mother-of-one said: “I use these steps, as do many of the residents there, every day and they’re absolutely treacherous.
“They’re so slippery that someone is going to have an accident and the council is going to be sued.
“It’s just been ignored for months. The top of the steps are very slippery.
“It never dries out because they’ve allowed trees to grow over the top and shade it.
“You cannot help the leaves falling but it should be swept and kept clean and mud-free.”
Coun Dave Wood (Lib Dem, Eastcott), who has again taken up the issue, said: “I’m quite disappointed about the whole thing to be honest.
“The issue has been going on for several months now, and residents were assured the cleaning works were taking place.
“I was told it should be taking place every three weeks, but this hasn’t happened.
“It’s an accident waiting to happen.
“It’s something I’ve pushed and pushed for but I’m just disappointed nothing has happened, which is a real shame. It’s the residents who are suffering.”
No one from Swindon Council was available for comment.
Comments(36)
Silver Lining
says...
11:24am Sat 29 Sep 12
And I wouldn't vote for a Councillor that seems to want to get his picture in the paper more than deal with the issue. Perhaps he'd be more effective if he spent less time in front of the Adver's cameras and more time dealing with things like this by resolving the issues with the relevant council staff.
DaveWood1981
says...
12:10pm Sat 29 Sep 12
slugbait
says...
12:38pm Sat 29 Sep 12
Localboy86
says...
12:46pm Sat 29 Sep 12
LordAshOfTheBrake
says...
12:55pm Sat 29 Sep 12
Or when there is a great photo opportunity for a councillor to have a photo taken to show how they are actively involved.
Or when the people involved think they can get a few quid for the story!
Or when the people involved think the embaressment caused to the council or other public body will move them up in priority!
How much better would the headline have been if it said... Councilor Dave Wood picks up a broom to clean dangerous steps due to concern for residence.
stu2010
says...
1:13pm Sat 29 Sep 12
DaveWood1981
says...
1:15pm Sat 29 Sep 12
However in cases where the Council will not clean up I'm known for getting my hands dirty. I've spent at least 6 days of my weekends in the last year clearing up alleyways that the Council will not clear.
LocalBob80
says...
1:38pm Sat 29 Sep 12
Maybe a jet washer
LordAshOfTheBrake
says...
2:42pm Sat 29 Sep 12
Of course its a matter of priority. Council tax money only goes so far and can only do so much; therefore its prioritised.
Perhaps the council should just fence the steps off and stop everyone using them.
The alleyways you clean; are they not private alleyways and therefore not the councils responsibility?
Of course if the council added 20% to everyones council tax bill there would be up roar.
The truth of the matter is that the councils by very nature are under funded which is in part due to the wasteful handling of public money (I said in part).
faatmaan
says...
3:15pm Sat 29 Sep 12
DaveWood1981
says...
3:37pm Sat 29 Sep 12
And yes the alleys were communal but not under Council responsibility. Similar to this situation, if they were Council responsibility I wouldn't have given up so many weekends cleaning them - people are paid to do that. But as they weren't I mucked in with the residents.
Davey Gravey
says...
6:32pm Sat 29 Sep 12
, Green was te collecting,etc,etc has all gone downhill. We can thank the cut party for that. Pay the same tax for less service.
LordAshOfTheBrake
says...
7:27pm Sat 29 Sep 12
I think you mean pay the same get less due to costs constantly rising. That's the hyper inflation (real inflation is much much higher than the published figures suggest) that the previous government presided over and the current government inherited and do nothing about. The thing about inflation is that its good for government debt and essentially devalues it. If you want the same level of service then council tax should rise in line with inflation (excluding what is gained through reducing waste).
@Dave Wood
Are you stating that these steps are explicitly called out in a contract. If yes, then the council should be doing something about it. If the wording is vague then blame the council contract writers.
How is the cleaning of communal alleyways which you state are not the councils responsibility similar to this situation? Unless of course your saying that the steps are communal and therefore not the responsibility of the council. Please clarify.
Incidentally your post about working 6 days clean alleys is a little off hand since their is an implication the council should be clearing them (i.e. you said the council will not clear them)! Politics at its best eh?
MrAngry
says...
7:57pm Sat 29 Sep 12
Would I be correct in saying that the company paid to clean the steps is actually Swindon Commercial Services?
SCS are wholly owned by SBC. SCS were made 'arms length', so that SBC can blame their contractor when service is poor rather than admit liability themselves.
Bobfm ,
says...
8:22pm Sat 29 Sep 12
.
We're all paying for this non-action. Why shouldn't we complain? Or expect a rebate. Yet money is found for Wi-fi, R1BW, Tabernacle stones, Canal pipedreams etc.
timt1964
says...
8:31pm Sat 29 Sep 12
itsamess3
says...
8:52pm Sat 29 Sep 12
RichardR1 wrote:WHAT DRIVEL
Perhaps they should have brought a couple of brooms and sept the steps whilst the Adver to the photo's.
Time productively spent.
Good for the ambulance chasers and compensation culture.
house on the hill
says...
9:46pm Sat 29 Sep 12
7:57pm Sat 29 Sep 12
@ DaveWood,
Would I be correct in saying that the company paid to clean the steps is actually Swindon Commercial Services?
SCS are wholly owned by SBC. SCS were made 'arms length', so that SBC can blame their contractor when service is poor rather than admit liability themselves.”
I think the reason they were made arms length was so that they could do other contracts and not just for SBC. Maybe that is the problem and they are taking on more than they can cope with in their pusuit of more and more money. I havent come across anyone who rates them very highly anyway.
Valid point by some that if there is a contract why has it not been enforced and got to this stage? Just stop paying the contract, they will soon be round there to clean them if they want paying.
the_bored1
says...
11:11pm Sat 29 Sep 12
If you think they are too slippery, dont use them! it aint physic science.
I dont think the noise from the stagecoach bus depot has been mentioned for a while!
Bobfm ,
says...
11:50pm Sat 29 Sep 12
the_bored1 wrote:Grow up
Oh the residents of Eastcott have found something else to moan about!
If you think they are too slippery, dont use them! it aint physic science.
I dont think the noise from the stagecoach bus depot has been mentioned for a while!
RichardR1
says...
9:21am Sun 30 Sep 12
1 2 Could B
says...
9:46am Sun 30 Sep 12
RichardR1 wrote:Typical Robfm
A really intelligent post from the resident Nuclear Scientist currently in Vienna, well so he says. If he is he missed the latest Nuclear gathering by 10 days.
Blackmalkin
says...
10:23am Sun 30 Sep 12
RichardR1
says...
10:35am Sun 30 Sep 12
Davey Gravey
says...
12:14pm Sun 30 Sep 12
RichardR1 wrote:Still in denial of your clear identity? A proven liar as these pages show. Your tit for tw@t spat with messy continues.
Typical I Too, Punctured and a host of other names.
itsamess3
says...
7:23pm Sun 30 Sep 12
Davey Gravey wrote:Quite wrong as i rarely post in relation to Robfm--and its not tit for tat as you suggest. Especially in an article about slippery steps. The difficulty being we live in a compensation culture where everyone is looking for a quick buck from the ambulance chasers and costing the country billions yearly instead of using alternative routes if they truly believe a danger exists.
RichardR1 wrote:Still in denial of your clear identity? A proven liar as these pages show. Your tit for tw@t spat with messy continues.
Typical I Too, Punctured and a host of other names.
Wideangle852
says...
7:31am Mon 1 Oct 12
RichardR1
says...
10:19am Mon 1 Oct 12
Silver Lining
says...
11:12am Mon 1 Oct 12
Wideangle852 wrote:Absolutely agree. I clear litter and sweep the pavements and roads outside my own house because of my pride in the area.
. .again another reason why people should take responsibility for their own areas . . my labrador picks up empty drinks bottles everytime I take him for a walk in the morning and at night, so far, since moving house, thats over 300 bottles recycled. Now I can't comment why our youth just drop stuff here there and everywhere but if these steps were on my doorstep, 5 minutes and they would be swept . .so get on out there, take responsibility and clean this up yourself . . Because bet those at SCS surely won't!
I just don't understand the mentality that is appearing in this article where the Kingshill Formation Moaning Team go on about "pedestrians taking their lives in their hands" but would seemingly rather risk people's lives on a point of principle.
Why not do something about it first and then deal with the recriminations and post-mortem about what's gone wrong afterwards.
I'm Important
says...
6:16pm Mon 1 Oct 12
RichardR1 wrote:Much as I usually respect your opinion Mr FM I really have no idea what this statement is all about.
Perhaps they should have brought a couple of brooms and sept the steps whilst the Adver to the photo's.
Time productively spent.
What are you trying to say Bob?
I'm Important
says...
8:58pm Mon 1 Oct 12
I really should look before leaping.
I've been abroad for a while, but I remember Robfm opening most threads with slight spelling errors and assumed you were him.
On reflection Bob seems to have completely disappeared from these pages.
Very unusual.
Has anything happened to him?
Is he ill?
Does anybody know?
itsamess3
says...
9:55pm Mon 1 Oct 12
RichardR1 wrote:The fact they could be sued should be a cause for action-rather than ignoring the situation.
Wideangle852 quite agree using excuses like we could be sued, is just an excuse for no action. It certainly couldn't be made more dangerous than it already is, it would seem.
Have you inspected these steps personally to make such a statement as you have made?
itsamess3
says...
10:03pm Mon 1 Oct 12
RichardR1
says...
9:03am Tue 2 Oct 12
Wet leaves on a flat surface can be dangerous on steps that danger will undoubtedly increase. Yes SCS should clean the steps, but they aren't so as these steps are being used by local residents as the shortest route, no doubt with children in tow, why not do it yourself.
As for viewing the steps, no I haven't but one set of leaf covered steps is much like another and I have ascended and descended similar many times.
1 2 Could B
says...
12:54pm Tue 2 Oct 12
RichardR1 says...
10:23am Sat 29 Sep 12
Time productively spent.