Demise of the Councils Streetscene Service – What next?

Recently all elected members received an email from Joe Blott, Strategic Director at Wirral Council informing us that the Councils Streetscene Department would cease and be replaced by an online reporting system for Members of the public, Councillors and MPs.  That email is reproduced below.

Its fair to say I have never been a fan of Streetscene for many reasons, not least of all the lack of a dedicated officer who can be held to account.  Consequently I remain to be convinced that this new system is any better.

This new system also disadvantages those people who do not have Internet access or are not internet savvy and I believe is an underhand way of dissuading people from reporting issues.   I believe the Streetscene telephone number will still be available with limited operators who will be able to ‘key in’ any issues that are reported by the public.   However the chances are you will be waiting a long time for your call to be answered, time will tell..

If you have any questions on this please contact Mr Blott on 691 8001.   Alternatively please contact me, Steve or Bruce and we will do our very best to help

Dear Councillor

This is a reminder that from 31st July 2015, the Streetscene@wirral.gov.uk email address will close.

All Councillors should report or request Streetscene issues through Councillor.Net, the dedicated site for all Wirral members.

If an email is received into the Streetscene@wirral.gov.uk email account on or after the 31st July the following will happen:

o From a Councillor
o An automatic email acknowledgment will be sent in reply informing the Councillor to submit a Streetscene request through Councillor.Net
o From an MP or MP’s staff
o An automatic email acknowledgment will be sent in reply informing the MP to submit a Streetscene request via a dedicated web link
o Customer
o An automatic email acknowledgment will be sent in reply informing the customer to go to Wirral.gov.uk

Submitting Streetscene requests via an online form on a web link automates the process, freeing up advisors to help those customers who can’t self- serve, either because their enquiry is too complex or because they are not able to get online.

Anyone without internet access can use a self-serve desk at any library or one stop shop for easy and quick access to online service. Our libraries also have free wifi so they can use their own phone, tablet or laptop if they prefer. Staff in our one stop shops and libraries can help people to get online, so in future they will be able to access more services on their own.

These changes in our customer services are nothing new and are not unique to Wirral. Councils around the country are encouraging residents to interact with more services online and, like Wirral, have been for a number of years.

As a Councillor, you can play a role in encouraging your constituents to use online services by becoming familiar with them yourself. As well as the public facing online services, as members you can use Councillor.Net to report issues or request services and track progress for services other than Streetscene. Councillor.Net is freely available to all members and can be accessed through the council website.

The changes in our approach will not only encourage more customers to go online, where it costs the council less to deal with their enquiry, but will also help us meet our ongoing financial challenges. The cost of a face to face transaction is over 20 times that of an online transaction

Regards
Joe Blott
Strategic Director – Transformation and Resources
Wirral Council
Telephone Number : 0151 691 8001
Email : joeblott@wirral.gov.uk

A Site Close To You!

No doubt, like me many households will have accrued lots of extra waste over the last couple of days and now have bulging grey and green bins.    And unfortunately because of the icy conditions bin crews cant get out into many of the areas particularly on estates where the road conditions are treacherous.     But don’t despair, following the successful temporary bin collection points at six sites in Wirral this week the Council has decided to roll out an extra four sites across the borough.    Ten sites will be available for people to use from Monday until at least Wednesday with extended opening hours (9am -2.30pm) – and wagons taking waste from both grey and green bins.

The collection points have been set up to enable people to get rid of their rubbish while bin collections are suspended because of the icy road conditions.    The new sites can be found at: 

Quarrybank Road car park Birkenhead, Coronation Park, Greasby, Woodchurch Leisure Centre, Seaview Road, Liscard (car park opposite Fairview Avenue), They are in addition to the existing sites at: Pye Road car park, Heswall,  Woodhead Street car park, New Ferry,    Allport Lane car park, Bromborough, Leasowe Common car park (where Pasture Road meets Leasowe Road),  Dee Lane car park, West Kirby, Fishers Lane, Pensby (by the community centre).

(The opening of all sites is weather dependent – please check www.wirral.gov.uk for the latest information).   Biffa crews will also empty bins from blocks of flats and homes on some primary routes.

Wirral’s Bin Collection Update!

I have just received this update from the Council:

Bins: Biffa are now working 7 days a week to catch up on bin collections. As the weather improves we hope to be able to collect in more streets.   We are prioritising green residual bins but also advise residents to leave out grey recycling bins as we will do our best to collect them at the beginning of next week.

Wirral’s Wheelie Bin Collections! As Clear As Mud?

I have received an email from the Councils Head of Streetscene, which I have reproduced below.    It seems to me that by default Wirral has now gone to a three weekly collection cycle, and does it mean that if a side road is clear off a main road will the bin not be collected.    If Wirral Council and Biffa can’t explain this better then there is something badly wrong!  Email below:

“Bin collection services have partially resumed in Wirral today after being suspended due to last week’s weather conditions.     Biffa are currently collecting this Monday’s scheduled work along all gritted routes – unfortunately, road and pavement conditions are still too icy to safely service untreated roads.

Biffa will attempt to collect all bins placed out on main roads that have been gritted and residents living along these routes are advised to place the colour bin that is due for collection this week out on their usual collection day.     Regrettably, Biffa will not be able to catch up on last week’s missed collections and residents are now being asked to wait until their next scheduled collection day for the colour of bin that was missed.

Garden waste collections will be suspended until January 25^th to allow these crews to provide additional support for refuse and recycling collections.

When the normal scheduled collections are able to resume, Biffa will collect any bags that are left by the side of full green bins. Recycling cannot be collected in extra bags, as they cannot be separated at the sorting facility in Bidston.      If your grey recycling bin is now full, we are encouraging residents to store recycling for future collections.

Alternatively, Wirral’s three Household Waste Recycling Centres at Bidston, Clatterbridge and West Kirby are open seven days a week. Special skips have been provided to take all recycling that would normally go in your grey bin, even if it is mixed together.   We ask that if residents wish to make use of this facility that they empty their recycling into the skips and take away their bags, or use the litter bins provided to dispose of them.

Full collections will resume once the road and pavement conditions improve. The Council website will be updated daily to inform residents when this is likely to be.” 

Regards 

Mark Smith, Head of Streetscene & Waste Services, Wirral Council,  0151 606 2103

Heron Road, Closed this Weekend

In order to allow WIRRAL COUNCIL HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE to carry out additional surface dressing and iron works along Heron Road, Meols it will be necessary to implement a temporary road closure . Details of the closure are as follows:

DURATION:- From Saturday 22nd August 2009 for approximately 2 days

WIRRAL COUNCIL STREETSCENE CONTACT NUMBER: 0151 606 2004

Closed from its junction with Birkenhead Road to its junction with Pump Lane.

Alternative route for closure is:-    Traffic will be diverted via Saughall Massie Bypass, Saughall Road, Birkenhead Road and vice versa.

Farewell Casablanca!

This morning I was out with Cllr Ian Lewis and the team delivering residents surveys on the Leasowe estate, this is all part of our operation, ‘Farewell Casablanca.   Whilst we were delivering in Cameron Road we bumped into Mrs Abbey who was on her way to take part in the ‘Race for Life’ in Birkenhead Park, as with all the other runners we wish her well.

Whilst we were delivering in Kingham Close a lady I used to work with at Tulip asked for our help.  It appears that the Council have failed to collect the waste from the communal bin kept in a bin store to the rear.   The lady said she had spoken to streetscene last Thursday and they promised the rubbish would be collected by 5:30pm last Friday.  The pic I took today (above) shows that did not happen.   Ian will be on to this first thing in the morning.

Do United Utilities Give A Damn?

UU Vehicle parked on the footway on Hoylake Road

Readers s of the blog and residents of  Moreton and the wider community will be aware that United Utilities (UU) are carrying out mains water renewal along Hoylake Road from Chadwick Street to Carr Lane, this is causing parking problems for residents, traders and visitors, but not it appears for UU who are simply parking on paved areas in our Town, as can be witnessed by the photo’s  taken by me at lunch time today.     

I am particularly disappointed that UU have chosen to store equipment and park a vehicle on the recently newly paved area close to the Iceland Store.  (pictured right) It took me almost two years to get Iceland to replace the pavements and to put up bollards to stop vehicles overriding the pavements.  What has taken two years to achieve has been destroyed in a couple of days.  Thanks UU!

I have tried to contact the UU Project Manager (I have left a message on his mobile voicemail and sent him an email) to get some action taken to stop this flagrant abuse, and also to seek some assurance that they will make good all the areas they have damaged on the footways.   As yet I am awaiting a response.

Footway by Iceland Store – Thanks Streetscene

I was delighted to see that the Council has taken action today to carry out some emergency repairs (under its duty of care) to the footway close to the front of the Subway store on Hoylake Road.   I understand that the land is not adopted highway and is therefore not the responsibility of the Council, however the land owner appears not to be taking any action.    Special thanks to our Area Streetscene Manager, Chris Jones for authorising the work.

Area Forum

The Area Forum for Moreton, Leasowe and Saughall Massie is being held tomorrow evening at the Community Centre in Maryland Lane.     The forum commences at 7pm and as well as having updates on Streetscene, PCT, Police etc, we have an Enviormental Health Officer coming along to explain the Council’s Policy, (or lack of) on ferral Pigeons.    Why not come along this is an opportunity to have your voice heard.    I hope to see lots of people there

Town Meadow Lane, Road Safety Update

Readers of the blog will be aware of the many complaints that I, and my colleagues, Cllr Simon Mountney and Cllr Suzanne Mountney receive about the parking issues in Town Meadow Lane, close to the junction with Wastdale Drive.  (outside the flats).  

We have had meeting upon meeting with Highway Engineers, who continue to tell us that in their opinion it is not a problem.   I have recently asked again for action to be taken and another Highway Engineer has been to the location today.   Following that visit he sent me an email.  You can read his email response by clicking here.    Whilst we welcome any action to improve road safety, we really do believe that more needs to be done at this location.  It’s no wonder that Wirral has the third highest accident record in the North West.   We will continue to lobby the Council for more action.