EDGELEY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION - TOTALLY LOCAL COMPANY REVIEW RESOLUTION

EDGELEY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION - TOTALLY LOCAL COMPANY REVIEW RESOLUTION

Over the last few years, the Edgeley Community Association have been raising more and more issues with the basic public realm services residents rely on every day. Things that should be fairly straightforward are sometimes taking far too long to get sorted.

We’ve had residents waiting for months for replacement bins and recycling containers, significant delays with bulky waste collections, litter bins not being emptied consistently and, increasingly, residents having to report bins being strewn across pavements after collections. That might sound like a small thing until you’re trying to get past one with a wheelchair, mobility aid or pushchair.

We’re also seeing issues with basic street maintenance. Faded road markings can remain faded for long periods after being reported, damaged or missing street signs can take an age to be replaced and highway defects can sit unresolved for far too long. We’ve had examples of significant carriageway defects and even sinkholes in busy locations left for months when residents quite reasonably want to know when something is actually going to be done.

Then there are the less visible issues. We’ve been asking questions about who is responsible for graffiti removal and what the actual service standard is. Residents report overgrown Council-owned land and vegetation that isn't dealt with quickly. There have also been concerns raised about trees that may present a danger remaining without proper inspection or resolution after being reported.

The frustration isn't just that something hasn't been done. It is often the lack of a clear answer about who is responsible, what the timescale is and how an issue gets escalated when it isn't dealt with. We are sometimes left chasing officers, residents are left chasing councillors, and officers are left chasing the service. That isn't a particularly good way of delivering basic public services in our view.

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