'WBC Make Scrooge Look Generous'

[Jonathan Levy]

What is your view on the below article? Whilst I feel very sorry for the woman, like the spokesperson says, the tree poses no danger to any person or property but in this womans case, I really feel for her and think the Council have made the wrong decision. Having said that, it probably would have been better to have contacted the Council earlier in the year, rather than choosing to address it with them just days before Christmas. Whilst there are bigger issues affecting Warrington such as the Election fiasco, and the proposed Titan Prison, the Council could surely have agreed to chop down just a few branches.

 

 

A disabled woman will not be able to watch her favourite programmes this Christmas because Warrington Borough Council refuses to cut down trees that are blocking her TV signal.

 

Janet Boughey lives at home with her mum and dad, Walter and Freda, in Heathwood Grove, Paddington. The 39-year-old has Down?s syndrome and relies on television for entertainment, so Mr Boughey installed a raised aerial at a cost of ?350.

 

However, the trees in Woolston Linear Park behind their home have not been cut for several years and now encroach three metres into the family?s garden ? blocking their reception. Mr Boughey, aged 72, says the council may not be obliged to provide Janet with a TV signal but it is obliged to maintain the trees so they do not come within 1.5 metres of his fence.

 

He said: ?If the council would just cut them down then we could get a picture. It?s even worse in summer when the leaves are on the trees. ?Janet has no other hobby, just TV. But in the summer you can?t even get two seconds of pictures on any channel. I think they are being totally unreasonable.

 

?It is difficult bringing up a disabled child who has to live at home. We can?t live a normal life but surely at least we should have a TV picture??

Mr Boughey complained to the council in September. Clr Colin Froggatt (LAB - Poulton South) and Warrington North MP Helen Jones then wrote to the authority on the family?s behalf. Mrs Jones says it is ?yet another example of Warrington?s Scrooge council in action?.

 

Helen Jones said: ?Janet cannot get out and about and relies on television for her entertainment. Despite knowing about these special circumstances, the council continues to refuse to take any action. They make Scrooge look generous. ?It is sad that our council won?t help improve the life of a disabled person by spending a small amount of money on cutting down some branches ? after all they were happy to waste tens of thousands of pounds last year on a Ferris wheel which made a huge loss.?

 

A Warrington Borough Council spokesman said the authority sympathised, but was not duty-bound to ensure trees restricting television reception were pruned accordingly. The spokesman said the council had to use its resources to deal with emergencies, such as trees posing a danger to people and properties.

[Bill]

I know the trees your on about and I?m tempted to say get a tree surgeon out and send me the bill but then again, while the council wont spend money to help, they almost certainly would to bring a prosecution for cutting back ?their? trees.

 

On a more practical note, I assume that the trees are blocking reception of Winter Hill?s digital service to the north so why not leave the trees alone and switch to cable or satellite. Ok there?s some cost involved but if as you say, TV is so important to the disabled person, then surely it?s better to invest in a permanent solution rather than one that will grow back a year or so down the line.

 

Bill

[Egbert]

Can we be sure it is the trees that are causing the problem?

I have massive trees around my house and they don't seem to block TV signals.

We could end up removing the trees and not getting any improvement in TV signal.

The other point, of course, is that it would seem relations between the Warrington North MP and the Borough Council have reached such an all-time low that probably the worst thing you can do to get something out of the council is to enlist the aid of the MP!

[Bill]

I live in the next road and know these big trees will indeed affect the newer digital signals that will soon be the only type broadcast from Winter Hill. Pruning the trees may improve it slightly but it?s never going to be as good as it could be and the problem will just keep coming back.

 

My advice might not be what Mrs Boughey wanted to hear but it?s the only realistic and practical solution to the problem.

 

Bill

[observer]

Let's get this right: this is yet another episode in the vendetta of an MP against a Lib Dem Council, that won't do her bidding - end of.

[Paul Kennedy]

Very true Observer.

[Paul Kennedy]

I know the trees your on about and I?m tempted to say get a tree surgeon out and send me the bill but then again,

 

Maybe Mrs Jones could pay the tree surgeon, she has afterall just had a ?26,000 pay rise.

[Bazj]

If he has installed a raised arial at a cost of ?350.00 he must have enough to get Sky or cable installed....

 

Just another excuse to let the Jones woman loose on the council she wishes her party still ran.

[observer]

Slight correction Baz - "that she want's to run!"

[Geoffrey Settle]

I tried recently to get a tree trimmed for an elderly neighbour but the council stated at the time in an email that unless it was a health an safety issue they could do nothing. Even though they agreed that the old man and his good lady had a valid point.

 

The issue for the resident is that once the trees are in leaf his house is in constant shade. A few weeks later the new tree fellows were trimming hundreds of trees within a half mile radius of his house. Surely one more wouldn't have done any harm and been an early Christmas present.

 

I think that both examples are linked and down to the Lib/Dem Tory policy and that alone. The workers are willing but the generals are not playing ball.

 

And Pete T don't twitter on about contacting LIB/Dem local Councillors - the Binocular man came around to see the tree in question a year or so ago. This time he used his camera but he didn't snap into action - he was never seen again and no one in the road wants him back.

[Peter T]

Is there an election due?

[Paul Kennedy]

Rumours abound Peter, but only one man has the power to call it...and timing is everything. Great news is that unless this Parliament goes its full term, a snap election is likely to be limited to 17 days of activity (plus weekends)

[Geoffrey Settle]

Is there an election due?

 

Yes it's the European one, coming soon to a ballot box near you.

[Peter T]

Rumours abound Peter, but only one man has the power to call it...and timing is everything. Great news is that unless this Parliament goes its full term, a snap election is likely to be limited to 17 days of activity (plus weekends)

 

I wondered because of Geoff's taking the platform a lot with his attacks on the current tenure in the Town Hall.

[Peter T]

Is there an election due?

 

Yes it's the European one, coming soon to a ballot box near you.

 

Geoff,

The one we want, your idol won't give us. ie the referendum on Europe.

Now if that is good leadership of the country, roll on the revolution.

[observer]

What's new Geoff; I'll put money on the fact that the tree cutting policy hasn't changed since the days of the folically challenged one: no policy change, just political personel. sort of musical chairs really. So perhaps you can tell the Party Matriarch to try another line of attack.

[Geoffrey Settle]

I've no idea what is was in the past but what I do know is that things have changed.

 

The tree section have re-organised. Early on in the year as they started implemented their new procedures. They had a lot of work to do in certain areas because little or no work had been done for years however they approached it like a hairdresser producing a skin head cut.

 

One of the first areas was Oakwood and the Warrington Nature Conservation Forum (WNCF) were alerted to this fact, birds nesting areas were being destroyed as well as other animals habitat.

 

As a direct result of WCNF's approach and advice an agreement was reached and the practices were changed.

 

On the issue of individual trees near residential properties . When I appraoched the coucil I was told that it was NOW policy not to do work on trees unless they were posing a Health and Safety problem.

 

The issue raised above about the TV reception being blocked for the disbaled person is one that requires a sympathtic approach and one that should be regarded as an exception to the rule.

 

Firstly the reason for the poor reception needs to be established, do her neighbours have similar problems Bill?

[Geoffrey Settle]

Pete you may want to leave but I've been a supporter of being in Europe ever since we went in.

[asperity]

Now why isn't that a suprise

[Geoffrey Settle]

Personally I don't think that we have integrated enough and our holding back has hindered our progress - but that's just my view. We are as a nation very dependent on our neighbours and the sooner we realise this the better placed we will all be.

 

However it will take a change in attitude and application.

[asperity]

Utter nonsense (and you do frequently Geoff!)

[Geoffrey Settle]

Your entitled to your view, my sense hasn't deserted me though.

[Peter T]

Personally I don't think that we have integrated enough and our holding back has hindered our progress - but that's just my view. We are as a nation very dependent on our neighbours and the sooner we realise this the better placed we will all be.

 

Would that have anything to do with the fact that we no longer have any industry left, are no longer self sufficient in the agriculture and Livestock markets, due to Europe ordering what we can and can't grow, and most of our utilities bought/controlled by foreigners?

Of course, you could always take the rose-tinted specs off, but what you might see would frighten you.

[Bill]

To be honest Geoff I doubt anyone really cares. Call me cynical but it seems to me that from start to finish this threads done little other than use a disabled person?s predicament to justify a political slaggng off session. The forum has a place for stuff like this and I do wish those with political mud to sling would use it.

 

Bill

[Geoffrey Settle]

I do think though that you maybe on the right lines with regard to the skill of the engineer, why did he install it if it wasn't up to the job? Have they called him back for his professional view?

 

Instead of issuing the following reply to Colin Froggat and Helen Jones

A Warrington Borough Council spokesman said the authority sympathised, but was not duty-bound to ensure trees restricting television reception were pruned accordingly. The spokesman said the council had to use its resources to deal with emergencies, such as trees posing a danger to people and properties.

surely the council should consider the residents exceptional circumstances - Don't they have any feeling?