Largs & Millport Weekly News | Opinion | Officials, you could swing for them

Monday, 13th October, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 16th July, 2008 23:55

Officials, you could swing for them

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Drew gets on his high horse

IT’s time for a pop at North Ayrshire Council. Oh yes. As much as it pains me to point out the shortcomings of council bureaucrats here goes...

Summer time in Largs. A nice place to be to dodge the rain showers. Not a lot for the kids to do but at least there’s the good old-fashioned swings and slides that we enjoyed in our childhood.

Oh, but look, a council van has turned up. The workmen are hacking away at the equipment before throwing it in the back of the van. Bewildered weans are in tears.

“Excuse me, but where are you taking the kids’ swings?”

An NAC workman - obviously well-briefed by his bosses - tells them that it’s not used very much.

A council spokesperson later denies this ever happened and that the reason was that great 21st century excuse of all officials and jobsworths....”health and safety.”

They also told us that they did not consult anyone about removing the playpark at Holehouse Road because they were replacing it.

“So, when are you replacing it” we asked. “Don’t know” spokesperson answered. “What are you going to put there?” “Don’t know.”

That sums council officials up for me. They haven’t a clue.

Sensible people would have waited until they had the new equipment before taking away the old equipment. Personally, I think they’re lying through their teeth. Having been caught out some official is now trying to order in new swings and the like.

People in North Ayrshire Council should remember that they are public servants, paid out of the public purse. The problem is, and it is witnessed repeatedly, too many officials don’t give a damn about the public.

Our local elected councillors should not acquiesce with the arrogance of the bureaucrats.

Speaking of much-loved NAC officials I hear that residents of Walkerston Avenue in Largs want a word with Director of Roads, Ronnie Small.

Remember Ronnie? He’s the man who completely closed the Haylie Brae on health and safety grounds and is facing a £500,000 lawsuit from Lightways contractors who had their street lighting contract given to another firm who put in a higher bid.

This week council roads workers turned up at Walkerston Avenue to repaint the white lines. Somehow they managed to paint them in the wrong order, so that the adjoining Seabank Avenue with about nine houses now has right of way over the much larger, older estate of Walkerston. They’d drive you bonkers.