Forum Topic

Thank-you

We have had a team of sweepers clearing all the leaf fall around this part of Isleworth this morning, and a cracking job they've done too. Would someone please pass on my thanks for a job well done.

Vanessa Smith ● 6384d26 Comments

Cllr. Bowen, Thank-you very much for the trouble you have gone to to resolve this, I am delighted to say that the footbridge cycle barrier has been done - properly!

Vanessa Smith ● 6344d

I apologise on behalf of the Council that things have not happened and that you have had to chase the matter.I also chased the matter earlier today and was informed that someone had arranged with our contractor to fix a new section of barrier as soon as possible.  I have been told that this will happen next week.

Cllr Mark Bowen ● 6347d

I must say I was surprised when I cycled (gently) over the Crane last Monday to see that the barrier was still no barrier at all. I agree that it could well be a macho challenge to see who can get it in the water first.

Tim Henderson ● 6347d

I have asked for an update on this by end of play today.

Cllr Mark Bowen ● 6348d

Situation still the same as of today.

Vanessa Smith ● 6349d

Photos sent to your Council e-mail address.

Vanessa Smith ● 6362d

Thank-you for the e-mail saying that this matter had been resolved - I have pm'd you back with photos taken not an hour since, which, sorry to say, suggest that someone is telling you porkies, as the situation is still the same. The only thing that's changed is that the vegetation around the old barrier slung up against the bridge has gone, probably removed by the leaf clearing crew. You can also see that the current barrier is no barrier at all to prevent cyclists and motor cyclists from belting over the bridge and careering into pedestrians. The old barriers were in front of the footpath over the bridge, two of them offset. I really do despair that replacing like with like is far too much for whoever did this, we can only hope that the old barrier does not land up in the River Crane in the next few days.

Vanessa Smith ● 6362d

Cllr Mark Bowen ● 6365d

"I really do not consider it acceptable that I as a constituent have to take part in a version of twenty questions"Sadly, I find that worthy of your previous response to me.  As much as I love Isleworth, you are not my constituent.  I simply took a genuine interest in a comment you made and was genuinely concerned.Despite best endeavours, Officers have not found anything from you in November.  However, they are aware of the issue as someone else sent in an email.  I will be sure to update you when I receive a progress report.More generally, in response to Mr Jones, I have stated what you should get when making a complaint via the complaints page.  If you do not receive these in future, please let us know, or even send me a PM.

Cllr Mark Bowen ● 6366d

John,Sorry for the delay in responding."Without entering into the exchange above, I feel it is appropriate to comment that complaints procedures in Hounslow still have a long way to improve."I agree with that.  When I presented a report to Borough Council in September, which reviewed the impact of the Members Panel at Stage 3 of the complaints procedure, I stated that we have come a long way but we were not yet where I want to be."My positive comment is that the member panel has demonstrated that it would not be soft soaped by officers into a cover-up of incompetence. Given my previously expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the new approach I am happy to admit I was wrong."You deserve credit for being able to say that you were wrong.  A number of people opposed the creation of a Members Panel to deal with complaints at the final stage of the Council's Complaints Procedure.  You are the first and, thus far, only person to admit that they got it wrong."However, discussions on the Stage 3 process began in April 2008 and the panel did not meet until this month. This delay is not reasonable or acceptable."I totally agree with that and apologise to you and your constituent for the unacceptable delay.  There has been a backlog that has impacted around a dozen cases.  We have acknowledged and, where appropriate, compensated for this delay alone.  The root cause of the problem has, I believe, now been resolved.  Again, I was very open about this when presenting the report to Borough Council back in September."Needless to say I am now being asked why I took this decision (which of course I didn't!) despite the planning obligation. I will forward this to you Mark, as you may  be able to find out what these clowns are up to. I continue to find it impossible to get anything sensible back from these people."I have made some enquiries and will be in touch with you direct.  I think that there is a way forward.

Cllr Mark Bowen ● 6366d

Thank you for your feedback.  I am sorry for the delay and the reason is that there has been an illness in the family.When making a complaint via the complaints page, after completing the various screens, everyone should receive the following:Submission dateSubmission timeOnline Reference numberAn email confirmation (subject to the correct email address having been written)I am informed if someone is using the planning eForm on the planning portal, then an email is not sent.More generally, if any reader of this forum needs to make a complaint to LBH, the address is as follows:http://eforms.hounslow.gov.uk/ufs/ufsmain?esessionid=1&formid=COMPLAINTS_FORM&esessionid=1

Cllr Mark Bowen ● 6366d

I looked in my sent items funnily enough - and neither that e-mail nor the one I sent to the compliments address were there, I went on to the Hounslow Council website and sent the complaint to the correct page that I was directed to, that is all I can tell you. In future if a small complaint is going to case such a furore, I will not only be very careful to write a note in my diary, I will print the e-mail off for good measure. I really do not consider it acceptable that I as a constituent have to take part in a version of twenty questions, I did what I was asked to do by the website, if the system isn't working that really isn't anything that I have done, or is it because it is me who is the complainant that this hoo-ha is going on? Sorry, paranoia is setting in.

Vanessa Smith ● 6371d

Without entering into the exchange above, I feel it is appropriate to comment that complaints procedures in Hounslow still have a long way to improve.Yesterday I received a letter outlining the decision of a member panel dealing with a complaint from elderly residents that was in the system 16 months before it was dealt with under Stage 3 of the complaints process. The outcome is damning in relation to the conduct of Hounslow Homes - who are judged to have been guilty of maladministration by the member panel - and the Council's legal department - who are attacked by members for failing to take proper action in support of the complainants. Over £1000 in compensation is being paid by the council to compensate for the distress caused.My positive comment is that the member panel has demonstrated that it would not be soft soaped by officers into a cover-up of incompetence. Given my previously expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the new approach I am happy to admit I was wrong. However, discussions on the Stage 3 process began in April 2008 and the panel did not meet until this month. This delay is not reasonable or acceptable.Having been away a few days because of a family bereavement, I have just seen an e-mail from a constituent complaining about the failure of developers to ensure that an access to Hounslow Heath was provided from a new housing estate, despite this being a planning condition.The reply she received yesterday from the Council's contractors for open space management, John Laing, was as follows:-"Dear Ms .....I have been informed that the Local Councillor has made a decision on the closure of the entrance at the east side of the park and has decided it should remain locked.The decision was made yesterday and a padlock has gone back onto the gate............." Needless to say I am now being asked why I took this decision (which of course I didn't!) despite the planning obligation. I will forward this to you Mark, as you may  be able to find out what these clowns are up to. I continue to find it impossible to get anything sensible back from these people.

John Connelly ● 6371d

Ok ok lets stop the back and forth ...  Vanessa raised an issue, the councillor has offered to investigate, Vanessa seems to have got upset and the councillor is trying to calm and reassure that he is simply offering to help. Lets make the most of the fact someone is offering assistance.Councillor - residents that use your online complaints form will of course not have a 'sent mail' as they do not send an email from their computers - they fill in your form on the website and that generates an email to the council behind the scenes so residents will not have any record of their complaint.  Ideally the system should generate an auto reply with a reference number that someone like Vanessa can then quote, however the form you use is not that sophisticated (please make a note of this suggestion though as I believe it would help residents feel they were being listened to rather than feeling they had sent something and simply not had a reply and then have no proof of sending.)

Ian Jones ● 6371d

The misunderstanding is yours.  I am merely trying to get as much information as possible so that I can get to the bottom of why Mrs Smith did not receive a response to her complaint.  I am asking her to help me in order to help her.Do I expect customers to log discussions? No.  Am I used to emails being stored in a sent folder?  Yes!

Cllr Mark Bowen ● 6371d

I think Cllr Mark Bowen if you read the full thread You'l find Vanessa was congratulatory of the system It was only later she complained about the councils complaints page I consider you are taking this out of all proportions Do you really expect your customers to record log and store all discussions they have with your departments

Victor Mullins ● 6371d

"I hope you are not intimating that I am lying, why do you assume that people make things up? - I assure you I e-mailed a complaint - I wasn't taking notes at the time, so can only tell you it was early November and ocncerned the footbridge over the River Crane junction Northcote Ave."What a terrible thing to ask me.  I made a contribution to this thread because I was concerned at your remark and offered to look into why you did not receive a response - I did so in good faith.You made reference to not taking notes.  Could you atleast let me know (privately if you wish) the email address you wrote to?  Or, do you still have the email in your sent folder?  My main concern here is trying to get to the bottom of why you did not receive a response, which it appears has led you to take the view you have expressed about how LBH deals with complaints.

Cllr Mark Bowen ● 6371d

VanessaWhy do you always feel the need to go onto the attack in this way?  From what I can see Councillor Bowen asked you a perfectly reasonable question.  Now that you have given him the details I'm sure he'll look into it.

Phil Andrews ● 6372d

I hope you are not intimating that I am lying, why do you assume that people make things up? - I assure you I e-mailed a complaint - I wasn't taking notes at the time, so can only tell you it was early November and ocncerned the footbridge over the River Crane junction Northcote Ave. Isleworth and Northcote Rd. St. Margarets where two off-set metal barriers meant to slow cyclists down had been removed and one just slung to one side in the vegetation. One new barrier had been installed to the left of the actual path over the bridge going from Isleworth which was totally useless as it was installed too far from the path - stupid. I have never had that e-mail acknowledged.

Vanessa Smith ● 6372d

"it's s bit more efficient than the complaints page - that's hopeless - you just get ignored."I am concerned that any resident would hold this view.  You have not given any examples of when this happened.  Please do feel free to let me know any further information and I will then look into it.

Cllr Mark Bowen ● 6383d

I have always thought, and still do - that Councillors surgeries should be a last resort when all other avenues fail. For myself I can handle my own problems after 16 years of experience. Quite honestly the thing I have complained about is one that any local councillor should be aware of if they walk around their patch now and again.

Vanessa Smith ● 6384d

You are more then welcome to bring your concerns to one of our Surgeries Vanessa?

Paul Fisher ● 6384d

Have done that Jim, thanks - I only hope it's s bit more efficient than the complaints page - that's hopeless - you just get ignored.

Vanessa Smith ● 6384d

No - ours just had brooms and sacks nothing mechanical.

Vanessa Smith ● 6384d

Try here:http://eforms.hounslow.gov.uk/ufs/ufsmain?esessionid=1&formid=COMPLIMENTS_FORM&esessionid=1Its a great morale-booster.JL

Jim Linwood ● 6384d

Were these the chaps, Vanessa?

Sarah Felstead ● 6384d