Garden Damage Update

Hi,
To be honest you would be better off with large concrete troughs,
I say this for two reasons (1) dogs Can't urinate over your plants and you can have both bedding plants and over hanging plants, you can feed these much better than in ground plants, (2) it's easier for the refuge driver to see.

And it looks a lot more like home than bollards do.

Glad things are being sorted.
I have to agree with Dungy with regards to the bollards, troughs would be much better.

I'm glad it's sorted. Are you happy with the apology and the gift card?

Concrete troughs were not offered. The bollards which were shown to me looked O.K.

The Giftcard makes up for what has happened, but the insurance claim has already been sent to the insurers by the Council.

Once the bollards are installed, I will be happy. Just have to wait for improved weather.

I was asked if I wanted to put the bollards in myself. Of course I would rather a contractor did it for me. It won't cost me anything to have it done properly.

Very good news, and quite a quick response too - I wonder if someone on the Council has been reading Goy?
The gift voucher is a nice touch too - enjoy!

Their employee did the damage. They should instal the bollards without damaging any plants.

They didn't offer troughs because you never asked for them And your friendly council never even gave it a thought.

It's a very easy wayout to put bollards there,
where did these bollards come from?

They're not a nice sight to see "bollards" and a first stop/point for dogs to leave their mark.

If you'd have asked and recieved the troughs one or two things may have happend,
(1) you could have started off a complete new way of adding colour to the area and this could lead to a nicer looking area,
(2) But the troughs could and up as litter units for anyone who decided to drop rubbish in them,

And then you have to have someone recieving such things as a trough the same interest as yourself ref growing plants etc,
If the troughs are not kept in a nice condition and full of flowers then they'll look awful in no time.

I can see the problem from both the drivers side,
he has a job to do and he should have more than enough room to get his vehicel through,

(could the fire services get an fire engine through in a quick motion?
ie without trying to squeeze through while someones house is burning down?? & trying not to run your flower bed over??)

And then your side ie wanting to have a nice display of flowers "and why shouldn't you".

As snoopdog has said, and this happens in lots of area's "you put your bins out at the road side for collection and this way no refuge vehicle has to go passed your flower beds.

If the vehicle has managed to drive over your flower bed then how long before the post are bent over!

If the vehicle has right of way and its doing a public service for all ,
Looking at your first picture i can see two large wheeled bins on the oppositside to your flowerbed and further on a concrete urn,
It looks a nightmare of a place tobe driving a refuge vehicle in the dark mornings down, and im sure the driver has got ideas as to this problem as he's doing the job
"did anyone ask for his thoughts on how to sort this problem out?
Did anyone have a word with the owners of the large bins opposit as to why they"re being parked there?

I wouldnt want a view of these two bins in my sight,
And im sure when this passage way was first thought out as to how wide it was to be the question of how wide a vehice is was all taken into account and the question of parking large wheeled bins plus concrete urns didnt come into the plans and was not part of any drawings when planning was granted.

Have the area clear of all these things and allowe the driver to do his job, he's already got all the weather conditions to deal with ie ice/snow/rain the dark thats enough for anyone to have to deal with never mind adding huge bins etc to the problem.

These people (refuge collectors) do a very good job in all conditions with little thought given by a lot of people.

My hat is off to them and i say well done and lets help them be able to do the job without adding all sorts of problems on the way.
Your problem isn't with the driver it's with the council and the fact that this passage way is a right of way and not a parking area for large bins.
Have a good think ref what ive said and put yourself in the drivers shoe's?
He's not the problem.

Dungy, to answer the Fire Brigade question. Yes 2 Fire Engines got passed in 2012 in the same conditions in the dead of night when a block of flats was evacuated when a flat was well and truly on fire.

The morning, this happened was around 10:30am and was very Sunny.

Those bins are the only bins large enough to house 6 flats worth of litter and recycling.

Also, the bins have been there for over 16 years.

Concrete Urn? Where?

My problem remains with the driver, regardless of how many times on this blog and the other you try to justify it.

I am not here to argue, but you were not there, you didn't see what happened. They had more than enough space and the area was well lit.

It is always easy to pass judgement, when you are not there.

The Council's Waste Management have accepted that the driver was at fault, and spoken to me in person stating so.

My Dad used to work on these trucks for many years, so I know very well what it is like.