A remote hamlet has been dubbed the ‘forgotten village’ because families have been cut off from the outside world for the past three weeks.Refuses?
Villagers in Cow Ark, near Clitheroe, Lancs., have been left totally isolated for 22 days after snow and ice blocked their only access route and the council refused to grit the roads.
Yes, it seems they do, leaving the residents stranded.
A resident with a quad bike managed to get through the treacherous roads for supplies and a single pensioner made a 10-mile round trip on foot to the nearest shop, complete with sledge, to stock up.And it isn't just normal life that is suspended for these families; work is too. The sort of work councils are usually proud to claim they are supporting:
But as there is no sign of an end to the cold spell, many are rationing food.
Carer Julie Bolton, 47, has been unable to complete her home visits because of the condition of the road.Their local representative is trying his best.
The local MP said the situation in Cow Ark should be declared a state of emergency.Not really. It just needs some payback for its council tax payments. That's all.
But it isn't going to get it:
… County Councillor Keith Young, who has a responsibility for highways, gave residents little comfort, asking them to 'bear with us'.What point is that, if the villagers can't reach those main roads?
He said: ‘At the moment we have a very extreme set of circumstances and the priority is to keep the main roads clear. ’
‘My message to the residents in Cow Ark is that we are not doing this deliberately (Ed: A blatant lie, you’ve main a conscious decision to ignore them) and I am sure their community spirit will see them through.’Well, until they have to resort to cannibalism, that is.
Now, if any of my service providers (broadband, telephony, gas, electricity, water) renege on my contracted services, I can go elsewhere. Or sue them.
Isn't it time councils were in the same boat?
Regardless of the council's ineptitude, I feel that I must as "what the fuck has happened to the population of this bloody country?".
ReplyDeleteIt would seem from the report that "a single pensioner made a 10-mile round trip on foot to the nearest shop, complete with sledge, to stock up.", so, if a pensioner fergodsake can do it, what's wrong with the rest of the fuckers? No legs? Too obese and addicted to daytime TV to be able to get off their arses and walk?
Has the concept of "personal responsibility" completely gone from these shores? So, the council has renaged, but for the villagers to be sitting whining for "nanny" while they slowly starve is utterly pathetic.
(Rant over). :-)
I have to say that I agreee with Pogo, but I hasten to add not his language. We too are snow bound. We now have heating but until 30th December we were without that. We are not stuck out in any remote area, but in rural Hampshire which has been the worst hit county. We are expecting more snow so release is not likely to be soon. We are both elderly (my husband is 87) but we have good neighbours which seems to be sadly lacking in Cow Ark. One of them walked ten miles to collect a presciption for him. No gritted roads or pavements and in some places eighteen inches of snow. Stop complaining, get out the shovels and help yourselves and those not in a position to do so. I hope your man with the quad bike will collect suplies for the rest of the village.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that the people in this village need to get to know their neighbour better and live as a community
I take both your points, and indeed, more self-reliance and neighbourly concern is always a good thing. But the state (in the form of the council here) can't have it both ways; either it takes money from us for services and then provides them, or it doesn't and people make their own arrangements.
ReplyDeletePerhaps a breakdown of where your council tax goes, or an explicit contract that would be enforceable in court in these cases would help people not to feel that they pay and pay and yet have no recourse when the council simply reneges on the deal and says 'yeah, so what are you going to do about it?'
First, an apology to "Anon" about my language... I find that a rant is not sufficiently cathartic without the inclusion of a bit of "robust" language. I know that Julia's blog isn't normally a "swearblog", therefore I'm sorry if I've offended your sensibilities.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I agree with Julia that it would be nice to have an enforceable contract with the council. I live in a small village and we've been told that we "do not fit into the gritting plan" too. So what we've done is pitch in and grit the worst bits of the road ourselves, then with the help of a few intrepid souls battering their cars through the snow, we have maintained access to "the important bit of the world".
Actually, it would be fun, not to say quite profitable, to be able either to enforce a contract or receive a discount... Our access road is partly unsurfaced and bot it and the remainder receive virtually no maintenance work. Pavements - there aren't any. Street lights - just the one, which must be frightened of the dark as it only comes on during the day. Police - can't remember last time I saw one round here. Social Services - we're all far too middle-class to attract their attention, even us oldies (which is probably a blessing in disguise). Five-a-day-coordinators and the like - what do they really do? we certainly don't attract their attention either. Schools - I don't have kids and all my local friends have theirs educated privately so I'm not even paying for them. At least the bins get emptied... Every other week. :-(
We must remember that this Government has used the council tax as a pocket for their stealth taxes. At present about 95% of council tax spending has the sticky finger of Government in it. Council may certainly collect council tax, but have very little say in how it is spent. Even the gritting of the roads is being choreographed in Westminster. If they make the usual cock-up of things, we can only expect a deterioration there too.
ReplyDeleteSo many services now the responsibility of the councils have been off-loaded by the Government with insufficient funding or no funding at all.
Visit www.isitfair.co.uk. This is a campaign calling for the reform of the council tax system.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article6981564.ece
ReplyDeleteThere what did I tell you?
If they are anything like our nearby country dwellers they will have invaded their nearest town like Attilla The Hun on wheels last Wednesday and stripped the supermarkets bare of milk and bread leaving us poor city folk to starve.
ReplyDeleteMy Council did prety well, not only manually clearing the main shopping street pavements but also many long stretches of pavement along through routes, they only did one side of each road but I have not yet heard the neighbours from the other side complaining.
"I live in a small village and we've been told that we "do not fit into the gritting plan" too."
ReplyDeleteThis is what I can't understand - if they grit the main roads, but not the side roads, who do they expect to be able to use them?
"Visit www.isitfair.co.uk. This is a campaign calling for the reform of the council tax system."
Useful site!
"There what did I tell you?"
Good grief! Are they expecting this to still be a problem by the time it arrives?
"My Council did prety well, not only manually clearing the main shopping street pavements but also many long stretches of pavement along through routes.."
Southend council did the same, but with the side roads all iced up, anyone with trouble walking couldn't get out anyway...