Local Authorities

[Tannasg]

When it comes to neighbour problems - is your Local Authority willing to use the powers it has to deal with problems that come within its remit - or is it like one not too far from this writer - totally SNAFU'd.

How long do they take to respond - if respond they do?

Are they willing to act for owners but ignore council tenants?

There seems to be a wide difference in the way LA's react to these incidents - ranging from total 'head in the sand' (or the more accurate - and appropriate! - if less polite American version of the saying) to reasonably helpful - as long as you are a private owner - to absolutely co-operative in all ways, though this, notably, is the rarest.

I thought the opinions of those affected might stand a viewing by any passing members of the Fourth Estate . . . after all, we pay a fortune in Council Tax - but receive NOTHING for it but the spreading of litter weekly. No attention to our problems from the LA - although many of those are caused by said LA, or by lack of attention from same, no policing - though this accounts for a huge proportion of spending - and the extra slapped on top every year because they have overspent yet again keeping the helicopter flying.

They can never attend serious incidents in 'bad postcode' areas - yet if there is a peaceful anti-war protest in town - a bunch of students sitting and standing quietly on the lawns in front of the council house - there are hundreds of police officers there - same when a politician deigns to 'honor' us with its presence.

So - do our members think that our Council Taxes are being spent wisely by those who suffer most?

tannasg

[Neighboured]

Our local authority is useless. I used to live in a block of flats and the person underneath me had a whole host of mental health problems. All left unaddressed by his social workers.

One of his favourite tricks was to take speed and have his 1kw sound system on day and night for 48 hours at a stretch. That drove we neighbours of his round the twist! :wacko:

The housing officers wanted him evicted, but his social workers always squashed it. However, they were perfectly happy to allow him to live in rodent-infested sqaulor. You always knew when he had left his flat or had just gone back in. Why? Because the stench was so bad in the hallway that it made you heave. For a full fifteen minutes after he had shut the door... :sicky:

A housing officer arranged a meeting with his so-called social worker to have this problem addressed. She was shocked to be told: "We are not going to do anything about him, as the way he lives is his lifestyle choice." It wasn't his choice. The poor guy was mentally ill and they did not care.

As long as a NFH does not live next to them, nobody in authority cares. Let's face it, many NFH -like my former neighbour- are mentally ill to one degree or another. I mean, if they could really, really choose what to be, would anyone with an ounce of sense choose to be a NFH, being hated and derided by all their decent neighbours? :rolleyes: