Now let's kick off by putting things into perspective.
The bin collection service we get these days is very good when compared with the days of the old Glanford authority and its black bin bags without any chance to recycle.
However, when it comes to logging a minor complaint, North Lincolnshire Council is currently operating a system that is far too elaborate.
As brown waste bins in our part of town that should have been emptied on Tuesday are still awaiting collection, we decided to flag this up to the council.
We were expecting to find the familiar hyperlink so we could give the facts in an email.
But a visit to the council website presented us with a time consuming and elaborate online form.
It insisted on knowing day, date and EVEN THE YEAR of the missed collection and even the hour AND MINUTE when we put the bin out on the street.
Talk about using a sledge-hammer to crack a nut!
Back in the decades when Brigg Urban District Council was in charge, householders could complain in person to the rent man when he called to collect. The UDC not only managed the very extensive stock of council properties but also emptied the bins.
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4 comments:
Your concern is essentially about the non-collection of bins, Nige...but it does reflect the issue that complexity can ultimate kill.
Allegedly, protest groups have attempted bring their concerns of the health and safety issues about the Grenfell Flats, but, seemingly, no, or little action was taken.
While simple procedures exist, the introduction of IT systems to replace the human element seems to have exacerbate the simple pre-existing methods of making an enquiry/ complaint.
It appears that IT systems require a progressive filter system, while the salient issue in the meantime, becomes watered-down to just become a statistical figure.
Any system that has a over-complex filtering questionnaire omits the vital component of human response.
If one wants to report that Brigg is about to be attacked by a fleet of Martians, why is there a need to indicate one's age range, ethnicity and sexual orientation before one's concern is noted..?
How many times does one encounter an automated filtering system after making a phone call informing one to press 1 for x, 2 for y and 3 for z when the options do not really apply to one's concern....ultimately one tends to get thro' to a wrong department after which the call is mysteriously terminated?
Keeping procedures simple now seems to be regarded as a weakness in modern sophisticated organisations...the emphasis appears to be orientated towards the evaluation of statistics, rather that actually resolving the nitty-gritty of complaint.
While your concern is about bins, Nige, while the alleged concerns about the Grenfell Flats are at the other end of the dicotomony, there is a need to simplify procedures of how community/group/individual complaints are handled.....and how they are recorded, assessed and acted upon..
Experts have already identified the sources of the Glenfell Tower block's conflagration...flammable cladding, a single staircase and the lack of an internal sprinkling system.
That being the case, will authorities immediately take remedial action, or will there be a delay by some powers that be while a laborious official inquiry is convened and recommendations established?
There is much to be learnt by the public/private sector from the safety and reporting procedures of the aviation authorities. Flying is the safest form of transport and any suspicious that there could a safety issue with an aircraft, often the worldwide fleet is grounded until the issue is resolved.
Information is globally shared and acted upon and is not left to individual companies to make orbitary decisions. Disasters, and potential disasters are fully investigated and compliant regulations are established.
In addition,major safety issue/accidents are not left to individual companies to subjectively investigate and rectify...there is much more objectively and accident investigation teams from other countries are readily allowed to investigate...and their recommendations become mandatory, thus avoiding any grey area of options/actions of individual fleet operators.
Consequently, there are global standards and fleet operators are compelled to comply with safety and operating conditions and the possibility of individual economic cost-cutting procedures are avoided.
..... secondary factors in the unfortunate disaster were the the restrictions to access for the responding rescue vehicles .one narrow road in/out...and the number of illegalky parked vehicles in the area..
These safety issues had been highlighted by resident action groups a number of times.
Brigg obviously doesn't have high-rise flats, but restricted access, exacerbated by many parked cars have been identified over the years as factors affecting the Springfield Estate.
Hopefully, the peripheral extension of Atherton Way towards Brickyard Lane will considerably reduce safety concerns.
In the meantime, has anyone considered having a 'disaster exercise' on the Springfield Esate at the start of the school day?
How actually would several fire engines and ambulances cope with competing school traffic along Grammar School Road?
The likihood of a disaster in Brigg is extremely remote, but contingency plans would be useful should such an episode occur.
....another, The HSBC Bank in the Market Place is due for closure.
Ever since pedestrianisation, it seems that HSBC employees have had a concession of being able to cross thro' the Market Place to park behind the bank.
Traffic in the pedestrian zone has already been a contentious issue, so how/why was the initial concession allowed...and will the concession to extended and transferred to the new tenant?
It is worth noting that some properties in that area of the Market Place seemingly have potential boundaries that adjoin the Angel Car Park
Are we waiting for an accident before action is taken....concerns have been expressed by the public for years..
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