The recent election of Neil Murray as our local County Councillor, in addition to his City Councillor position, has prompted LLRA to review how we address County or City Council maintenance issues affecting our community that drag on longer than they should.
Background
The County and City Councils both operate customer service teams, as the first port of call for Long Leys residents who wish to report issues affecting them. These teams can be accessed via different telephone lines and emails (See contact details). There is also the option to report using fixmystreet.com, via an app or a web browser. Faults can be positioned on a map to assist with speedy repairs. Fixmystreet has benefits over the traditional ways of reporting, particularly for County Council issues. It allows anyone with internet access to see that a particular fault has been reported and its latest status. It also does not require a resident to be an expert on whether it is a County or City responsibility to fix it!
Problems that drag on
Whilst many faults get fixed quickly, some seem to drag on. Sometimes because the problem is difficult, without an obvious solution. At other times, because multiple organisations are involved, who all move at their own pace.
Behind the scenes, LLRA has always involved local councillors in these longer to fix issues. However, there is a benefit in making residents aware of what these are. The current list of focus issues, agreed upon at the last LLRA Management Committee meeting, is listed below by the responsible council. These are generally issues that have been highlighted to LLRA Management Committee members after they have been reported by individual residents to the County or City customer service team.
County Council Responsibility
- Verges on Long Leys Road by A46 underpass: Pedestrian safety issue due to foliage growing over the verge. Walkers are forced to move into the road in the face of oncoming traffic driving round the blind bend. The verge and trees need to be cut back by 2 to 3 metres.
- Street Lighting failures by 202-212 Long Leys Road: 5 lights in total on both sides of the road have been out for some months. A 6th is now repaired. Two of the 5 lights have visible reference numbers (LCC 32 and 33). Update: now fixed.
- Grand Prix Cycling detour implemented in 2023 and planned for 2024: The 10-mile detour via Saxilby for residents returning to Long Leys from elsewhere in Lincoln on Grand Prix Cycling race day needs to be reviewed, preferably with access reinstated via Carholme Roundabout.
- Flooding on Long Leys Road at Albion Crescent turning: Drain clearance is currently being done but it would be helpful to understand how this problem can be addressed long term.
City Council Responsibility
- Resolution of the Zip Wire problem at Whitton Park: The double zip wire has repeatedly been out of action due to an ongoing issue with the top A-frame. It has not worked properly for 2 years and someone at the city council needs to get serious with the supplier to find a long-term solution.
- West Common perimeter muddy areas: Some boggy perimeter areas need solutions to allow continued walking/jogging during winter months. This issue has also been raised by LLRA at the Lincoln Commons Advisory Panel.
LLRA will provide progress updates on these issues, together with any other long-term issues that emerge. Before raising an issue, please do ensure that it has already been reported, especially its location, and the specifics of what needs repairing.
Does anyone know of a gardener in the Community who can take care of maintenance of small garden. I’m having great difficulty finding someone who will answer my calls or even turn up for appointments. I’ve been let down by five people this summer.
Thanks, Josephine