Local resident claims two year wait for lights

Confusion delays maintenance of St. Albans Avenue flats

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A resident who reported broken lights outside his property in 2003 says that he still waiting for them to be fixed.

The problem at the block of flats on 207/217 St. Albans Avenue has proved especially intractable as there appears to be confusion as to who is responsible for resolving it.

There is concern that the area surrounding the set of three blocks of flats is covered in bushes that could give cover for muggers, especially if the level of lighting is lower than it should be.

Cllr Gary Malcolm, Southfield councillor, is representing the resident to try and get the council to fix the lights.

He first spoke to the Director of Ealing Homes (the new name for the organisation who maintain council properties) to try and get them to fix the problem. Initially Ealing Homes said the lights were the responsibility of the Highways department, however a lighting map from the Highways department showed that the lights are the responsibility of Ealing Homes.

Cllr Gary Malcolm said: “The council should treat residents with respect instead of trying to pass the buck from one department to another. Fear of crime is a real issue and good maintenance of lighting is crucial to making residents feel safer. The Liberal Democrats believe that residents should not have to keep phoning and writing to the Council for months and months to get a simple lighting problem fixed. The council should be ashamed of itself and offer Mr Thornton a full apology.”

When Ealing Homes were contacted they said that they had on record that a number of lights in the block needed fixing, dating back from April 2004. A spokes person for Ealing Council told us that this issue was being treated as a priority case and they expected it to be resolved shortly.

January 7, 2005