This statement by Hounslow Council is quite predictable and indicative of a Director of Environment and Planning running very scared indeed. I am quite surprised though that its taken them so long to issue the statement. Lets take stock of what they are actually trying to achieve by issuing this statement. Firstly it has to be acknowledged that the expansion has proven to be unsustainable. The expansion is almost 75% complete yet odour prevails and pervades. Strike 1 against the Director who approved recommendation for the expansion. As the summer months warm up, odour complaints will increase. The fact that the Council has now removed the complaints night-line so that officers can no longer take H2S readings IMMEDIATELY is proof enough that they want to eliminate their responsibility and statutory duty within EPA 1990 to take legal action against Thames Water. Strike 2 against the Director. The Director's statement that he has been "assured" by Thames Water  that the upgrade of the works will further reduce the need for people to complain about the smell is indeed laughable. Lets not forget that this company 'assuring'  him is the same Company found guilty in the High Court of Justice on 18 counts of mismanagement and negligence despite the £millions they spent on defending the allegations. Strike 3 against the Director. I am surprised that the Cabinet has allowed the Director to cancel the night-line because it is funded by S106 money and it was guaranteed to remain in place until the expansion is complete. There is a site tour this week which Cabinet Members were invited to attend BEFORE making any decision to cancel the night-line. I wonder why they rushed through this statement before the site visit!!!  Somebody has cocked up very seriously.  Strike 4 for the Director?? It is very clear that the Director is going all out to make it as difficult as possible for residents to complain about the continuing problems and is determined that Environmental Officers have no tools or resources to do their jobs professionally and hold Thames Water accountable. On the distant planet where the Director holds court, he may indeed convince himself that complaints are  falling away as the community waits for the expansion to complete, but he can be assured that back on planet Earth complaints are being forwarded to the legal team handling the litigation. We have here a Council in chaos with an incompetent  cabinet not fit for purpose.

Entire Thread

Topic	Date Posted	Posted By
Hounslow Council at its slimiest	24/04/12 18:56:00	Paul Fisher
Re:Hounslow Council at its slimiest	24/04/12 21:56:00	Adam Beamish
Re:Re:Hounslow Council at its slimiest	25/04/12 07:44:00	Phil Andrews
Re:Re:Re:Hounslow Council at its slimiest	25/04/12 22:17:00	Steve Taylor

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