Once again, Haringey Council shows how not to do it

Welcome to the Leaning Tower of Stroud Green, one of a clutch of wayway road signs just off Stroud Green Road which I first reported to Haringey Council in late 2012.

It’s not just that Haringey Council frequently takes so long to fix the basics. If you want another example, look just up the road to see the months-old potholes outside Wall Court to see what the reality behind the press talk of a ‘pothole blitz’ to fix the borough amounted to when you skip pass the press release and check out the reality around the place. Lots of boasts, intermittent and inconsistent application.

It’s more than that. It’s also the awful communications along the way. Emails frequently go unanswered when issues are chased up. Tweets are a lucky dip, with the council being apparently randomly selective in when it responds. And as for calling the council… good luck, there’s a more than 1 in 3 chance the phone won’t be answered.

All that also means is that even when there is a decent reason for not action for a long time (perhaps a problem is harder to fix than it first appears), Haringey repeatedly fails to communicate it properly. The idea that a public service is there to serve the public really hasn’t taken root in far too many parts of the council.