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Eyes for Islington
"I would like to report a dumped meteorite in Ockendon Road. It is still smoking a bit".
Well, not quite but, as the 'Eye' for the road, I have had to report a wide range of dumped objects
including practically every household appliance. They seem to mushroom overnight. Once reported to
the Council, they are usually swiftly removed.
Who are the 'Eyes' and what do they do?
In 2002, the Council asked for volunteers to take responsibility for reporting problems in their
own immediate neighbourhood. The main issue, back then, was abandoned vehicles, which are now
dealt with by the traffic wardens. Today, it is dumped items, safety issues such as uneven
pavements, problems with the street sweeping or the various Council collections, policy matters
like the black bags in place of dustbins for the flats on the Essex Road corner, and so on.
As I had already been doing all those things anyway since my retirement, I volunteered.
My number is '18', out of several hundred 'Eyes' today.
What I do is no more than you can do yourself
Keep your eyes open, spot a problem and report it to the Council. In the past year I have
emailed them over 30 times. Not everything gets dealt with first time but persistence usually
works. That way the street is kept safer and more pleasant. Of course, problems outside Ockendon
Road can be reported as well.
Street sweeping used to be a major issue but our current sweeper, Lawrence, is courteous and
efficient. It is useful to know his agreed schedule: the entire road on Tuesday and Friday, but
just the Essex Road end on the other weekdays (up as far as numbers 61 & 70).
I may not walk the road more than once a week, so if you spot a problem either report it to
the Council or to me: t.campbell (at) ockendon.clara.co.uk It is far better that four people
report the same thing, than that nobody does!
You can help keep our street safe and attractive by reporting any problem you see.
Might you volunteer to deputise for me when I'm away? The Council email for problems is:
www.www.islington.gov.uk/Contact Just describe the problem precisely, with the nearest house number.
Please copy your message to me via contact@orra.org.uk
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Tony Campbell, September 2007
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