Wednesday 25 November 2009
Obstruction of the pavement
(Above) The pavement on Beulah Road E17 by the junction with Grove Road has been blocked off for the past two days by builders working on the property on the corner. They should have sought permission from the Council before blocking off the pavement like this.
I suspect they didn't bother, which, if so, makes this illegal. If the contractors did seek permission, the London Borough of Waltham Forest ought to have insisted on safe provision for pedestrians. I could phone up but I know from past experience that the environmental inspectors wouldn't turn up for several days, by which time the obstruction will almost certainly have gone.
(Below) Contractors are working on the Almshouses by St Mary's Church, Walthamstow, and obstructing the entrance to Vinegar Alley, which is a public right of way. The Council should be taking enforcement action, but as this footpath is obstructed every Sunday morning by car-addicted Christians, I don't suppose there's much hope.
Thirdly (below), the contractors who are modernising Walthamstow Girls School have recently thrown fencing across the pavement around the entire site (below), causing major obstruction for pedestrians with a mobility handicap on no less than three streets.
This firm has already been in the local paper for breaching its work hours, annoying local residents by starting work earlier in the morning before the agreed time. So it wouldn't surprise me if this firm had arrogantly done this without any consultation with the Council. On Woodbury Road E17 it has blocked the pavement for people with pushchairs, right by a local nursery. If consulted, the Council should have insisted that proper provision be made in the carriageway.