Council warns village over gala bunting
Matt Meade • Published 15 Jun 2012 08:57
13 Comments
PARTY-POOPER council chiefs threatened to take down gala bunting in Crossford - because it criss-crossed above the street.
They then decided to let the village keep it up "on this one occasion" to celebrate yesterday's Olympic torch parade.
Fife Council's road management department said bunting should not cross above a carriageway as it was "a standard condition that is on all our bunting approvals".
It's a policy that has bewildered villagers and angered Dunfermline Central councillor Joe Rosiejak.
He said, "It would get a nomination for the daftest decision award of the month. It's jobsworth rules.
"They were told it was in case a high lorry came along and caused damage. What flaming lorry is that high?
"The majority of the time Fife Council has some fantastic officers and managers but this is bordering on the ridiculous."
Alan Baxter, chair of the village's gala committee, said, "We got a phone call explaining that it is Fife Council policy that you can't criss-cross bunting, so it can only go down the side of the street.
"We had to see about taking it down as soon as possible.
"I don't get the logic behind why we can't criss-cross it. If lamposts are low then there is a danger but the height of the lamposts in our village are huge.
"So I contacted the councillor (Mr Rosiejak) and we managed to get a sensible decision."
Corporate services in Dunfermline contacted the roads management (south) department last Wednesday to highlight Mr Baxter's concerns.
They received an email reply stating, "The community council did not apply for permission to erect the bunting therefore were not aware that the bunting should not cross the carriageway which is a standard condition that is on all our bunting approvals.
"We ask that the bunting does not cross the carriageway as in some cases it does have a tendency to sag and on occasion fall into live traffic below.
"It does appear quite low around the garage area.
"We have no objections to the CC having bunting for gala days etc we just don't want it crossing the carriageway."
Area services manager Norman Laird said, "It's great to see so many communities getting involved in celebrations around the Jubilee and the Olympic torch and it's very fitting that Crossford Community Council has decided to keep up their bunting following their successful gala.
"All of Fife's area committees hold area budgets which are available to local groups and community councils for all sorts of events and applications are always welcome.
"We do normally ask that if communities are putting up bunting that it doesn't cross the carriageway as sometimes it can sag and could fall into live traffic below.
"However, in this instance we've carried out a check and will make an exception."
Fife Council charge a whopping £270 to decorate villages with bunting.
That's why Crossford's gala committee decided to do it themselves this year for their annual gala.
But little did they know their money-saving exploits would land them in hot water with jobsworth council bosses who said it shouldn't cross above the road.
Alan Baxter, chair of the gala committee, said, "The council put up our bunting last year but we had to pay for it.
"It cost £270-odd to put it up and take it down.
"But it doesn't look the best when it's just down one side of the street so we decided to get it done ourselves."
They used a van's cherry picker to attach the bunting to 34 lamposts along Main Street.
It helped create a carnival atmosphere for the Crossford gala and gave a colourful welcome when the Olympic torch passed through the village yesterday afternoon.
Councillor Joe Rosiejak said, "The bunting is really high and the gala committee and community council made a fantastic job of it."
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
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cutiefox12
33 posts
Jun 15, 13:54
Report commentare the council going to take the telephone wires down too, they were the same level as the bunting!!!!! this world is going crazy, I am 65 and thank god not too many years left to see more daft regulations ie. laughing and enjoying ourselves.
Recommend?
Yes 25
No 3
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HughJeego
46 posts
Jun 15, 14:14
Report commentThe council are quite right to enforce this rule.
The injuries that a trick cylist on a 30ft high unicycle could have suffered are too gruesome to image.
Recommend? Yes 38
No 5
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redrobin
284 posts
Jun 15, 16:41
Report commentSays it all about our council...totally out of touch with reality.....and they really think Dunfermline is going forward..gies a break...get a life....what else can be said.....yeah tell u what look for another job...been here 40 years 40 years of council incompetance!!!....no wonder people shop else where!!
Recommend? Yes 17
No 20
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vinoboy35
70 posts
Jun 15, 23:50
Report commentHmmmm.sounds like somebody decided this rule years ago based on usual over reaction to health and safety rules ,though seems like common sense was unusually applied .
Recommend? Yes 18
No 2
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DBResident
54 posts
Jun 16, 11:46
Report commentmadness and yet we continue to put up with being bossed about by those who try to justify their existence - oh and yes we pay for them, for their office accommodation, heat light, ipads, phones, secretarial support, call centre support, HR admin, pensions, bonuses, their line managers (plus everything menioned above), the directors who manage the line managers and the chief exec (plus all of the above mentioned extras) - is it any wonder we are a broke country?
Recommend? Yes 14
No 5
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kaka30
309 posts
Jun 17, 12:35
Report commentAnother instance of our lives being micro managed by amateurs.
Recommend? Yes 8
No 4
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redrobin
284 posts
Jun 17, 15:18
Report commentkaka30....u are being kind calling them amateurs?! incompetants in my book, would not survive in a real business! as bad as football directors trying to run clubs!
Recommend? Yes 9
No 5
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maclam
303 posts
Jun 19, 02:16
Report commentno christmas lights across the high street because of safety concerns this year i suppose.
Recommend? Yes 3
No 3
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redrobin
284 posts
Jun 19, 08:07
Report commentmaclam...good point....but the lights have been an apology for christmas lights for years compared to other 'cities'...yeah nice for the kids but really?????
Recommend? Yes 4
No 3
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B2theB
144 posts
Jun 19, 12:29
Report commentThe Christmas lights haven't gone across the street in any town for years.
Don't really see what the fuss is here. If it's council policy, then it's council policy.
If you don't like it, then get yourself voted on to the council and try to change it.
Otherwise, if you're going to do something yourself, check the rules FIRST. Saves a lot of moaning and whining afterward when you find out you've broken them.
Recommend? Yes 7
No 6
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Teaboyseej
7 posts
Jun 19, 16:11
Report commentErm - didn.t the Council put them up in the first place? I am sure I saw a council cherry picker put them up!
Recommend? Yes 3
No 2
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maclam
303 posts
Jun 19, 18:31
Report commentcheers " redrobin " thought i was the only one who thought the christmas lights were drab , still they might not have them across the street this year if were lucky .
Recommend? Yes 3
No 1
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redrobin
284 posts
Jun 20, 06:35
Report commentlights were across bridge st/chalmers st for the last three years and across streets in several other towns I visited christmas 2011. I know this for a fact asthey get my wee feet warm at night as I roosted
Recommend? Yes 3
No 2
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