File:"And such a wall, as I would have you think, That had in it a crannied hole or chink".jpg

English: ----- Original Message -----

From : Alan Stanton, Tottenham Hale ward councillor To : Kevin Crompton, Haringey Chief Executive cc : Labour councillors Sent : Wednesday, March 21, 2012 4:39 PM Subject : Staff access to websites - Boundary Wall

Dear Mr Crompton,

Once more I want to raise the Council's absurd, outdated policy on access by Haringey staff to internet sites.

From the email below you'll see that on 25 February 2012 I took two photos of [ a ] brick boundary wall. [ ... ] I'd noticed a long vertical crack in the wall and displacement outward of the brickwork. There was no sway so it didn't seem immediately dangerous. On 5 March I sent a Member Enquiry requesting an inspection by Building Control.

I posted my photos on Flickr so both "frontline" and Building Control staff could see them in a passworded folder - i.e. non-public folder. [...] Today 21 March I had an email from a Council Building Surveyor. He confirmed that while not an immediate risk, this section of wall is potentially dangerous. He has written to the [owner] asking them to take it down and make it safe.

This member of staff was not able to view my photos because of the software block. So, a fortnight ago he was unable to make any initial assessment based on what I'd seen and photographed.

Can I please suggest that the issue of web access needs finally to be resolved. And not just by wasting far more time in deciding if and when a handful of staff can get access in ones and twos. It really is long past the point where Haringey senior staff who are scared of the Internet need help to conquer their irrational fears. Plainly they need patient, sympathetic encouragement to open their eyes and ears, and let go of their software-block comfort blanket. Which in any case does not solve the problem of staff wasting time on websites. Most people can still waste time using their mobiles; whether it's chatting with their friends, or ringing their bookie. It is a management and training issue to keep this in check; not a software problem.

There's another reason why this is fast becoming more pressing. Today I am also writing to Lyn Garner [Director of Haringey Environment Department] because it's quite clear that the framework for reporting StreetScene faults is no longer working in anything like a joined-up way. For example, officers have told me that Veolia are not expected to report faults such as dumping on non-council land; nor streetlights which are out or on during the day.

Rubbish dumped on the east side of Tottenham High Road (the Tottenham Hale "Village") is usually visible from the remote pavements of Bruce Grove "Village" (and vice-versa). But I'm told there are no systems for street cleaners to officially observe and report stuff in the other "village".

At the same time I'm told by two former members of the Community Volunteer Warden scheme that the Environment Department has allowed that scheme to wither on the vine. Which all means that reports and photos taken by residents will steadily become more important.

I look forward to a positive response.