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Fir flies over flats tree ban
Friday 4th December 2009, 11:30AM GMT.
Festive residents who decorate the lobby of their tower block with a communal Christmas tree were told they could not do so this year – for health and safety reasons.
People living in Brookview, Smethwick, have been putting the 5ft tree in the corner of the lobby for the past 14 years.
They were told it had to come down this year as it was a hazard.
But last night they were told it could stay after the Express & Star called Sandwell Council to investigate.
Retired carpenter Victor Leighton put the tree up yesterday. The 60-year-old said: “I put the tree up and then the caretaker knocked on the door.
He said he had been in touch with the housing adviser and the tree had to come down as it was a fire hazard.
“The tree has brightened up the lobby for the past 14 years and it brings festive cheer to all the residents.”
Today, Councillor Mahboob Hussain, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and housing, said there was no blanket ban on trees or decorations.
Councillor Hussain said: “I visited Brookview flats with the council’s deputy leader, Councillor Steve Eling, and officers immediately after I was told of this case. I have seen the tree myself and there is absolutely no problem with it remaining.
“It’s on the ground floor, it’s not blocking anything and there are no trailing cables or anything like that. I have therefore given instructions that the tree should stay.
“Of course, we have a duty to do all we can to protect our tenants from fire hazards and we do that as responsibly as we can.
“But we must also bear in mind the need to act with common sense and treat each case on its merits. “I have asked Sandwell Homes to look into exactly what was said to the tenant so I can consider what lessons may need to be drawn.”
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Oh no! Not Sandwell Council again!
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They should put a gnome on the top instead of a fairy and take the fairy for a day out to the park to feed the ducks! That would upset the council!!!
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“five officers visited brookview” that’s how many it took to see sense what a total waste of money!
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typical… can’t they go and catch the real criminals who constantly annoy the public… like those darn mothers with their toddlers who insist on feeding the ducks. parasites.
P.S… I took great pleasure in feeding the aforementioned ducks a few days ago… It felt dangerous!
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Sandwel council once again.WOW!What are they on?
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I’d love to know what qualifications you need to work for Sandwell council.
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Mr Mahboob seems to spend all of his time putting out his council’s own PR fires these days. They should give him a big, red, shiny truck for his official business.
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You could say they were ‘pining’ for the tree!!!!
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Not again? Come on Sandwell start getting with the spirit of things. For a start you can pull down the public-Thats a health and safety issue. It causes immense strain on the eyes because its a monstrocity!!
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And so the annual round of health and safety scrooge stories begins.
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“I have therefore given instructions that the tree should stay”. Is this benevolent or authoritarian? I would suggest an attempt at the first but definitely the latter. Should we need to remind these Council Officials that WE pay their salaries, they are there for our BENEFIT and to SERVE not to bully us?
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Do Sandwell councilors all wear red noses and have enormous shoes/feet. They should all join a circus. But seriously, the more stories like this the better, it’s started to get cold here in Canada and the folks at Sandwell council bring the warm glow of laughter. Thanks guys, keep up the bad but very funny work.
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Just another reason in an ever growing list why all sitting councilors NEED to be unseated at the next elections.
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I fully endorse my colleagues’ stance on this issue. We cannot have members of the public erecting non-standard, unauthorised, objects on council property.
If they wish to erect such structures they should apply for the following:
Application for permission form
Health and safety feasibility study form
Electical certification form
Certificate of competence (Christmas tree erection) form
Structure quality assessment form
Impact assessment form
European Union equal gender opportunities assessment form
CRB checks for anyone in proximity to a child admiring said tree.
Hope that helps
Yours sincerely
A Jobsworth
( senior assistant to the deputy Christmas tree supervisor – Festivities Directorate – Sandwell Council)
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Is this the same councillor Mahboob Hussain who only last week said that there should be no items whatsoever left in communal areas of blocks of flats (gnomes, mats, welcome signs, etc.)?
Now this week he is saying that it’s ok to put a tree up in the lobby area of a block of flats!?! That is so contradictory it’s hilarious. No wonder Sandwell council is a laughing stock amongst these pages.
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Over the last few years I have watched as this Labour Council has destroyed the borough, I have lived in Bearwood for the last 35 years, I first came here over 60 years ago, it was a quaint oldy worldy place, full of lovely people.
About 6 years back the council decided to decimate the local shopping centre, Bearwood High Street is now full of charity shops, pawnbrokers and at the last count there were 12 empty shops, shoppers in cars have every chance of being given parking tickets due to the vast army of parking wardens trying to drive people away.
The Labour Council has now for whatever reason decided that the St Marys Road / Upper St Marys Road area needs destroying so they have installed endless speed bumps along its length, it’s a known fact that speed bumps are totally ineffective, what they will do is to stop anyone selling their houses in that area, who is now going to buy a house where there is a problem with people racing round the roads like lunatics?????
They have allowed the destruction of lovely old buildings such as the Kings Highway etc.
This council is obsessed with their own power, they are supposedly there to supply the services to the residents of Sandwell, that’s the last thing we get, its time heads rolled for the damage that this council has done to the borough and it people.
Jim of Bearwood.
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