Is Thanet District Council prepared to put out lives at risk?

Of all of the strange situations that I have found myself in dealing with the council, this one I think takes the biscuit, and I have now made an official complaint about it.

On Monday I pointed out to them that there was a bit of lose masonry hanging about forty feet over people’s heads, well it’s Thursday and when I looked earlier today it was still there.

No warning sign no barriers, just hanging over a place where anyone can walk, anyone’s children play, it is just plain potty.

Hi this is a complaint relating to public safety and as such could you please deal with it expediently, please quote this reference in any reply Pleasurama complaint 71010.

The following is background to impress on you the urgency of this situation.

On 27th September 2010 I emailed the council’s engineer, chief of development services, chief executive, the officer dealing with the development and the leader of the council expressing concerns about the safety of the Pleasurama cliff.

On the same day I telephoned the HSE about the same issue, particularly with reference to the construction workers now working beneath the cliff.

On the 29th September 2010 the HSE telephoned me and told me, that they had contacted the council and that the chief of development services had assured them that there were no safety issues relating to the cliff.

During last weekend part of the cliff large enough to kill or seriously injure someone below, I would estimate that this cliff wall masonry weighed about 50 kilos fell from a height of about 15 metres, partly into the construction site and partly onto the public highway.

This has left further loose masonry hanging above where the building site joins the public highway.

On the following Monday 4th October 2010 I discussed this with the council’s engineer and was assured that some sort of action would be taken to make the site and public highway safe.

Not the proper and thorough examination of the cliff that I requested, but measures to remove the lose bits and or cordon off the area below them.

I have just visited the site and while the loose masonry is still hanging there no measures have been taken to protect the public.

I wish to complain that the council has taken no action in this instance to protect public safety and has failed in its duty of care.