It's the little things.

[Inspector Knacker]

There's always talk of the town being a 'tourist destination', well, try the view coming into town . The central reservation of the A689 between Sappers Corner and the old steelworks entrance has been a weed bad for months. The wild flowers had a patchy but brief appearance and I suspect they were the previous years anyway. God knows what visitors think.
Also noticed today the meeting point between the Church Square new paving and the paving from the college looks a right pigs ear where tarmac has appeared in a rather messy joining of the two surfaces.

[pieface]

There's always talk of the town being a 'tourist destination', well, try the view coming into town . The central reservation of the A689 between Sappers Corner and the old steelworks entrance has been a weed bad for months. The wild flowers had a patchy but brief appearance and I suspect they were the previous years anyway. God knows what visitors think.
Also noticed today the meeting point between the Church Square new paving and the paving from the college looks a right pigs ear where tarmac has appeared in a rather messy joining of the two surfaces.

I find it's more pleasant to stay traveling on the A19 than approaching Hartlepool on its A roads. This confirms it

https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/weeding-work-on-a19-wins-environmental-award-1-9367676

The weed displays that greet you on route into Hartlepool are dreadful and created by the wild flower idiots constantly blaming it on a bad batch of seeds when you don't need any in the first place

[Inspector Knacker]

When they were introduced originally they were eye catching, but in the right location. The popular reception led to them becoming 'LaboursWild Flowers' and certain councillors were popping up on the media taking the praise. So naturally,  they decided more was best so they banged them everywhere. One that really annoys me is the green triangle of grass next to the swings in Burn Valley, a popular play area for kids, but oh no they've also claimed that area for several years and quite frankly they've been appalling weed beds with one dismal colour wild flowers that bloomed briefly and surrendered to the weeds and left to become an eyesore.
That dirty little word 'maintenance' rears it's ugly head once again.So no surprise there then.

[fred c]

In the last week or so I have walked across Church Square 3 or 4 times and it is noticeable how poor the quality of the block paving and workmanship is, I stopped counting the chipped blocks when I got to 20.

As for the blockwork surface there are numerous trip hazards caused by uneven blocks with more than a few depressions, the worst being immediately in front of the main door into the church itself, judging by the state of Church Street and Church Square I have to wonder who signs off the million pound  Visions as complete and satisfactory.

The usual, 'he moans at everything' will be chucked in my direction no doubt, but if I had a block paved drive and it was to that standard I would be loath to fork out the cash until it was properly finished of.

I wonder how the surface will stand up to a variety of vehicular traffic when the Market starts, we need to look no further than the block work areas all around the marina to realise what can happen to the road surfaces when used by vehicles.

[Inspector Knacker]

Looking at what they're doing, which is basically put a few more grassed areas in, why didn't they just keep the existing paving in place and cut out the areas required? There seems to be this mindset in then that everything must go and be replaced with their legacy for future generations, an obseeional need to eliminate any trace of previous input. Narcissistic urban redevelopment.

[jawsbbc]

then comes the barrier  running along stockton street imagine the trouble it will cause traffic jams ect ect   They include £400,000 to replace barriers between Stockton Street and Middleton Road.

Councillor Leisa Smith raised concerns about the curved barriers proposed with horizontal bars compared to the vertical kind currently in place.


Chief executive Gill Alexander said: "They have actually been designed to make it difficult for children to climb over as they overhang.

"The intention was to try and get less of a harsh effect with the barriers and to have more of a wave effect and sense of arrival to the town."

Coun Christopher Akers-Belcher, chair of the committee, recommended a town wide audit of barriers following comments.

Enhancement works of £200,000 are proposed on roundabouts at key locations to add to the sense of arrival.


The National Museum of the Royal Navy may be able to provide artefacts which would create gateway features.

https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/hartlepool-to-get-1million-facelift-with-new-road-schemes-play-areas-improvements-and-repairs-1-9059849

WHY DO THEY THINK CHILDREN WILL CLIMB ON THEM THEY ARE ON A DUEL CARRAIGE WAY ?

[Inspector Knacker]

'A sense of arrival in the town'? Are they speaking barriers that talk to you?
Please spare us from these ludicrous phrases. If you were stood next to the Houses of Parliament, would you look up at Big Ben and think you have a sense of arrival in London, or consult the local traffic barriers just to confirm it and end end up being sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
Horizontal bars with a full half circle profile would be no problem to kids, they'd be a challenge. And while we're at it, how much do these barriers cost compared to the bog standard ones in the Visions street furniture catalogue. More money from the paupers who are skint to spend on trendy barriers,
Just go.

[diSme]

"Just go"

+1

[Inspector Knacker]

Funny what you see when you look a bit more closely. The central reservation outside the College had the shrubs removed many years ago and a muddy residue and weed suppressant sheeting flaps a waving arm to greet visitors to the town. You can't really ignore it if you're sat in a car, it looks appalling and has done for years. How can such a mess been left like this for so long. Is this town administered by people who don't live in the town? It would appear so.
I take the view that those in senior positions should reside in the town. It's no good telling the world Hartlepools a great place, but don't expect me to live there.

[Inspector Knacker]

My original point about the A689 entrance to the town covered in what still are just dead weeds is even more third world in appearance, the flower beds in Chernobyl get more attention. How can these comedians swagger around talking up their tourist destination cobblers when the first thing that greets you are damp weed beds. Do they go about with their eyes closed and echo the latest tired cliche when prompted.

[ReturntoZenda]

Drove to Redcar yesterday and their approaches have lovely wildflower beds along the central reservations that are still in bloom. How do our council get it so consistently wrong?