Prescott: I told council work outside my house shouldn't be a priority
JOHN Prescott has revealed he told council staff not to carry out work outside his east Hull house as he did not think it was a priority.
The Mail has taken calls from people angry that Hull City Council has carried out footpath and resurfacing work outside the former Hull East MP's home, off Saltshouse Road, when the city's roads are decimated by potholes.
Lord Prescott insists he asked the workmen not to do it but was told the pavement repairs were essential.
He said: "A notice was served about the proposed works but I urged them that, with the public service cuts, it shouldn't be a priority.
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"But I have been told the pavement wasn't laid properly and the council needs to lay kerb stones.
"This isn't about potholes but about the path, which serves around ten houses.
"The cul-de-sac is also a popular cut-through for people to get to the village and for students."
But those living nearby do not feel the council has got its priorities right.
Sutton resident John Atkinson believes there are areas in a more dilapidated condition.
He said: "There are much worse potholes down Howdale Road.
"The only people benefiting from this are John Prescott and his neighbours.
"The road is almost private, providing shared access to just three large properties belonging to wealthy people. The pavement is bad, but there are worse places just down the road.
"How can Hull City Council justify such a big spend when there are so many dangerous potholes in areas with far more traffic?"
Mr Atkinson believes the council should be more flexible and change its priorities if surfaces are damaged by the winter weather.
He said: "It's a great shame they have not reviewed their priorities in light of recent frost damage.
"My guess is they are spending £25,000 to £30,000 on this one job alone.
"I think the council reasons students from Wilberforce College use this section to walk to the college.
"That maybe so, but the road is only used by the three or four homes."
The council argued the footpath was in a dangerous condition for pedestrians and, with the low cost, felt it needed to be undertaken in the 2012-13 capital programme.
Andy Burton, city streetscene manager, insists there was no favouritism and the decision was based only on the need to repair the pathway.
He said: "Engineers identified the area as in need of repair and recommended the improvement works to be carried out due to the condition of the footpath.
"The decision was based purely on an engineering assessment.
"Hull City Council carries out scheduled monthly highway inspections to monitor the condition of our roads across the city, in addition to the reports from the public.
"Our highways inspectors report the necessary works and raise the relevant repairs to the appropriate utility company or our own highways team."
22 Comments
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by beckster07
Sunday, March 17 2013, 9:59AM
“at least he has a brain not like the tools at the council who give out the jobs on another hand how much has it cost in man hours bobcat hire and driver hire to do this job it takes the council attendees a week to do a job it takes a private firm to do in a day its cheaper to sub it out to firms who have men who want to work not stand and look......fact..”
by brucealmighty
Sunday, March 17 2013, 1:35AM
“nice one john respect :-)”
by holyjoe2
Saturday, March 16 2013, 7:25PM
“Mr Prescott from being a steward in the merchant navy rose to be second in the land,you might may like the man but give him credit because he got there also without the silver spoon or high education. How many of you commenting tonight can show anything similar,or are they armchair critics.I rest my case
joe l”
by paulwillerby
Saturday, March 16 2013, 7:22PM
“It'll cost a fortune ,1 geezer to do the work and 6 to watch with a mug of tea.”
by Hypocrisy
Saturday, March 16 2013, 3:30PM
“This political pugilist, that manages to not get arrested for punching people, has just had the pathway entrance to his drive repaired in the last 5 years. Now he is having it done again. This footpath is used by less than 100 people a day, so it would have to be a priority would it not?
As for the street scene manager, I would question his judgement if he seriuosly saw this footpath as a priority, given the state of some the 'heavy traffic' thoroughfares in the city.
"I urged them ... that it shouldn't be a priority." Well he would say that wouldn't he? For him to complete a complicated sentence like this one probably begs the question, was it pre-prepared?.
As for his "this is how we do it in Hull" tweet well neither the boxer (Driffield) nor he are from Hull. Is he advocating that people physically confront people when words fail them? What a terrible way to mis-represent our great city.
It may well be the way he would choose to deal with things but I doubt it would be the choice of a great many citizens of Hull. After standing as a candididate for Police Commissioner is he really advocating we become vigilantes, rather than utilising our system of law and the police? Yet another example of his rank hypocrisy.
Unfortunately 'PrescottGate', is anther example of the Labour party in Hull, a clique full of nepotistic "you scratch my back I'll scratch yours" people, ill equipped to govern and manage a city the size of Hull.”
by Hypocrisy
Saturday, March 16 2013, 3:25PM
“This political pugilist, that manages to not get arrested for punching people, has just had the pathway entrance to his drive repaired in the last 5 years. Now he is having it done again. This footpath is used by less than 100 people a day, so it would have to be a priority would it not?
As for the street scene manager, I would question his judgement if he seriuosly saw this footpath as a priority, given the state of some the 'heavy traffic' thoroughfares in the city.
"I urged them ... that it shouldn't be a priority." Well he would say that wouldn't he? For him to complete a complicated sentence like this one probably begs the question, was it pre-prepared?.
As for his "this is how we do it in Hull" tweet well neither the boxer (Driffield) nor he are from Hull. Is he advocating that people physically confront people when words fail them? What a terrible way to mis-represent our great city.
It may well be the way he would choose to deal with things but I doubt it would be the choice of a great many citizens of Hull. After standing as a candididate for Police Commissioner is he really advocating we become vigilantes, rather than utilising our system of law and the police? Yet another example of his rank hypocrisy.
Unfortunately 'PrescottGate', is anther example of the Labour party in Hull, a clique full of nepotistic "you scratch my back I'll scratch yours" people, ill equipped to govern and manage a city the size of Hull.”
by Hypocrisy
Saturday, March 16 2013, 3:24PM
“This political pugilist, that manages to not get arrested for punching people, has just had the pathway entrance to his drive repaired in the last 5 years. Now he is having it done again. This footpath is used by less than 100 people a day, so it would have to be a priority would it not?
As for the street scene manager, I would question his judgement if he seriuosly saw this footpath as a priority, given the state of some the 'heavy traffic' thoroughfares in the city.
"I urged them ... that it shouldn't be a priority." Well he would say that wouldn't he? For him to complete a complicated sentence like this one probably begs the question, was it pre-prepared?.
As for his "this is how we do it in Hull" tweet well neither the boxer (Driffield) nor he are from Hull. Is he advocating that people physically confront people when words fail them? What a terrible way to mis-represent our great city.
It may well be the way he would choose to deal with things but I doubt it would be the choice of a great many citizens of Hull. After standing as a candididate for Police Commissioner is he really advocating we become vigilantes, rather than utilising our system of law and the police? Yet another example of his rank hypocrisy.
Unfortunately 'PrescottGate', is anther example of the Labour party in Hull, a clique full of nepotistic "you scratch my back I'll scratch yours" people, ill equipped to govern and manage a city the size of Hull.”
by RamonaFlowers
Saturday, March 16 2013, 3:03PM
“Probably Councillor Craker kissing up to John Prescott.”
by AdPotentia
Saturday, March 16 2013, 2:44PM
“Same thing happens with the roads in the East Riding - you can usually tell where the councillors live by the lack of potholes.
PArnaby even has a newl laid bit to his place in Cottingham.
Talking of which has anyone seen the Local Development Plan for the Woodmansey/Cottingham area.. and just where on the flood plain they are allowing building, now there is a suprise.”
by ferretmonger
Saturday, March 16 2013, 2:42PM
“This is a non fffing story, Who gives a monkeys whereabouts the pavements are as long as they are getting repaired. And were are all the fanatical prescott bashers? They'll love this.”