The blind misleading the blind

a lovely tree but not if it is 2m from your 1st floor office window

The above tree is Liquidambar styr. Worplesdon and is also known as The Alligator Tree or the Sweet Gum.

Price

Chipping Barnet ( or High Barnet as it is more commonly known ) is home to Mr Mustard and now also to 26 of these trees. To buy and plant them cost £30,669. It cost yet more to dig the holes. Further details of this amazing project will come later.

DPR1588 Street Trees in Chipping Barnet

Now Mr Mustard is a tree-hugger. He is a member of the Royal Forestry Society ( if you like trees please join here ). Mr Mustard does want trees in the area. However, he wants the right tree in the right place at the right price. Will it surprise you to know that isn't what has happened in the rush to spend Boris's (ours really)  £400k. I do hope that when Boris comes to Chipping Barnet to look at what he got for £400k that Mr Mustard hears about it and can pop out, Dennis Pepper style, for a discussion about how his money was spent.

So each tree cost £1,179 to "install" or plant as we would say it. Now Mr Mustard was expecting a well grown tree for that money and he was a little surprised to find out how tiny, for a tree, they were. Here is a photo of two of them outside the police station. Note the location at the pavement edge.

to you my friend, £1,179 each

So the price hopefully includes the Arboresin slab at the bottom and the tree guard but even after those and the labour cost have been taken into account the amount left for profit is probably too generous. If only one tree was being planted the cost could be understood but once multiplied up 26 times the labour and the transport can be fully utilised over a week, or two at the most, and manual workers don't get paid a fortune.

Size

These trees can grow to be 100 feet tall in the UK and higher in warmer climates. By that time the trunk will be getting rather large and the roots will be spreading and Mr Mustard predicts that these trees will all get to be too large and will disturb the pavement leading to insurance claims by people who trip over and to walls suffering from cracking if they are only a few feet away. 

it won't be many years before the growing tree disrupts the special pavement

Place

What does the DPR say?

In identifying the proposed locations for trees along the High Street, Wood Street and St Albans Junction, due regard has been given to ensuring the footways remain fully accessible.

Is that why there is a row of trees on the western pavement set bang in the middle of the pavement?

How is a blind person meant to navigate down this pathway? They will have to work out what has been put into their path and then if they take the road side they will be closer to the high drop into the roadway.

Should trees that can grow to 100 feet in height really be placed 1.5m from a building ?

Now look at how it can be done. Mr Mustard often goes to Streatham and they have planted some lovely trees which Mr Mustard thinks are a much better choice. 

welcome to Streatham - it looks so European

 Yours frugally

Mr Mustard

A poem by Neva Carmouche

By way of a guest blog Mr Mustard present's a poem by Neva Carmouche who he hasn't, to his knowledge, met. The wonders of computing, except if you a have a Barnet Council tablet of course.

A Poem

By

Neva Carmouche

Celebrating the World Premiere

Of the Film

“A Tale of Two Barnets”

A Few Lines Written upon the Proposed Closure of Friern Library after hearing that Barnet Council had instructed that all advertising posters for the World Premier Film “ A Tale of Two Barnets ” should be taken down from all Council Buildings .

Also that Barnet Council had banned Children from entering the Friern Library on Saturday 24 March 2012 to deliver 78TH Anniversary “ Thank You ” Cards to the Council Scrutiny Committee who had voted a “ temporary respite ” from “ closure ” and subsequent demolition .

Ich konnte für ein RAM als Schaf außerdem gehangen werden
[ I might as well be hung for a Ram as a Sheep ]

Jack Boots , Jack Boots ,
Can you hear them silently ?
Rising to cacophony ?
Can you taste absurdity ?
Can you see the arrogance ?
And the Council threatening ?
We may have been deleted ,
From the Council’s map already ,
But we are not defeated ,
So steady our Folks , cry steady !
I cannot hear them listening ,
Consultation is a farce ,
The People’s view – n’er to been seen --
today , has not been seen again .
I only see the bullying ,
The lying and the biasness ,
Together with dissembling
The token PR exercise ,
Result ? - a forgone conclusion ,
Of sheets of leading questions ,
Dis-allowed by Court exclusions .
I cannot see them listening ,
Consultation was a sham ,
Of course in breach of Capenhurst ,
“ What’s that ? ” , they cry out , to a man !
Electors suffer tyranny ,
Blended with malignity ,
With cruelty and with callousness ,
And cheating and with recklessness ,
The harshness and intolerance ,
In breach of Nolan Principles ,
The list goes on and on………….
“We got it wrong ! ” , the Members cry ,
Their Officers ? Deny ! Deny !
“We got it wrong ” , again is cried ,
But no reasons for “ Shop-Genocide ” ?
“ Lets fill those coffers ” , secret vote ,
For short term gains , and assets stripped ,
And shoppers robbed of parking trips ,
And Shops just closed , made bankrupt too ,
By Parking greed , and fines excessive ,
Employment lost , the futures hue ?
Not “ Back to Black ” – much worse than that ,
Worse than the riots ? - Those Shops were fixed -
But I’ve lost all my Customers’ Parking ,
That’s worse even than the Blitz .
Officer’s wage up for review ?
How can we raise more Revenue ?
We must not lose our Council Jobs ,
Lets vote , but quick , we got the power ,
My taxi’s here in half an hour !
Allowance safe , it’s in my bags !
So pass another sandwich Mags !
Lets not discuss my pension please ,
But Library and Museum closures ,
And future generations , shorn of culture .
Ignore the wonders of a child and
Turn them away on 78TH Anniversary Day ?
With Cards in hand , just shove them back ?
Might They be part of some Terror Attack ?
Forget the knitting , reading meetings ,
Talks and local Pol-Ice teaming ,
Best forget that it’s a much loved Centre ,
The only Community Centre in our area ,
A focal point for this Community ?
Much rather have my Council Pension’s Annuity !
Schiller wrote “ the gods themselves struggle against stupidity ” ,
Could he have imagined a Council struggling with it’s Liquidity ?
By robbing the poor to sustain it’s excesses ?
Then selling our assets to cover up their defective digresses ?
But making sure of Consultant’s K(ick)-B(ack) Commissions ?
And “ factoring –in ” those “secret conditions ” ?
No Landmark Library in Artsdepot ?
No Feasibility Study on the same ?
No Talks with Artsdep Management ?
No Human Rights , to blame ?
To destroy Friern Library on such grounds ?
Such Arrogance simply just Astounds !!!
That is , until the underlying logic is exposed ,
Then asked in sweat :-
“ How much Commission should I get ? ”
Council “ short term gains ” , will create
Jo Public’s “ irreparable Long term losses ” ,
For the “ Whole Local Community ” ,
For pleas such as these , Council’s proud to admit ,
“ We have acquired stone-hearted immunity ” .
But , hang on , I have a Duty ? Well , How and Why ?
Electors just shout “Crucify ! ”
I do have a Duty ? Well , Where and Who ?
Should I admit , that we don’t have a clue ?
What ? A fiduciary duty , you call it ? And another confirm ?
Should we vote that we won’t offer compromise ?
And with luck , Jo “ Stupid ” Public won’t even realize ?
Since I wasn’t aware – is it best I keep quiet ? –
What if They find out and They start to shout ?
At any cost - must we avoid Riot ?

Neva Carmouche 31 March 2012

The Revs & Bens Management Massacre

It is a bank holiday when bloggers also take a bit of a breather (actually like policeman I am not sure that they ever rest) but Mr Mustard wanted to put up this document for you to have a gander at.

Take a well performing service and then send in the axe wielding, town hall tax dodging, interim consultant and local government mercenary Bill Murphy to bugger it up.

Here is the presentation made to Managers. Take a look at the before and after management charts.

Revenues and Benefits Restructure 4 April 2012

Mr Mustard will pull this apart after the holidays if there is anything of it left after you have gone through it.

Bill Murphy is also the interim Assistant Director of Libraries and he was in full control of the water and electric supplies (cut off) and the smallest room at Friern Barnet library on Friday. Not clear whether we should call him the electricians mate or the toilet attendant. No need for either as he has a nickname which he probably doesn't know and which will be revealed soon.

More next week

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard

Your in the library (read it quickly, sorry)

The Palmer Pisspot (photo by Citizen Barnet)

Mr Mustard has just seen a tweet exchange between Mrs Angry and Dr Hines querying what it takes to be qualified to preside over Barnet Council's communications meltdowns (self inflicted). Here is the job description. The eagle eyed amongst you will notice that the job was for one year only and here we are 2 years later with the Tooting Twister still twisting for all he is worth (not much I hear you cry).

Assistant Director - Communications

Pull the job and the person spec. apart at your leisure.

Mr Mustard couldn't see anything in the description about stopping members of the public from taking a leak (bloggers are good with leaks, keep them coming but not in a bucket thank you).

Mr Mustard could see "Promote a positive image of the council and the borough" so that is a big fat fail by Chris "don't spend a penny" Palmer aka The Tooting Twister.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard

Friern Barnet library - why?

The mystery is why anyone voted for Robert Rams.

Last night Mr Mustard sat through a Cabinet meeting at 7pm and a Cabinet Resources Committee which was scheduled to start at 8pm or as soon as the 7pm meeting had finished, as many of the same councillors, whom borough residents had sadly elected and hopefully won't again, sit on both committees. It is unusual for both meetings to be on the same evening and councillors probably hoped that they could gallop though the agenda without any great hindrance from members of the public, whom, in theory, they represent.

The public had tabled 76 questions for public question time, but democracy is time limited in Barnet so a maximum of 30 minutes is allowed and what with getting to the chair and back and working out the microphone system ( Barnet Council don't as a matter of course, help any questioner, who may be speaking for the first time in public, to get comfortable ) there was never any prospect of every question being answered.

Some of the best questions came from children ( is that right that their names get published by the council on the council website - are there not any data protection issues here? ) and Mr Mustard was rather hoping that one of the well read children would just sit there repeating the question that every parent fears, Why? Cllr Cornelius was in the chair and he had to answer the children's supplementary questions. He hadn't answered their first question of course and at least one child took him to task for that. These children are the leaders of tomorrow and Mr Mustard would rather have any of those who spoke yesterday than the current leader to run the council now.

Here are some of the questions and answers that were given, both by children and by adults putting themselves into children's shoes (names given for adults only):

7. I find it hard to understand the cuts to the library service so could I have them as if I was a six year old? ( by Francis Briers )

Response to Q7: Mr Mustard has just noticed that you get a "response" not an "answer".

The Council has to make savings of £46 million, and the libraries service must make £1.4 million savings as a contribution to that. The Strategy will make sure that the limited resources we have are focused on supporting literacy and reading – libraries’ core purpose. We are investing in new, state of the art facilities where the greatest number of people can reach them. The alternative, as some other authorities have done, would be to make cuts to all libraries, which would have led to fewer people using them over time as opening hours reduced and fewer books were available 

Mr Mustard thinks that many of the above words would be too hard for a 6 year old.

8. Hopefully I may understand the cut now so can you explain how putting a library in the Artsdepot will help in the long term as if I was six year old? (Francis Briers)

By creating a new, high quality facility at artsdepot, we will create a space which attracts high numbers of users, and makes better use of our limited resources (by merging 2 libraries together). 

Mr Mustard would like to merge the 63 councillors together and have 32 to make better use of our limited resources.

44. This an opportunity for me to express my sincere gratitude to Barnet Council because me, my sisters and brothers have been able to study coming from abroad thanks to local schools and Friern Barnet Library. Now I am preparing my GCSE. Friern Barnet Library helped me to do my homework, improve my English' socialise and learn English every single day all year along. Now my question: Why my so much needed Library has to be closed, meaning I will no long be able to do my homework, print, make photocopies, whereas my classmates and friends who live near North Finchley Library will still use it until the Artsdepot is available? (ZR)

We are glad you have enjoyed using Friern Barnet library. Unfortunately we have to make savings in our libraries budget. The artsdepot is very well located, and the Friern Barnet area is served by a number of libraries within 1 – 1.5 miles.

The distance quoted will the shortest possible one that can be quoted measured from the opposite edge of Friern Barnet to where your house is.

45. Thank you for what you can do to save our local and very much needed Friern Barnet Library. I live in Friern Barnet with my five children. Friern Barnet Library means a lot for me as a single parent. Would you tell me how it will be possible for a pregnant woman with a baby buggy or a disabled person with children to wait at least 10 minutes to get into a crowded bus from Friern Barnet to North Finchley, cross 4 traffic lights, confront drug users who hang around there, just to spend only one hour in Artdepot and then do the same trajectory back to Friern Barnet?

Artsdepot is very well connected to many local buses, which makes it a good location for a library. Improvements are also being made to the streets around the building with Outer London Fund money, and this will make it easier to find the building, and make the area around it more attractive.

Cornelius was again invited in the supplementary question to try this journey with 5 children in tow and declined the generous offer. If he tried it, even with one 5 year old, he might change his mind. 

54. Last time I asked a question at the cabinet meeting, I explained that if you close Friern Barnet Library, I would have nowhere to meet up with my friends after school. You said that I would make many new friends at the Arts Depot (even though I had already said that I wasn't allowed to go there on my own). Recently I discovered that you and your colleagues have done NOTHING about the Arts Depot project since last July! You have only talked about it and have broken promises to young children. Why is this the case? Why have you done nothing? (HA)

Until the Council adopted the libraries strategy in July 2011, officers were not in a position to commence detailed discussions with artsdepot. At that time, Cabinet agreed that a process should commence to see if a community library could be achieved in Friern Barnet. Resources were then diverted into this process. This, along with some staffing changes, did lead to a delay in progressing the work on the Arts Depot library. However, we are pleased to say do now have a way forward in terms of temporary provision and are progressing the longer term development of the landmark library. A project team is in place, and we’ve gained £1m for the area via the Outer London Fund.Quotations are currently being sought from architects to complete a feasibility study for the redevelopment of the artsdepot to create a landmark library. We anticipate that the study will be completed by end of June 2012. We trust this demonstrates that this is a very real intention.

The question has been ducked.

66. Throughout my entire life, I have been a member of Friern Barnet Library. At times I have felt that I actually live there! I am a voracious reader and have now read all of the books in the children's section and am moving on to the teenage section. The only reason that I and others have been able to the children's section and am moving on to the teenage section. The only reason that I and others have been able to visit Friern Barnet Library so frequently is that it is so near to our houses and is safe to walk to. I don't understand why you think that a library in North Finchley would be better than the one we have now - it won't. Crossing 18 different roads on the journey to the Arts Depot is not quite so safe or near. A library in the Arts Depot, however wonderful it may be, would not be easily accessible to children under 11. Are you truly willing to close Friern Barnet Library when this will obliterate other children's chances to have what I have had? Please will you acknowledge that by going ahead with your plan, you are saying that the children of North Finchley deserve better than the children of Friern Barnet? (OA)

We are glad you have enjoyed Friern Barnet library so much.There are buses you can get to artsdepot which mean that you won’t need to cross lots of roads, and we would expect that children under 11 would be going to the library accompanied by a parent or carer. Many children in the rest of the borough travel a similar distance to their local library as will those living in Friern Barnet.

The answer completely ignores the fact that children's freedom starts being granted by allowing them to walk along local streets before they make the jump to using public transport alone once older and safe to do so.

And now Mr Mustard's favourite question of the evening.

73. Hi my name is M*** and I am 8 years old. I'm very sad about the Library closing and I'm sure everyone is too. If you moved the Library to North Finchley in the Arts Depot my mum would never drive me there, so I'd never be able to borrow any books again. That would be a real shame because I really like books (especially Rainbow Magic because I have read 52 of them).
So please please PLEASE don't shut down our library because you will spread misery across Friern Barnet. Please will you change your mind about our library? (MQ)

Thank you for taking the time to let us know how you feel about the library. There are other libraries in the area, such as South Friern or Osidge, which might be easier for your mum to take you to, or perhaps she will be able to take you there on the bus. We’re sorry if you are disappointed by a decision to close the library.

But we are going to close it anyway as even faced with an 8 year old we have no heart.

The library will be closed today, officially at 3pm. Get down there today and borrow some books while you still can (bet you can't though).

Mr Mustard has been wondering about what will happen if you have books and can't get to one of the other libraries to return them because you can't walk far, can't use public transport, are not allowed out on your own as you are too young and now young master Mustard, Maxwell aged 8½, has decided to email Councillor Rams asking about the arrangements for returning the book he has out on loan.

to

cllr.r.rams@barnet.gov.uk

Dear Mister Rams

My name is Maxwell Mustard and I live with mummy & daddy in Friern Barnet. I am 8and a half. Mummy and daddy say you are going to close the library and this makes me very sad. It is too far for me to go to another library and mummy and daddy have to work very hard and are too busy or too tired to drive me to another library.

I have a book that I got from the library. It is Five have a mystery to solve by Enid Blyton (daddy says he is one of the famous five but I think he is fibbing) and I have to give it back but I can't.

Please can you speak to mummy or daddy and come and get your book back. You will be able to tell me why you closed my library and if we are good mummy and daddy will give us orange squash and cake.

Thank you

Maxwell Mustard

Aged 8½

Have you got a book out of Friern Barnet library?

Write your own letter to Robert. Send Mr Mustard a copy and if it is funny or a devastating critique of the policy it will be posted up on the blog.


The library did not have to close. The annual budge is £900m although much of it is reserved for certain expenses, like schools, and that leaves about £200m for the council to allocate to their chosen spending. They have simply made wrong choices.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard

Someone hasn't been listening to Greg Clarke, MP, Minister for Planning

You might sit next to him on the Tube and not notice?

A 1,000 thousand page planning document has been turned into 50 pages; the National Policy Planning Framework. Mr Mustard heard Uncle Eric (Pickles) talk about that on Radio4 last week but it seems that it is the document of the less well known Greg Clarke, the MP for Tunbridge Wells (except in Tunbridge Wells obviously, less well known that is). 

Mr Mustard's attention has been drawn to paragraph 40:

Local authorities should seek to improve the quality of parking in town centres so that it is convenient, safe and secure, including appropriate provision for motorcycles. They should set appropriate parking charges that do not undermine the vitality of town centres. Parking enforcement should be proportionate. Does Brian do proportionate?

Barnet Council need to do some listening and then act accordingly.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard

The law of unintended consequences

This blog post was written two days ago and was held back to let the joint blogger letter go first.

Here is another DPR (Delegated Powers Report) that has come out of the council and this one they caused to be needed.

1621 Bittacy Hill Waiting Restrictions

By removing all of the free bays inside CPZs the council managed to move cars which used to park perfectly safely in a designated bay (albeit without charge) into other locations, one of which, Bittacy Hill, now needs yellow lines at its northern end. Will all those motorists suddenly decide to start paying for parking? no, mostly they will find somewhere else that is free (as to their credit the ward councillors do realise; maybe they could campaign for the free bays to return? that is called "Doing a Rams" voting for a policy and then consulting against it.) 

They are paying enough for petrol and for their train ticket (if they are one of those cheeky commuters who "are customarily used to parking in close proximity to ...train stations") and either can't or won't pay any more. Mr Mustard himself likes to park on the edge of CPZ and walk the rest because he won't pay (too mean) and because he likes to take a little exercise.

Putting yellow lines at the junctions is a good idea as although no-one should be parking within 10m of a junction, many people do, and they shouldn't according to the Highway Code (except when a CPZ bay actually goes nearer).

This exercise has cost £4,620 and was entirely predictable, except by Barnet Council of course.

A scooter is a possible solution, at least for the summer months. Do get training though if you have not ridden for a while.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard