File:Twigged - Chesnut Road -1.jpg

English: I've previously mentioned the value of twigs for Haringey residents.

Twigs and broken tree branches are a free and available tool. Which I sometimes use to locate a blocked drain gully. (1) (2).

Here's another use: someone kept this emergency gate closed when the padlock was missing.

The Value of Joint Working

Joking aside, the lack of a padlock on this gate is serious. A long section of Chesnut Road is a path for pedestrians and cyclists; and has a barrier gate at each end. If a gate is broken or unlocked there's a potential danger to people not expecting vehicles - including children and elderly people.

Since 2000 I've reported occasional problems with both gates; and also missing bollards.

As you can see below, this gate is next to Protheroe House, which is 'Supported Housing' mainly for elderly people. Protheroe House is run by Homes for Haringey - the Council's wholly-owned company. It's staffed part of the time, and the manager and staff can spot if the gate is open or not properly locked.

Over the years, the Highways Maintenance team have inspected, repaired and replaced missing locks on these gates. In May 2010 I suggested that staff in Highways could minimise potential danger by working more closely with the Protheroe House manager - for example, giving them a spare padlock.

Highways staff told me that because this is an emergency gate, only the local Highway Authority and the Emergency Services (e.g. the Fire Brigade) could have padlocks and keys. So much for joint working and co-production between work colleagues.

And there it stood untll 2011, when Highways staff lost jobs due to the Demolition Government cuts. The team not only replaced the temporary twig with a padlock, but discovered that - to save time and cut down on visits - they could, after all, work together with the Protheroe House manager.

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§ Click to see where this photo was taken.