SF Admin
Administrator
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2009
- Messages
- 7,181
- Reaction score
- 9
A GUTTER cleaning job costing the council just over £100 escalated when scaffolding at a price of £1600 was added to the bill.
The costly repair, which was made to a four-in-a-block property in Dumbarton earlier this year, spiralled as a result of the hefty costs for the safety structure, due to an expensive contract.
The issue was raised by the householder with Dumbarton Councillor Geoff Calvert, who was shocked to hear how much the job cost council taxpayers.
Councillor Calvert said: “The work involved was cleaning a gutter and there were about a dozen small repairs that needed to be done.
“That was fine and the work was carried out, the bill for the actual work which was £117.09 was a fair price for the gutters. But when the scaffolding cost was put on, it came up to £1600. There’s no way I would pay that amount to have my gutters cleaned. A motion will be presented to all councillors during the council meeting tonight (Wednesday) on this issue.
Geoff continued: "Of course we can’t compromise on safety. I am extremely grateful for the person who brought this to my attention and I am also grateful for the fact that the person is not withholding payment of the bill. They recognise that the charges were raised in line with the current policies. I believe that clearly needs to be looked at.
A spokeswoman for West Dunbartonshire Council has confirmed that the scaffolding contract will be looked into as this is an issue which has been raised during recent budget consultation meetings with staff. She said: In undertaking repairs and maintenance work to properties, the council continually seeks opportunities to improve its working methods and improve efficiency in our operations. Scaffolding is a necessary requirement for some of the work we undertake to ensure that work can be undertaken safely. We are currently reviewing our arrangements in this area as a result of feedback though our consultation with staff on budget issues.”
Source: LennoxHerald
The costly repair, which was made to a four-in-a-block property in Dumbarton earlier this year, spiralled as a result of the hefty costs for the safety structure, due to an expensive contract.
The issue was raised by the householder with Dumbarton Councillor Geoff Calvert, who was shocked to hear how much the job cost council taxpayers.
Councillor Calvert said: “The work involved was cleaning a gutter and there were about a dozen small repairs that needed to be done.
“That was fine and the work was carried out, the bill for the actual work which was £117.09 was a fair price for the gutters. But when the scaffolding cost was put on, it came up to £1600. There’s no way I would pay that amount to have my gutters cleaned. A motion will be presented to all councillors during the council meeting tonight (Wednesday) on this issue.
Geoff continued: "Of course we can’t compromise on safety. I am extremely grateful for the person who brought this to my attention and I am also grateful for the fact that the person is not withholding payment of the bill. They recognise that the charges were raised in line with the current policies. I believe that clearly needs to be looked at.
A spokeswoman for West Dunbartonshire Council has confirmed that the scaffolding contract will be looked into as this is an issue which has been raised during recent budget consultation meetings with staff. She said: In undertaking repairs and maintenance work to properties, the council continually seeks opportunities to improve its working methods and improve efficiency in our operations. Scaffolding is a necessary requirement for some of the work we undertake to ensure that work can be undertaken safely. We are currently reviewing our arrangements in this area as a result of feedback though our consultation with staff on budget issues.”
Source: LennoxHerald
Last edited:
