Furious , anybody any advice other than a stiff drink?

Which union do you represent?

 

None and all.
Not quite the answer you expect - but each must make their own political choice - so hence the lack of Union recommendation.
I will PM back anyone who wants to know which Union I have had most help with.

 

You can not join the Union after the event and be supported
So a bit late
However the Glenrothes Gazette is desperate for News, having doubled the price and providing one tenth of the previous information For their big 50th anniversary :-)

Now twice the price and six pages instead of the previous 24

Jack McH

 

You can join any Union at any time. Normally they will not support any complaint after the event has started but often they will offer informal advice from the same people that would support you otherwise. They are not in the business of turning subscriptions away.
I hope the Glenrothes Gazette survives. It's tough times for many.

 

Quick update The burn is now UNBLOCKED after 49 days, mess horrendous and road now dug up right across as council gave up on trying to unblock the culvert so putting in a new one.However cause for celebrations here now we have lost the "lake" When things will get back to normal is anybody's guess and my battle for compensation has only just begun.Council being VERY vague about WHEN permissions were sought from the power companies but I've no intention of giving up on trying to get the ....... to compensate us for all the damage to my garden and inconvenience.I'll go down fighting!

 

We all wish you well. Any chance you can get your neighbours together on this? It does sound really very bad - I'm sorry you've had such a terrible time. I hope it all goes quickly from here on in.

 

It sound like they've made a fine mess of things but at least now they are doing a proper job Silu. Let's hope the ground recovers quickly once they've gone and then you can set about putting your garden straight.

Hang in there with the council, they could be stalling to see if you'll get fed up and back off.

 

Really pleased for you that it's finally unblocked

Submit a Freedom of Information request asking for copies of all correspondence, notes, etc You could also try submitting a Data Protection subject access request for a copy of their file because the information relates to you. There might be a small fee but worth it.

 

Thank you for the great advice merlewood. Funny how I have already been supplied as requested with some of the information which I need before deciding just how good my case is BUT the critical information as advised by my solicitor is delightfully "airy fairy".My solicitor sussed out immediately that they will try and "hide" behind health and safety. I had already thought about the possibility of what you have advised me to do but wasn't sure I could, not having been involved in anything like this before! As it looks as tho the council isn't going to give me the info, I have asked the power companies today post your reply to do so and mentioned freedom of information in passing...large intakes of breath were audible!! You've been of great assistance. If nothing else comes of this saga I've learnt a LOT and am making some of the incredibly inefficient council "managers" at least work for their salaries, I don't see why they shouldn't have a miserable start to 2013, we had a very miserable Christmas and New Year thanks to their "couldn't care less" attitude. I'm creating about another c..k up they have made which is totally non gardening related so won't bore the pants off you about that!

 

FC - Ye twitch yer curtains more'an me!

(I wa' trying to remember old Scot's word fer curtains? Ken?)

 

Aye, mebbe that's 'em! This'un do me!

 

Been scratching my head for an old Scots word for curtain but stumped. Smart houses would have had working shutters so maybe not curtains? and but and bens wouldn't have afforded them, ken!
For you "sticky beak" lot. The other almighty c..k up was regarding my beloved council being "brilliant" over where they put a diversionary sign regarding our road closure on 19th December. May have mentioned this before I can't remember as been bombarding the council with multiple emails DAILY! re the flooding of my garden and the road since about 7th December, and feeling somewhat shell shocked. When they closed our road they put up a, to be honest, pretty unnecessary diversion sign at a turning off a main road to Perth. A couple of days later this main road had to be shut due to flooding very close to where they had put up the diversion sign for our road and nobody in the council thought to put up diversion signs to take the quite substantial traffic heading for Perth onto a suitable alternative route. The result of this was complete carnage as everybody who was trying to get to Perth took the diversion meant for us. Imagine heavy traffic going over a single track road with b..... all passing places and blind bends with some traffic coming in the other direction. What's left of the single track road (our only access to anywhere atm due to the new culvert being built) resembles where The Battle of The Somme took place. The verges have just GONE! and potholes to swim in. Our council have been out to fill in the holes which were responsible for giving 1 of their employees a puncture en-route to our fiasco but have left some humdingers...oh boy. In 1 of my multitudinous emails to a "senior manager" I mentioned that it was somewhat ironic that an employee of theirs got a puncture in a council vehicle due to their c..k up with signs....he didn't see the funny side of it at all, he needs a sense of humour transplant!
The latest update re the new culvert being created is that my neighbour (farmer on who's ground the blockage is adjacent to) came up to see me tonight purple with rage. The nearly completed new culvert is 18 inches higher than the old 1(approximately 150 years old and never been known to block before) and has 2 x 9 inch diameter pipes to carry the water. NO WAY BIG ENOUGH according to the farmer. The culvert (old 1) immediately upstream of the new 1 has 1x22 inch pipe and 1x16 inch pipe which just about copes with the volume of water after torrential rain etc. Farmer who is quite clever muttered something to do with Pye R Squared and how you'd have to have many many small diametered (bad English but can't think of the right word) pipes to equal 1 big diametered pipe (this slightly sailed over my head!) but got the gist of what he was talking about. He is planning to go on the attack tomorrow when the workmen arrive...good, that let's me off the hook and being male will probably have a lot more clout than little miss me! I now have no idea when or if ever we will be able to use the other access along our road if the council have to admit they have made a mistake and dismantle everything they've done in the last 4 days....sigh.Certainly I'd take the word of my neighbour who's family have farmed here for over 100 years before some council employee who looks about 12 and has known the burn for 4 days! but at least the flooding has disappeared...well for now anyway. Off to my padded cell and will see what tomorrow brings.I am beginning to think I might write a play about this saga as it is very much reminding me of a Brian Rix farce for those old enough, like me, to remember him.

 

The tale goes on! It makes you wonder how the local councils achieve anything, let alone get the issue in hand sorted properly. All to the taxpayers cost of course. If you and the farmer had been able to take the job on yourselves I'm sure it would have been done and dusted by now and said issue functioning perfectly. It's definitely a situation.