Is “Fix my street” a solution to street problems?

THURROCK residents are only too acutely aware of problems on the roads, on the pavement and in their streets.

Now a website called www.fixmystreet.com may help speed the process by which problems are addressed.

You simply log onto the site, detail the problem, attach a photoraph (if you can) and sit back and let the site do the rest.

The site then contacts the relevant authority.

Over the last year, a number of Thurrock residents have used the site.

On Jan 3rd, D Smith posted:

“The end house (72 Dunlop I believe) has numerous vehicles parked on the curb/pavement at the end of Leicester Road / Dunlop Road, including a LORRY and MINIBUS parked on the pavement, causing blind corner when driving round this bend and BLOCKING pedestrians/wheelchairs on the pavement.”

On Dec 28th, a Chris Black posted: “Large pothole formed on the slip road from the A13 onto the A1089 Tilbury Dock Approach Road. Needs fixing quickly.”

The site states that the messages are then sent to Thurrock Council for action.

Some residents provide photographic evdience. In October, an anonymous informant submitted a photo of a bin.

They stated: “I have a photo showing clearly that after a bin collection it is nearly always impossible to walk with pram or wheelchair on Southend Road. Southend road is a very busy main road and i think it is extremely unfair of the binmen to leave the bins in such a way.”

Residents monitor the site, to see of repairs are completed. In March, 2012, Scott Nelson complained that “Street light number 8 has had the bottom cover ripped off by vandals which is exposing wiring.”

He then updated the site, 24 hours later to state that Thurrock Council had fixed them.

Not all the problems are the province of Thurrock Council.

We asked the council for a response and in particular, how they interact with the site.

They had not replied at the time of publication.

The site is run by mysociety which also operates “accountability and transparency” services such as “Theyworkforyou” which e mails all speeches made by MP’s in the House of Commons and “Whatdotheyknow” which details all freedom of information requests made to organisations.