The BBC appears to have come on board with our campaign. The documentary series, which is called The Street That Cut Everything, is intended to discover what would happen to an ordinary residential road if all council services were withdrawn. It is being filmed in a suburb of Preston, and will see residents having to live without a rubbish collection, street lights or street cleaning.
As part of this radical social experiment, 20 dog owners were sent in to allow their dogs to foul the street in Preston. Residents agreed to go without refuse collection, street cleaning and street lights and received a council tax rebate as they carried out essential services themselves.
This would be an opportunity for social comment regarding cuts, the provision of services and the nurturing of a caring society.
As, however, I'm sure you've guessed, the focus is on dog fouling.
Preston Council's Conservative leader, Ken Hudson, said it was not a good way to spend licence fee-payers' money. Mr Hudson said: "I don't think that putting 20 dogs on a street to make sure that the street gets fouled by dog droppings is good television really.We are absolutely appalled that people are leaving dirt on the streets. Normally we would prosecute people for doing that."
Tory MP Stephen Hammond said he would complain to media regulator Ofcom. Mr Hammond, the Conservative MP for Wimbledon, south London and parliamentary aide to Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, said: "This is an outrageous piece of scaremongering by the BBC and compromises their editorial integrity.
"We need a full and frank explanation from the organisation about how and why this is a good use of taxpayers' cash.
"I shall be reporting them to Ofcom for what, quite frankly, is an unforgivable breach of editorial standards."
Dorothy Kelk, of the Preston branch of Friends of the Earth, said the BBC was “extremely irresponsible”. “Dog excrement fouling a road is unhygienic and can cause illness in young children.”
Silly me for thinking that the social issues revolve around those, who are less able to care for themselves or that the focus should be on the dangers of government cuts resulting in social disintegration. It's good to realise that our leaders have a greater clarity of thought.
BBC here. Telegraph here.
1 comments :
i live on the street and it is not as bad as media are making out
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