Contractor apologises for contact failure

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:

A roading contractor has apologised for failing to notify businesses prior to starting roadworks on Allens Rd in Allenton in April.

Most business in the Allenton shopping centre were notified by the contractor in advance of starting the work. But, ironically, they missed the pharmacy operated by Ashburton District councillor Carolyn Cameron.

Chief executive Hamish Riach said the contractor had visited many of the affected business in the area but had missed some and had apologised.

“They accepted it wasn’t good enough and that it was a mistake,” Riach said.

There is an expectation to communicate with affected parties and “most of the time it is done well, in this particular case it wasn’t”, he said.

Cameron was disappointed her business, and potentially others, had not been notified and hoped the incident will ensure the council “does better in future”.

Contractors are required to provide a letter to the affected property owners outlining the work and the potential impacts at least a week before work commences, infrastructure and open spaces group manager Neil McCann said.

“This did not happen in Allenton and we are really disappointed with it.”

For the failure, McCann said the contractors had received a bad mark in its track record on the council books.