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Hyperlocal in the UK

Keep it local, simple, earthy – the dog sh*t agenda

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Political folk have a slightly comtemptuous phrase for local street issues – the ‘dog shit agenda’.  “What are you going to do about the dog shit on my street?” etc.  This sort of thing really matters to peopleprobably more than Georgian geopolitics or the Bank of England monthly inflation report.

There is a wonderful discussion about dog poo problems going on here at the magnificent Brookmans Park sites.  The images are so graphic you can almost smell it.  It’s a wonderfully vivid discussion of where dog poo is most prevelant and the anti social things people do with bags full of it.

It shows the real value of an ultra local discussion forum making a local debate public visible that otherwise might have taken place over a garden fence or in a pub and have been unactionable.  The Brookmans Park site has pulled out a whole set of dog issues in a feature on the main site – extremely well tailored ultra local information.

‘Bags for collecting dog waste are sold at Brookmans Park Post Office, Pegasus Supplies in Dellsome Lane, Welham Green, North Mymms Parish Council, Bungalow 1, Bushwood Close, Welham Green, and Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council, Maynards Place, Cuffley. Bags cost £1.60 for 50. ‘

This is just the sort of thing that ultra local online media is brilliant at, but that a local paper, TV or radio would never cover properly.  This rural bit of Hertfordshire wouldn’t get over the threshold with trad. media. The Brookmans Park sites are a superb example of a mature ultra local online media and well worth a click around – i shall return to them in future here.

For a more aggressive approach on dog poo campaigning ‘dog poo flags’ as described here are amusing.  Just replace the photo of george bush with your Council’s logo.  Sadly, this is a topic anyone could write about in their community (unless you live in Switzerland).

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