What are Southwark Councils Priorities (in East Dulwich)

[DulwichFox]

Now that's a good Question.

What are Southwark Councils Priorities.

The main topics of conversation with constant updates on EDF from Councillor Barber

are the Extention of the market and the proposal for a new M&S or Waitrose.

After the recent freeze, the 4" main in Ulverscroft Rd. burst. It was repaired by Clancy Docwa

contractors for Thames water. However the pavement outside my house (which is aspalt not paving stone)

has been washed away. I understand this is the Responsibility of Soutwark Council who whould of been

informed my the contractors.

There are many bad pavements in ED. There does not seem to be any routine inspection of our pavements

and roads. Things eventually may be repaired , but only after repeat complaints from the public.

ED is Run Down with Dog mess, litter, broken street lights.

Much of the litter is from the many Take-away outlets, but there are very few litter bins.

There are no Public Toilets in the area.

It would seem that as long as we get a Waitrose and expand the Market. ( more litter )

Most people are happy with people peeing on the broken pavements late at night

and throwing their food boxes on the ground. and their ciggarette butts.

Maybe because the people responsible for the sbove do not actually live in ED.

[sophiesofa]

I don't think "ED is Run Down with Dog mess, litter, broken street lights". Yes the pavements and roads aren't perfect but that's true of most places. I've stood in dog phoo but they are trying to sort that out, some people will always not pick up after their dogs. Never noticed a broken streetlight (but i've never looked). I've never had a problem finding a bin, and there are always home wheelie bins to pop rubbish in. The toilet in the gym is I think meant to be a public toilet and there are pubs and cafes but I agree it would be handy as I always feel sneaky using an establishments toilet if I'm not buying anything. There's a sticker scheme somewhere (can't remember) where local establishments can sign up to to allow their facilities to be used, I think they get a small payment from council but I don't think Southwark has a scheme like this.

All in all I think ED is well looked after, just my opinion.

[DulwichFox]

sophiesofa Wrote:

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there are always home wheelie bins to pop rubbish in.

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I believe it is actually 'illegal' Local Authority Rule to put street waste into Household bins.

Councils are increasinly introducing Micro- chips to peoples bins to weigh

the contents and charging accordingly.

People should not be putting their crap in other people's bins

[sophiesofa]

I'd be charged a fortune then as I'm on Lordship Lane and people use it frequently, including today when I found the packaging for tena lady in the top of my bin! I haven't lost the control of my bladder yet.

[sophiesofa]

I'd be charged a fortune then as I'm on Lordship Lane and people use it frequently, including today when I found the packaging for tena lady in the top of my bin! I haven't lost the control of my bladder yet. I'm nearly opposite the police station so I'm surpirsed no perpetrators have been caught in the act and banged to rights. I can see the reason for the rule but it is a bit silly.

[Curmudgeon]

you are totally barking if you think East dulwich is a run-down area

[DulwichFox]

Edited as unable to upload pic.

[zeban]

Agree with Sophiesofa and Curmudgeon.

ED isn't run down in the least, believe me I've lived in extremely run down, dangerous areas. ED is definitely not one of them!

There are many places to use the loo, littering isn't anything like where I grew up (Dalston, Hackney). I do think where there are a few pubs in the area then often late night drunkeness causes some littering at the end of the night, but I'd say in general ED is pretty clean (also maybe the peeing you have mentioned is another result of that but you'll aways have that in areas with pubs- Upper St Islington is the same.) I haven't noticed any broken streetlights either. In general have found Southwark Council services very good, although with cuts this may change. I have to say the recycling schemes in the borough are fantastic, and I'm really impressed by them.

Of course there are always improvements and it does annoy me that James Barber is suggesting that a Waitrose would be good for the area rather than good for the residents because I certainly don't want ED to turn into another Islington/Clapham etc and I sincerely hope James Barber doesn't either. ED/ Dulwich has always been seen as a gentrified area, it doesn't need certain things/ shops for the reasons of making it more attractive to prospective residents because what people like about ED is that it's not full of people who want to live in a 'trendy' area- that it has it's own quirks and a steady and stable community of residents.

[DJKillaQueen]

Also southwark council's priorities are reflective of the needs of the borough as a whole.....not just ED (although they do direct some finance locally via community councils and various schemes).

And priorities are not usually say transport vs housing...as all departments recieve budgets. The prorities are more likely set within departments, so for example, the housing department might prioritise the building of new homes over decent homes etc.

[karter]

Come on you muppets, Dulwichfox is not saying that ED is specifically run down but is commenting on dog poo, lighting etc. Why councillors try and win points on bringing in other supermarkets, bigger street market and street crossing does make it seem rather suspect though. Are there students in ED that need a loan? I can do 9.5% above BR.

[uplandsneighbour]

I've been very interested to see all the posts on this forum about the need to shut down the Coop and Iceland in favour of up-market shopping opportunities. Interested enough to look up stats that could objectively proxy actual ED wealth.

Here are some local area statistics: ED's index of multiple deprivation (IMD) puts it just above the bottom third of local areas in England.

ED is ranked 10,014 out of 32,482 local areas in England (the higher the IMD, the richer the area). That means that 22,468 of local areas in England are less deprived than us. And ED's quality of life indicator is Poor.

Compare with College ward in Dulwich Village: IMD rank 13,622 (much lower than I'd have guessed) but quality of life Good.

In IMD terms, ED sees to be a lot closer to Brixton (IMD 10136) in just about everything except crime.

IMD may be a flawed indicator, but it's based on sound local data. Check it out for yourselves here http://www.uklocalarea.com/stats/q/East+Dulwich/wc/00BEGH/l/E01003958

[Pugwash]

I certainly would not want an Waitrose but would welcome a Lidl. Beckenham has a Lidl, and I was recently in Oxfordshire in a very classy town near the Thames, and they too had a Lidl.

I earn a good wage as a professional worker but with mortgage payments, council tax and all the rest of the bills, I cannot afford to shop in a Waitrose, or use the market stalls as I feel that most are over priced and appeal to those ED Residents who seem to have more money than sense.

Having been a life long resident in ED I remember the original North Cross Road market of the 50s and 60s, with stalls several days of the week. This was the cheapest area to shop in generally. If we had a more 'East Street or Petticoat

Lane' type market at least once or twice a week, this would cater for all ED residents. Before ED was gentrified in the 1970s/80s it had the highest number of older people living in substandard housing without bathrooms and indoor loos in England.

[James Barber]

If anyone knows of a broken street light please report it via 020 7525 2000. If its not fixed within a few days please tell me. I know Crebor Street, Friern Road have had a number of street lgihts broken for some time and I've visited them weith the head of street lightings boss to personally point them out.

Dog poo. Street cleaning is not such a high priority for the new Labour administration. Their priority politically is universal free school meals. During the next 12 months you'll see the street get dirtier. A lot of street cleaning is seasonal - leaves, etc. Locally Labour are dead against employing extra street cleaners, temps, when the streets need extra effort to keep them clean.

But if you know an area that looks worse than others please tell me.

[KalamityKel]

I think the title of this thread should be reconsidered. Southwark is a large area that does NOT centralise around East Dulwich. East Dulwich is a ward not a borough (yes I know it is hard to believe) and is only a small part of the bigger picture.

karter perhaps you may want to rethink your comment and leave the name calling (as petty as it is) out as Dulwich Fox quite clearly states "ED is Run Down with Dog mess, litter, broken street lights." which it is not.

Compared to other areas and boroughs East Dulwich is relatively clean - yes there are the odd places where it could be better but that's the same in any other area. If you spot an area that you think should be cleaner report it to the council - as James suggests!

[Siduhe]

Now that's a good Question.

What are Southwark Councils Priorities.

Here you go: http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/10058/about_southwark_council/1416/council_priorities/1

[Keef]

Pugwash Wrote:

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Before ED

> was gentrified in the 1970s/80s it had the highest

> number of older people living in substandard

> housing without bathrooms and indoor loos in

> England.

My sister was born in 74, and there are photos taken of my aunt holding her in my parents garden, and they had an outside loo. Fortunately, an extension bathroom and kitchen had been built by the time I came along 4 years later.

[Loz]

OK, a bit of full-on fisking is called for here...

> The main topics of conversation with constant

> updates on EDF from Councillor Barber

> are the Extention of the market and the proposal

> for a new M&S or Waitrose.

How many Southwark councillors can you name off the top of your head? Have you seen the million-page long thread where Cllr Barber has sorted out numerous problems? I think it is pretty good and proactive work done by Cllr Barber on this thread. This is a bit of a cheap shot, really.

> After the recent freeze, the 4" main in

> Ulverscroft Rd. burst. It was repaired by Clancy

> Docwa contractors for Thames water. However the

> pavement outside my house (which is aspalt not

> paving stone) has been washed away. I understand this is the

> Responsibility of Soutwark Council who whould of

> been informed my the contractors.

Have you reported it to the council? Or do you expect them to constantly track hundreds of miles of streets? They are not mind readers you know.

> There are many bad pavements in ED. There does

> not seem to be any routine inspection of our

> pavements and roads. Things eventually may be repaired ,

> but only after repeat complaints from the public.

Oh come on. Pavements in ED are pretty good compared with the rest of London.

> ED is Run Down with Dog mess, litter, broken

> street lights.

Well done, you are leading in the Most Ridiculous Comment of 2011.

> Much of the litter is from the many Take-away

> outlets, but there are very few litter bins.

Granted we could do with more bins on LL, but this is hardly an ED-wide problem.

> There are no Public Toilets in the area.

This is London. There are few public toilets full stop.

> It would seem that as long as we get a Waitrose

> and expand the Market. ( more litter )

> Most people are happy with people peeing on the

> broken pavements late at night

> and throwing their food boxes on the ground. and

> their ciggarette butts.

Hang on, you have just surpassed yourself in the Most Ridiculous Comment of 2011.

I don't know if you were having a bad weekend or are trolling, but really, you portrait of ED does not seem to be realistic. Southwark council is a long way from perfect but if you don't report problems then you can't really expect them to be fixed.

In other words: if you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem.

[20goto10]

Politicians... what are you all like...children....

[Pugwash]

I wonder how many of you turned up to one of the Dulwich Community Council Meetings which was addressed by Council leader Peter John, and took part in the exercise on where the cuts should fall post April. It was extremely difficult to decide and regardless of which party is in control at the town hall, there will always be losers.

Southwark is generally a poor borough with high numbers of over 60s and under 18s - therefore by sheer numbers - education, health ans social care will always cost more

At the only independent library in Upper Norwood, they saved a few ?s on having library users scan in and out their own books - thus cutting back on 2 members of staff. If libraries had a membership fee or some form of 'Friends of the X Library' whereas paying a subscription entitled you to a 'freebe' of sort i.e free attendance at a literacy lecture, or book signing - this would be a way of gaining a small income. Big libraries like Dulwich could attract some 'fee paying customers' and hold events such as those held in Dulwich Picture Gallery. Money raised could go towards book purchases.

A few parking meters in strategic positions - ?1.00 for an hour especially near shops where the goods are likely to be heavy/bulky. i.e. near Dulwich DIY, or Plough Homecraft or Sainsbury's Local.(parking near these shops is a nightmare

as on a bus route)

I am sure others could come up with some cost cutting ideas and ways of increasing revenue.

[The Minkey]

" ED/ Dulwich has always been seen as a gentrified area"

You what? When I first encountered ED, back in the early 80's, it was not exactly 'gentrified'. How exactly do you define 'always' - lol..