East Dulwich Councillors - useless (?)

[macroban]

Caltrops might be more effective.

[lesalden]

On the subject of the Walworth Road "improvements" I think Cllr Thomas is unwise to claim this as something to be proud of. This is a major traffic artery and is essential to our local economy. Not all traffic is the too often demonised "cars" but most during the daytime will be business traffic - deliveries to our shops, business people and the man coming round to mend the gas boiler! Simple logic tells me that if vehicles travel at half the speed they will be polluting the area for twice as long. And if they travel in a lower gear then they use more fuel. So even more pollution.

These crazy "improvement" schemes never seem to consider the carbon footprint. The publicity says there are 25,000 vehicles a day. Taking some first order assumptions I calculate that the increased CO2 will be 1350 tonnes per annum - just in one road. Not a professional calculation but it shows that if the Council were to take this factor seriously and commission an expert the results could still be significant.

The same argument goes for road humps which litter ED residential roads. The slow-fast travel of the vehicles (even though below 20mph) is vastly increasing the pollution that creeps into our houses. In France, Germany and even other parts of the UK they have much more imaginative and visually attractive traffic calming measures. Why are we stuck with humps? Now the council wants to put them all over the borough. And we have Cllr. Thomas to thank for this crazy proposal.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Something I've noticed now that I am using a trailer behind my bike, instead of a car, is that there are loads of cycle calming railing things and other barriers blocking path/cyle/roadways all over the place, presumable to stop kids roaring up and down on motorbikes or something, but they make it very difficult to get through with a bike trailer (or a double buggie or mobility scooter).

If the Council are actually serious about trying to get people out of their cars and using other less polluting forms of transport, why do they keep putting these barriers up all over the place?

[AllforNun]

Cllr Thomas is an absolute crazy proposal ! He recently stated that money should de diverted from the East London Line and into the Tram proposal to ensure that it went across the river. His excuse was that there were areas of severe deprivation in parts of South London ? These people must think we are all stupid, he knows dam well that the East London line does not connect East Dulwich Station to the tube but does connect Peckham Rye and Queens Road, he also knows that a Tram that goes across the river will really help.........yes you guessed it the house prices in East Dulwich.....

Hows the Nunhead Regen going councillor thomas?.....have you found us on the map yet ?....are we to get some more pub benches in Nunhead Green and the lane widened to take even more of your unwanted traffic ?

[Ko]

Richard Thomas has done a great job this year helping me improve the roads in my local area. He has provided advice on tackling graffiti issues, told me about the 'Street Leader' programme to report problems, given ideas and support on how to improve our local shopping parade to help the survival of local shops away from Lordship Lane, supported a Cleaner Greener Safer bid I put in for the local area, helped us tackle a 'problem' neglected sight and escalated the problem when we had difficulties getting the council to take action, escalated our issues about litter and contacted the people at the council in charge of this. He really works very hard for the community. Try e-mailing the councillors directly with your concerns and comments and see what response you get.

BTW I am not a lib-dem, but I speak from experience. This month I have had e-mails from all 3 lib-dem local councillors - a number of e-mails from Richard Thomas about various of the above issues, a number of e-mails from Jonathan Mitchell and one e-mail from James Barber about the CGS bid I put in. If you contact the councillors with your concerns and some suggestions they do take action - I've seen it happen!

The councillors may not be knocking on people's doors now that the elections have past, but they are available via their regular surgeries at the community centre and also will meet people outside these times if they have a pressing issue and they are always available via e-mail. If you have concerns, they need you to contact them and make yourself and your issues known to them. I think out of the many e-mails I have sent the councillors, I didn't get a response twice, so I followed it up and both times the relevant councillor apologised - some e-mails do get sent through to 'junk' automatically!

Before I started contacting the councillors, I too wondered what they did apart from knocking on doors at election time. But once I started contacting them, I got some great responses and action from them so I am now pleased with having them as our councillors - because they have acted on the concerns I contacted them about and I have seen actual results - that speaks volumes to me. (tu)

(edited for typos)

[AllforNun]

And you live where ?.........join dots...find picture.....re-visit perspective...find new picture.....scratch head

[Maurice]

Er the Tram won't go anywhere near East Dulwich. It will go through the most severely deprived areas of Southwark. Areas far more in need of regeneration than Nunhead.

I could care less about the Tram. But on its face value, it is the right thing to move forward.

[AllforNun]

Well if you do not call an 8 min walk from Goose Green any where near ED that is fair enough ?

It may loop round the bottom part of the Rye. And moving forward would be Improving the Stations, bringing a tube to South Londan Via the East London Line and not trying to divert funds to add more bells to the Tram. It will still go through all these areas if the proposal goes through so whats the problem ?

And actually there are major parts of Nunhead that a very very deprived, happy to show you and all the councillors around if you like ? We could start at the Primary Schools then move into the estates......

[Maurice]

The Tram is proposed to head through North Peckham Estate and areas South/North of Burgess Park. Southwark long ago identified this area as the most deprived transport area in the whole Borough - and in deprived in terms of economic demos. Add to it Peckham.

Nunhead does have more than one bus as transport option, no? Some of these areas have only one bus, and anything else is far more than 8 minutes away.

Again, it won't impact me but I've read about it with great interest. I'd love to see Trams return. But that's by the by. Your argument suggests that Nunhead is far more economically and transport deprived than the areas with one bus. If you are right, then I'll support your neighbourhood with its trains and multiple buses should get a tube before the area in question should get anything more than their one bus.

[AllforNun]

No actually I was not suggesting that at all, i just meant that councillors are constantly trying to skew things in their favour, the Tram will have the same inpact of ED as It would on Nunhead, but the East London Line will have far more effect on Nunhead while having less on ED.

And as the East London line has been delayed for so long and is a good thing I feel that local council should not be suggesting that it get some of its funding diverted.

Just because ED has a lot of engaged residents (and I am sure if some one really considered why that it is it may offer a bit of perspective) it does not mean that local council should just listen to the most vocal girl in the class...if you get my clumsy analogy.....I hope that the democracy that we would like to believe in would be a bit better than that.

Ps ..your getting very fast on the replies..... Maurice the fastest blog in the east !

[Ko]

Here we go again.

If you want to see some action, unfortunately you can't just always whine loudly (even if you're very good at it) to your local councillor/council and expect everything to be solved.

It can sometimes necessitate YOU having to undertake many hours hard work, based around solid facts (remember those?), and with the engagement and support of your local community, to see some results. We had to work hard to get our CGS bid.

Since the lib dem councillors came in, I have seen a lot of improvements in issues which matter to me. I couldn't really care less which party the councillors are from, as long as they do what I consider to be a good job. Re parking on zigzags and near misses, the police should attend and charge people with dangerous driving if that's possible. Its selfish and there's no excuse for it.

Analogies again. In case its not clear, I really don't come on this forum for people (take note AllforNun) to have a go at any opportunity. Its boring boring boring. Places to go, people to meet, things to do.......:))

[AllforNun]

Sorry are you responding to what I actually wrote or trying to make some personal point ?

My whine is not loud it just that you do not want to know about it

Maybe if the councillors were subject to some exposure or scrutiny commitee, you know like the one's you see on your telly box, we could find out why Peckham Pulse was closed for 2 years, why the Nunhead regeneration Zone has been stalled, then watered down, and stalled again and why our olympic swimmers are travelling to Paris to swim because Crystal palace is closed till next August !

[Amelie]

@ Allfornun

Councillors are answerable: to the Local Government Ombudsman; to the Audit Commission and to the HQ of their applicable political party. Most importantly they are answerable to the press. Can I suggest that you write to some/all of the above?

[dc]

Both the Local Government Ombudsman and the Audit Commission are more of a check on Councils rather than Councillors. The notable exception was in the 80's when Councillors were being surcharged and barred from office by District Auditors (part of the Audit Commission) - usually through failing to set a rate.

If you have a complaint about the conduct of a Councillor the Standards Board is the place to go. This is really in connection with propriety rather than 'performance'.

[Ko]

All for Nun - sorry much too busy (ordering clutch bags) to rant! :))

I went past Goodrich School today and saw a number of big bright yellow banners on the railings telling people not to park on the zigzags, although I've not gone past at start time and home time to see if they're having any effect.

[AllforNun]

So that's no one then !

I think we should get them in front of a televised panel - just like they do with the parlimentry politicians, it would be much more effective and would make them a lot more accountable.

You may notice that council procedure is so dense, as to deter anyone from actually getting any kind of significant answer from anybody about anything, letter writing is equally as unproductive. Just another avenue for them to try to manage you out of their hair, while they tax our money and spend it where is the most benefit to them ! revolution is the only way, Musharaf is bang on, arrest the laywers and the politicians and get the x cricketers in hiding it's the only way.

[Frisco]

"Maybe if the councillors were subject to some exposure or scrutiny commitee, you know like the one's you see on your telly box, we could find out why Peckham Pulse was closed for 2 years, why the Nunhead regeneration Zone has been stalled, then watered down, and stalled again and why our olympic swimmers are travelling to Paris to swim because Crystal palace is closed till next August !"

http://southwark.gov.uk/YourCouncil/AgendasMinutes/scrutinysubcommittees/

See the link above. The public can attend the meetings too.

Crystal Palace is nothing to do with Southwark Council, or any other council but here you go: http://www.sportengland.org/print/news/press_releases/sport_england_statement_on_swimming_and_diving_facilities_in_london_07.htm

[dc]

Oh yes, those military dictators really stand up for the 'little' man/woman. Pinochet, Mussolini, Franco, Hitler. A joy to be a citizen under those regimes of course.

Purlease!

Our democracy ain't perfect but it could be a whole lot worse.

[woodie]

is it a good idea to devote a section of this forum (like lounge) to sensible debate with councillors? save all that wretched emailing. RT has logged in, invite the others. Maybe too open door, in that for sure all that they say, we say, is open to scrutiny..It would save a lot of timewasting protocol. As much as we here could try to be civil and well behaved ,they could check in say once a week.

[AllforNun]

Sorry but Crystal Palace is absolutely something to with a council ! - Mayor of London, London assembly, the new GLC whatever you what like to call it. And as it serves the need of a community that is very close by I would think that local council, would take some interest ?

As for the scrutiny commitee and the minutes it's not exactly direct engagement, and does not cover what has been decided outside of meetings and behind closed doors. These people need to be managed properly, not given free reign to wage war against cafe Nero !

[AllforNun]

DC you missed out Thatcher.....

[AllforNun]

London assembly (councillors) now grilling Sir Ian Blair live on SKY News - 11:56am - lets turn the tables on them for once

[AllforNun]

Angela Bray (Con) grandstands for the camera about Ian Blair, he neatly points out that had anyone taken up any of the proposals stretching back YEARS for an airwave system to put into the undergound they would have had more communication, that may , have avoided as he said "someone dead from seven bullets to the head",

Camera pans back to huge new council assembly chamber built so Angela Bray and her mates have a nice office environment to work in. So basically they put our public safety at risk by putting new council chambers ahead of an airwave system for the underground. This is the decision making process that needs to be under scrutiny. These people are havin a laugh.

[snorky]

Im surprised that people still fall for this local councillor rubbish- they are essestially self serving politicians - what do you expect

[woodie]

zackly