Goose Green councillors - how can we help?

[jamesmcash]

Hello all,

I'm James McAsh. I'm one of the three newly elected Labour councillors for Goose Green ward, along with Victoria Olisa and Charlie Smith.

I wanted to introduce myself to the East Dulwich Forum community, and to thank everyone who voted in yesterday's local elections. I know I speak for Victoria and Charlie as well when I say that it is a true honour and privilege to have your trust placed in us.

Regardless of whom you support politically, or whether you vote at all, we three Labour Councillors for Goose Green are keen to do whatever we can to help.

If you want to raise something with us then you can do any of the following:

- Email: James.McAsh@southwark.gov.uk, Victoria.Olisa@southwark.gov.uk, Charlie.Smith@southwark.gov.uk

- In person at a surgery on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month at 7pm at East Dulwich Community Centre, Darrell Road

- On this thread!

In general, we are able to deal with things quicker if you are able to provide:

- Your address (or the address/location of where the issue relates)

- A brief outline of the problem

- Any communication you have already had with the council regarding the issue

- For longstanding issues, a brief timeline of event

- Photos, where relevant

Best wishes

James

[colville09]

Dear James, Victoria and Charlie - thanks for saying hello on The Forum. As you say big shoes to fill but having meet you when you were all campaigning I'm very impressed with the energy and commitment so good luck as you begin your new roles.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

Definitely big shoes to fill and I hope you will at least answer emails, get things moving and support the community because my past experience has shown Labour to come up short on the above whenever I?ve contacted them whereas James has always been on the ball and got results for me.

[singalto]

Colville09, you were lucky to meet them during the campaign as I certainly didn?t. And I had no idea there were any Tory candidates until I got my ballot paper. As a huge supporter of James, it will take a lot to impress me.

[rendelharris]

Like many, many people on the other thread, I was tremendously impressed by JB (shouldn't there be a tribute bench on GG or something? I'd subscribe!) even though he was not of a party for which I naturally have sympathy. But the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, these guys have won a free and fair election and gained the votes of a majority of residents, so let's see what they can do rather than start their tenure with a negative approach! The fact that he's already reaching out on the forum is a positive sign, no?

[Bic Basher]

I'm in the new Dulwich Wood Ward and James Barber took the time to talk to me, even though I'm not a constituent. Best of luck.

[Penguin68]

It would be good if you could talk to your colleagues in Dulwich Hill Ward (which also covers part of the old ED Ward) to see if they too would be prepared to join this forum. Goose Green and Dulwich Hill together cover much of what people think of as 'East Dulwich' (i.e SE22 and its immediately adjacent areas). As local issues are often not exactly ward specific (i.e. they cross ward boundaries) cooperative working may prove valuable in addressing constituent problems. Whilst this forum can in no way be representative (statistically) of East Dulwich views - it might offer at times a reasonable approximation of some of them.

Good luck to you, and while you may not wish to ape James Barber's policies, copying his diligence and care for his constituents (and his willingness to enter into debate) would serve you, and us, well. Much of what he did was anyway nothing to do with party, and everything to do with constituent need.

[Sue]

singalto Wrote:

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> Colville09, you were lucky to meet them during the

> campaign as I certainly didn?t.

They could hardly get round everybody, let alone find them all in!

I have heard both the "new" Labour councillors speak at the meeting where they were elected to stand as candidates, and I was very impressed with their knowledge, passion and commitment.

[Abe_froeman]

"Much of what he did was anyway nothing to do with party, and everything to do with constituent need."

I think this is why there are so many messages of thanks on his thread.

Other Labour councillors in London who apparently found themselves in conflict on local issues with Momentum's political views seemed to end up in a very unpleasant place indeed: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42909757.

We'll have to wait to see what Mr McAsh can achieve.

[kibris]

Welcome good to see labour covering the wards and I don't think you have big shoes to fill more like you will do a better job. If people wanted to keep JB then they should have voted for him. But anyway welcome and good luck not that you will need it

[alex_b]

James I hope you will a good job for your constituents. I also hope you?ll speak to your colleagues in neighbouring wards (particularly Rye Lane) and ask them to at least answer constituent emails if not also post on here. The most disappointing things about the Labour Party is they seem to take the electorate around here for granted.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hello James, welcome to the East Dulwich Forum.

Renata

[uncleglen]

alex_b Wrote:

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> James I hope you will a good job for your

> constituents. I also hope you?ll speak to your

> colleagues in neighbouring wards (particularly Rye

> Lane) and ask them to at least answer constituent

> emails if not also post on here. The most

> disappointing things about the Labour Party is

> they seem to take the electorate around here for

> granted.

Yes unfortunately there are some areas where you could put a red rosette on a donkey and it would get elected -as my son keeps reminding me!

[rendelharris]

uncleglen Wrote:

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> Yes unfortunately there are some areas where you

> could put a red rosette on a donkey and it would

> get elected

Hope for you yet then. Funny how democracy's all fine until you don't get your own way, isn't it? Sure any suggestion that Brexit voters were ill-informed or misguided would be met with squeals of outrage from you, but when the vote doesn't go your way, out come the insults.

Extremely poor manners, by the way, to make a comment like that on a thread where a new councillor has come to introduce himself and tell people how to get in touch. I suggest you would do well to look at Mr.Barber's gracious and generous response to his defeat and try to learn something.

[Penguin68]

Maybe, James et al you might care to look at this, as an early case. I think it falls into your patch:-

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1934364

[uncleglen]

rendelharris Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> uncleglen Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

>

> > Yes unfortunately there are some areas where

> you

> > could put a red rosette on a donkey and it

> would

> > get elected

>

> Hope for you yet then. Funny how democracy's all

> fine until you don't get your own way, isn't it?

> Sure any suggestion that Brexit voters were

> ill-informed or misguided would be met with

> squeals of outrage from you, but when the vote

> doesn't go your way, out come the insults.

>

> Extremely poor manners, by the way, to make a

> comment like that on a thread where a new

> councillor has come to introduce himself and tell

> people how to get in touch. I suggest you would

> do well to look at Mr.Barber's gracious and

> generous response to his defeat and try to learn

> something.

Manners- I have had enough dealings with the Labour party to know that they themselves have none - have you never been to a council meeting?- if you had you will know that whatever is going on the Labour lot toe the party line regardless- AND they ONLY care about your vote....I am proud to say that I have NEVER voted Labour despite coming from the East End and from an immigrant family....

[JoeLeg]

Stop derailing the thread and take it to PM Uncleglen, not that you have the stones for that...

[northernexile]

Not sure if this falls on your patch.

St Francis Park.

Just as I type this there are chain sawed tree fellers savaging the greenery that's "close" to the house boundaries that back on from St Francis Road.

I can slightly understand the need for doing it.... but seriously, mid to late Spring when birds are nesting? Come on guys, surely you can get this changed to late Autumn early winter when its easier to get along anyway. I take care of the area behind my house anyway usually doing it in October/ November.

Just a bit of common sense, rather than random destruction of local wildlife habitat at an important time of year for it.

[Penguin68]

Actually, disturbing nesting birds is illegal unless there is clear and imminent danger from not doing so

[northernexile]

Absolutely livid

Two young lads in ground control orange bibs. Asked them not to cut down the beautiful lilac that overhangs and I've purposefully left for a decade. Now butchered to the ground "because they have to"

Buddleaia butchered before it gets into flower, Elderflower butchered as it gets into flower.

They said they'd leave what was left.... then carried on after i went inside. I mentioned about it being nesting season.... they said they were checking as they were going along. Absolutely not from the 40 metre stretch I witnessed being hatcheted at speed.

Who authorised this? Who canvassed residents? Who's paying for this, because I can assure you, I don't condone or encourage wanton vandalism of natural habitat that not only encourages wildlife and allows birds to nest, but also provides security and privacy.

It's been done in past years and there has at least been some sensitivity. This year, hardly anything is left standing.

Absolute idiots. Fuming.

[kford]

This is happening all over Network Rail and the motorways right now. Hawthorn being ripped up during nesting season. Illegal, for sure.

[almost peckham]

St. Francis park is (mis)managed by Sainsbury's, I think, not the council.

[northernexile]

I believe Sainsbury's control the locking of the gates at either end, but I wasn't aware they were responsible for "managing" inside the park too.

And I'm not sure why Sainsburys would be the ones to "prune" the area between the park perimeter and the gardens it overlooks on St Francis Road. Surely that would be a council responsibility?

If a council representative could find out, that would be most helpful. We get allsorts of bird wildlife in our garden, a woodpecker visited just hours earlier, surely something can be done to stop management of trees, shrubs and habitat to be so destructively removed at such a crucial time of year.

[nxjen]

From previous threads on EDF it appears that Sainsburys are responsible for maintenance of St Francis Park. See http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,336529,1795265#msg-1795265.

[Tractorlad]

Penguin68 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It would be good if you could talk to your

> colleagues in Dulwich Hill Ward (which also covers

> part of the old ED Ward) to see if they too would

> be prepared to join this forum. Goose Green and

> Dulwich Hill together cover much of what people

> think of as 'East Dulwich' (i.e SE22 and its

> immediately adjacent areas). As local issues are

> often not exactly ward specific (i.e. they cross

> ward boundaries) cooperative working may prove

> valuable in addressing constituent problems.

> Whilst this forum can in no way be representative

> (statistically) of East Dulwich views - it might

> offer at times a reasonable approximation of some

> of them.

>

> Good luck to you, and while you may not wish to

> ape James Barber's policies, copying his diligence

> and care for his constituents (and his willingness

> to enter into debate) would serve you, and us,

> well. Much of what he did was anyway nothing to do

> with party, and everything to do with constituent

> need.

I second that. It would be nice for the Dulwich Hill Councillors to make themselves available via the forum and follow the example set by James Barber. This is the "East Dulwich" forum after all.