former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[James Barber]

Hi jam_log,

You live in Peckham Rye ward. As your home is part of a block it isn't part of the food waste scheme being rolled out.

Sorry.

IF you'd like your site to be included you should ask your neighbours if they'd like to undertake food waste recyclnig and if they agree and Wandle Housing also agree contact your ward councillors - Renata Hamvas would be a good place to start.

AND we do have a successful food waste pilot in Friern Road council blocks of flats. Let me obtain the full results for them as it should give you an idea of what is likely to happen.

[Renata Hamvas]

James, Re the one O clock club, this is not what I said! A investigation into how the club is to be run and funded was carried out and we are waiting for the outcome on this.

Renata

Jam_log, I am sending you a PM

[James Barber]

But Renata are you saying you wouldn't be horrified if the 1 O'clock were to close at the same time millions is being put into reservers?

Happy to clarify via PM.

[TE44]

Hi James, you can watch it here.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/4od#3243518

I understand it may be easier for people but many of the mixed recycling bundles end off in landfills

because they are contaminated, and what about the people who do want to seperaste. Dispatches explains the bigger picture better than I can.

I don't agree with private companys dealing with such an important issue, especially companies like this.

http://uk.oneworld.net/article/view/166262/1/5847#top

Has Southwark council had any problems with this company.

[VikkiM]

James, I think posts like your last one are just dishonest. You know as well as I do that money needs to be put into council reserves to deal with the very real possibility of further cuts coming from your government. Southwark's existing reserves are in no way excessive. It's just as easy for me to post that that the One O?Clock Club is at risk because Nick Clegg and your party sold their political principles for the price of a ministerial car. The simple truth is that Southwark has had one of the biggest cuts in budget in London and we?re doing our very best to protect services.

Peckham Rye?s Labour Councillors are 100% committed to having the best quality services for our children. That?s why we?ve fought so hard to secure the capital investment for the One O?Clock Club.

Despite our run ins I am completely genuine when I say that Gavin, Renata and I would warmly welcome your help and support in protecting East Dulwich/Peckham Rye services that are used by East Dulwich ward residents as much as they are used by Peckham Rye ward residents. Your record on the council is much better than the silly post above.

Cllr Victoria Mills

Labour Councillor For Peckham Rye Ward

[email protected]

www.peckhamryelabour.blogspot.com

[James Barber]

hi VikkiM,

I welcome our joint agreement on protecting essential services.

But in February the Labour run council passed a more right wing budget than arch Dulwich Tory councillor Toby Eckersley. He is renounwed for his zealous fiscal prudence but made budget proposals that did not see the need to increase reserves - and he was the executive/cabinet councillor in charge of council finance for two years from 2memory 2006-2008.

The proposed alternative budgets by both the Lib Dems and Tories have to by law be counter signed by the councils Finance Director as fully workable. He signed both alternative budgets that did not more than double the councils reservices over the 3 years as fully workable.

I don't know how having a legally balanced alternative budget proposal counter signed by the finance director is being dishonest. Pointlessly stashing away many many millions into reserves for a rainy day when it feels like its raining a lot now is dishonest. The latest budget statements showed a ?4M underspend also beign added to reserves.

The Labour council has the money please spend it.

[James Barber]

Hi TE44,

It would be interesting to see that Notts information about Veolia costs.

Could you get a copy and share it?

Thanks for the C4 look up 4OD. Useful.

Lets both go and have a look at what Veolia are doing for Southwark?

[TE44]

Hi James, I would have thought you would be in a much better position than me to find out this information, if

you can I would appreciate you sharing it.

One of my concerns about this company is the fact they do not feel they have to answer to the public.

I am also interested in what is happening to our recycling, how much is going into landfills, how much is contaminated,

is it shipped overseas?

Has Southwark council had any problems with this company?

[mynamehere]

As far as I can see Veolia has been allowed to become a virtual monopoly no questions asked. When I asked questions during the trialling period I was referred to the PR man at Veolia who never, not once, knew the answer. All he seems to be is a front to the company and that is to whom Councillor Hargreaves deferred as the depository of wisdom. It must be a charade of mirrors where a swish plant gets built and bins are thickly distributed. The statistic is then quickly forthcoming that recycling is going up and targets are being met and exceeded. Bales are baled... and then returned as contaminated and dumped in landfill. Meanwhile on the streets it is pretty much business as usual albeit with loads and loads of bins (and with garish colours). Skips full of recyclable materials are trundled as usual to kandfills. There seems to be no intellectual desire to get it right, no passion to get it right, no recourse to neutral expert opinion, no long term costing of getting it wrong, no leadership to reeducate a population to change habits with deep understanding of why we're changing and where we're going. Just a statistic: Recycling has gone up! The Blue Bins are full!

[Michael Palaeologus]

Hi James. I was surprised to discover that the Dulwich Leisure Centre no longer offers swimming only memberships. You can either get an all in membersship for about ?46 a month or an annual card that allows you to get a reduced price for swimming. Seems odd, I dont want (and actually cant use) the gym and I wonder why I need to have 60p at 6am in the morning?

Surely, somebody must be able to organise a swimming membership in a way that is financially attractive for all?

[Zebedee Tring]

Does anyone know how much the reduced price for swimming is per month at the DLC? And what is the charge for over 60s swimming?

[James Barber]

Hi Michael, Zebedee,

Thought we'd answered these questions on the forum recently. Have you searched the forum for the answers?

[Thomas Micklewright]

Hey James

There is an issue with morleys who have just opened up on East Dulwich Road by peckham Rye Park - they dont have a late night licencing form and are applying, however there has been a lot of 'trouble' - see morleys thread on the EDF and wondered what the best course of action is to block this application?

Thomas

[Cyclemonkey]

Hi it was me that started the thread about Morleys.

Some of the trouble was localised to our block of flats - our block backs onto that row of shops and we have had some issues but hopefully we have resolved those with the shops manager and their landlord

The wider issue that i have found out today they do not have a valid late night food license. I am concerned that this show a lack of respect for residents the area that they thought they could open until 1 - 2am without the appropriate license and also residents have not had a proper say in this type of shop opening in their area with the attendant issues such as litter, noise and anti social behaviour. i shall be makign representations to the council once they apply for a license but i would be interested in Southwarks licensing policy and if it is accepstable practice to allow late night food takeaways to open up next to 24 convenience stores in a predominatly residential area.

[mynamehere]

http://www.waste-management-world.com/index/display/article-display/3814416209/articles/waste-management-world/volume-11/issue-1/features/dutch-successes.html

This is what the best recycling practice looks like. It's from the Netherlands. They've been the world leaders since the 1990's. In their hub recycling centres they are generating electricity as well as recycling a huge range of materials. Were the Dutch companies considered? France has the same low level of recycling as the UK. I'd love to see the research and hear the conversations behind the decision that was taken to cement Veolia into place

[Andrew1011]

Hi James,

I live in Melbourne Grove and have seen it said on another thread that the recently installed speed humps have had to be temporarily removed because buses are being diverted because of the road works on Grove Vale. Is it true that this has actually happened as a result of threats of potential legal action from TfL in the event of any damage to buses?

If so, I find this very hard to understand in context that there are permanent bus route roads in Southwark which have speed humps/cushions. Any idea why this has happened, and why the apparent expensive policy anomalies?

Thanks.

[James Barber]

Hi Andrew1011,

I'm not aware of any such legal threat but practically you can't expect double decker no.37 buses to go over speed humps and if they did it would cause vibrations for neighbouring houses.

The alternative practically would be to sec the bus route for a period which would leave less mobile people in the lurch.

The end result will be a resurfaced Grove Vale and a better crossing for people accessing Goose Green school from north of Grove Vale.

[Andrew1011]

As I pointed out, there are examples of other roads in Southwark which are permanent bus routes and which have both speed humps and speed cushions.

I've lived in Melbourne Grove for 25 years so have previous experience of house vibrations from much worse buses that we have in service now. I don't recall being consulted about what I and other residents would be prepared to accept in terms of temporary increased vibrations. I suspect this is actually about maintaining bus speeds, with the current consequence of increased car speeds too, and I would much rather the money spent on this temporary action had been used to put in place a permanent solution to drivers who speed into the bend in Melbourne Grove (an issue I mentioned to you at a recent meeting with residents).

[The Palmerston]

Hello James.

I wonder if you could take the time to look at this thread: East Dulwich forum - Advertising on Londis' wall - North Cross Road and advise on who I should speak to with regards to our concerns.

Many thanks

[tiddles]

can we have your feedback on the discussion re the proposed CPZ please?

just the thought of this makes my blood boil. I do not live very close to the streets in this proposal, but can see the council's long term aim of rolling this thro the area the complete area being blighted.

There seems to be very little input from any councillors on this.

[James Barber]

Hi Andrew1011,

I think what is proposed is probably the best overall compromise in the circumstances.

But perhaps we need to check if your perception of speeding is true. Once the speed humps are reinstalled i'll ask if we can have a traffic/speed count.

Hi The Palmerston,

Let me make a point of looking up tomorrow and coming back to you.

Hi riddles,

Southwark have no master plan to roll out controlled parking. This consultation is a direct result of over 40 resident complaints about parking stress and asking for controlled parking. Many people on the doorstep on those streets have asked for about controlled parking but of course those that are happy or it's not an issue for them don't raise it. It will be interesting to see what residents input. Councillors input. I've ensured one of the options is for the zone to operate 10-12 to deter commuters but minimise the impact on local businesses and residents - I had asked for 11-12 but practicalities of enforcing that would be a problem hence 10-12.

[Chener Books]

> 40 resident complaints

An average of 2.7 per affected street.

John K

[HelenG]

James

There has recently been a device/cable (not sure what the correct terminology is here, but stick with me!) stretched across Northcross Road, just along a little from the chip shop, that was allegdly put there to measure the speed of the traffic coming down our road but also with a view to introducing controlled parking here too. (that was according to the chap that removed the thing a couple of days ago).

Is this true do you know? If not, can you shed some light on what they were collecting the information for please.

Thank you

[Andrew1011]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> Hi Andrew1011,

> I think what is proposed is probably the best

> overall compromise in the circumstances.

> But perhaps we need to check if your perception of

> speeding is true. Once the speed humps are

> reinstalled i'll ask if we can have a

> traffic/speed count.

James,

I'm not sure which part of my posting you're referring to, but I don't think waiting until the speed humps are reinstalled is really the answer for the current problem. Two nights ago when trying to cross Melbourne Grove I was almost the victim of a driver who was racing from the direction of East Dulwich Grove, taking full advantage of both the lack of parked cars and speed ramps. However temporary, the arrangements have resulted in higher vehicle speeds and increased danger and they should have been better planned and organised to mitigate for that.

If you're referring to the matter I raised with you personally about the width of the road on the blind bend in Melbourne Grove, which results in drivers dangerously accelerating into it between the speed humps, then I'm not sure a traffic/speed would necessarily help. The issue is about the width and layout of the road at that point and the consequent behaviour of drivers.

A simple and low cost solution would be to have a broken white line in the road where it bends, and of the road width could be addressed with appropriately placed additional three hour (or other) parking bays where there are currently single yellow lines (these are no longer required since the re-routing of the 37 bus). Also, while not stating my position on the proposed CPZ, I note that this problem is not addressed at all in the circulated CPZ plan as it should have been, especially as council officers cite improved safety as one of the outcomes of such a scheme.

[James Barber]

Hi Andrew1011,

You make a very useful suggestion about road making at the junction of Melbourne Grove with East Dulwicg Grove. Practically this old be very cheap to do but I'll ask what the overall processs would cost. Tnk you.