former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[seenbeen]

Hi James,

There has been a house refurbishment going on in 266 Crystal Palace Road since about February and there has been a skip permanently sited outside number 266. The skip was being used at first by the team in the building but now is regularly being filled by different builders who just drive up unload their rubble etc with accompanying dust everytime the skip is removed and replaced.

I have looked at the Southwark site but cannot find any specific guidelines so do not know how to complain as the skip is using valuable parking space, creating dust and noise and is probably now irrelevant to the work going on in the property it is outside. There are no posters or anything for contact on 266 Crystal palace Road either.

[James Barber]

Hi seenbeen,

I have contacted the council team about this via [email protected] and the councillors casework team asking when they will stop giving skip licences to this property.

A one month skip licence is ?76.50. So hardly a deterrent to extended skip presence.

[seenbeen]

Much appreciated James, thank you

[Jacqui5254]

Hi James,

just fyi-ing you as a follow up re my Bulky Waste Collection not being collected.

Following your intervention I had a call from a Manager of Services from Veolia on Thurs [it was meant to be a Monday collection] who suggested there had been a problem with the communication from Southwark services to them and promised a prompt collection.

She also left me her number for any future issues. Very helpful.

On Friday pm I received an email from Southwark, apologising but saying they thought the items had been collected. They had been at that point.

It seems that neither the paid arrangement with Southwark nor the online complaint form ['will respond withing 3 working days'] is working.

Really appreciated yoiur prompt help!

Jacqui.

[James Barber]

Hi Jacqui5254,

I'm sorry you needed to escalate this to me.

Glad we got this foxed for you in the end.

I have highlighted the generic problem to council manager hoping it will be permanently fixed.

[ed_pete]

James - any update on the medical centre that's replacing the hospital. All the building work seems to be for the new school and the medical centre site seems untouched. At this rate the hospital won't be evacuated for another 3-4 years.

[James Barber]

Hi ed_pete,

I'm also a bit concerned that nothing is happening.

Today I was corresponding with a planning team leader ands if I could have schedule of the planning conditions both the new school and health centre and where they are with pleasing them.

Fingers crossed i can get this before the weekend and we'll see where they've reached.

[rch]

I'd been interested to hear what the schedule is as well... I've gotten friendly with the builders as I help to maintain the Physic Garden at the hosp site and they say that once the buildings in the back of the Jarvis Road part of the site are completed, then the demolition of the rest of the hospital (not the Chateau) should commence early next year.

Then, once the site is completely cleared of redundant buildings, the current builders (Keir) will vacate and then the Medical Centre builders can move in and get started.

I think the Med Centre is due to be finished in spring 2019, whereupon NHS staff will move out of the Chateau and into the new Med Centre and then the conversion of the Chateau into the school can begin.

So, it will be interesting to see if there is an official schedule available...

edited to attach a photo I took of the architect's illustration in one of the builders' entrances... the 3 red brick 4-storey buildings in the back of the site are what is being built at the moment

[worldwiser]

Hi James,

Do you have an update on the waste being left outside the new Crawthew Grove flats? It's been 2 months since I drew the attention of the council to this. It's absolutely, irretrievably awful and completely antisocial. It should be the easiest thing in the world to fix.

[James Barber]

Hi rch,

The Charter School East Dulwich has 43 planning conditions of which it looks like 18 need to be discharged before breaking ground or going above ground. By my reckoning 9 have been partially for the current part of the school or totally discharged.

The new Health Centre - 37 planning conditions of which 14 need to be discharged before building works gets under way and ZERO have been applied to be discharged so far. Worrying.

Hi wolrdwiser,

It is awful. I have asked council officials to fix this. I will ask again.

I'll also look at the original plans and check if this is a planning enforcement issue as well.

[rch]

Hi James... my guess is that the school plans to move into the 3 buildings in the back to operate until the rest of the site is converted. From memory, they're currently in a temporary location in Walworth.

If this happens, it will create access problems at that end of Melbourne Grove if staff, parents, and children enter via Jarvis Rd. From memory, there was a condition that only staff could enter via Jarvis Rd.

The Keir builders are very considerate as far as I can tell, although I'm not close enough to be disturbed. They were clear that they are only temporarily using the front of the NHS site on East Dulwich Grove for parking and vehicle storage until this current phase is finished, so they must have temporary NHS permission for access as well?

[rch]

Also, I saw from the Southwark News article that you're aware of the Deliveroo issues at that end of Melbourne, as well?

FYI, last May they applied for a licensing permit to sell off-premises alcohol from that location Mon to Sun 12.00-23.00... am not sure if it was granted, but it would be strange if a location without planning permission was licensed to sell alcohol...?

[rch]

Quick update to the hospital site discussion... I spoke to the building company security guard about timing and he said that the buildings in the back won't be finished until next autumn (around Oct 2018).

In the meantime, the Medical Centre construction is meant to begin in couple months (!), Dec 2017/January 2018, and continue until next autumn as well... the theory is that this whole section of the site should be finished and prepared for use by the end of 2018/early 2019.

Then the NHS staff will move across to the new Med Centre so that the redundant buildings around The Chateau can be demolished whereupon the conversion of The Chateau can commence in tandem with the construction of the new school buildings at the back of the middle of the site.

So, it looks like the Med Centre will be up and running by early 2019 at the latest... will be interesting to see what planning has to say.

I was sceptical, but the security guard said that basic building materials have already started being delivered to the Med Centre part of the site, which is an encouraging sign...

[EdButler]

Hi James,

The railings have been removed from the island crossing by the South Circular just by Highwood Close. They've been missing over 4 weeks now. Can you find out why and if there's plans to replace them. Due in part to the ridiculous situation with no crossing at the old Grove pub, this crossing ends up being rather busy. Lots of parents with children and pushchairs. Also popular with many blind accessing Bradbury Oak House. Really could do with the railings back ASAP

thanks

Edward

[James Barber]

Hi EdButler,

TfL and most councils have policies to remove railings wherever possible. The largest Southwark example of this was removing them from the Walworth Road - where they corralled people walking and made the road feel more like a dual carriageway.

But it might mean a location where railings are removed should be made large to avoid overspill into the road of parents with kids. Is that the situation hear?

[Siduhe]

Ed, do you mean on the traffic island in the middle of the South Circular? If so, I thought the removal of the railings was quite helpful - as the crossing is stepped and not in sync (so you always have to wait for the other side of the road to go red to cross), it can get quite crowded and particularly if there is more than one buggy trying to cross - whereas now you can use the whole width of the island to stand and wait for the other light to change. I can see that the railings are a useful corral if you have small children walking with you and a buggy though.

[EdButler]

Yes that's the one,althogh I hadn't considered the benefit in that way before. My previous house was by the junction that Joanna Reyes was killed by a car mounting the island so guess its always resonated as dangerous. If they could just put a crossing by the Grove we'd all be much better!!

[James Barber]

The old adage 'be careful what you ask for' seems to apply to this...

I've asked whether any of these works will take place during December - crucial period for local businesses - and if this is planned that those plans be amended. I've also asked if the works could instead take place starting in the New Year.

"

Dear Councillors,

For your information please find attached notification letter being delivered to local residents/businesses relating to Footway Refurbishment works starting on Lordship Lane ? Location As shown Below;

Site Address: Lordship Lane,

Footway works ?

(1)Outside 6 - 24 Lordship Lane,

(2)Outside 45 ? 91 Lordship Lane,

(3)Outside 72 ? 78 Lordship Lane,

(4)Outside 96 ? 110 Lordship Lane,

(5)Outside 116 ? 118 Lordship Lane,

(6)Outside 128 ? 138 Lordship Lane.

Footway Refurbishment.From: 03/11/2017 To: 05/03/2018

Footway Closures, Multi-phase signals and No parking Restrictions

Please see attached Map showing planned extent of letter delivery; please let me know if you would like any amendment/addition to the extent of letter delivery area. We will be more than happy to accommodate any such request.

The works are programmed to commence on 3rd November 2017 and will be completed by 5th March 2018. However, this date may be extended if poor weather conditions prevail or any unexpected circumstances.

The above proposed start date may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.

The works will be implemented during Monday ? Friday, 08:00hours ? 17:00hours, we shall endeavour to keep any inconvenience to a minimum and would like to assure you of our best intentions at all times.

If you require any further details please feel free to contact me.

We apologise for any short term inconvenience the works may cause to local people.

"

[BrandNewGuy]

James, please could you possibly chase up the siuation with regard to the lease on Green Dale fields? Meadow Residential have now given up their planning appeal for the two applications regarding the proposed DHFC/housing development, but it's not clear from their latest statement if they're carrying on with the legal case against LBS trying to keep the Green Dale lease.

[bodsier]

Also James I'm wondering whether you were successful I. The cleaner greener safer application for the pathway leading to abbots wood and sainsburys from Dylways.

[rch]

Thanks for posting the footway refurbishment locations, James... I've walked through them now and it appears that the entire west side of Lordship Lane from Goose Green almost up to Melbourne is going to be refurbished and then the section from North Cross down to Frogley on the east side is going to be done.

I'm assuming that they are going to upgrade the pavement to the same granite paving slabs that were used on the side of Lordship from North Cross to Shawbury so that the entire parade eventually matches, but I'll try to confirm this.

The one section on the west side that doesn't appear to be included is the really bad patch between Sage Mews and Bassano Street (112-114 Lordship), which I posted the attached photo of on another thread... but conveniently, I've just applied for a Devolved Highways CGS grant to address that section.

There are some other serious sunken pavement problems up by Jade and Oddonos which won't be addressed by these works either (which a second Devolved Highways bid that I put in could be used to address), but I'll discuss those on the other thread.

[evilmanic]

Hi James,

As I think has been reported here before, there has been a water leak on Forest Hill Road for about the last 6 months, it's a slow leak but it's quite slippy from the algae there and once it ices over, it'll be worse.

Outside the SeaMaster chip shop, 36 Forest Hill Road.

Thames Water say that they've been waiting on a parking bay suspension for 6 months to fix this but nothing has come from the council, can you speak to some people please?

[James Barber]

My understanding is that these leases have reverted to Southwark Council.

BrandNewGuy Wrote:

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

> James, please could you possibly chase up the

> siuation with regard to the lease on Green Dale

> fields? Meadow Residential have now given up their

> planning appeal for the two applications regarding

> the proposed DHFC/housing development, but it's

> not clear from their latest statement if they're

> carrying on with the legal case against LBS trying

> to keep the Green Dale lease.

[James Barber]

Hi evilmanic,

How ridiculous - I've contacted council officials to ask if this is true. A 6 months delay to get a parking bay suspended to allow a water leak repair is so outlandish I find it hard to believe as a Thames Water excuse.

evilmanic Wrote:

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

> Hi James,

>

> As I think has been reported here before, there

> has been a water leak on Forest Hill Road for

> about the last 6 months, it's a slow leak but it's

> quite slippy from the algae there and once it ices

> over, it'll be worse.

>

> Outside the SeaMaster chip shop, 36 Forest Hill

> Road.

>

> Thames Water say that they've been waiting on a

> parking bay suspension for 6 months to fix this

> but nothing has come from the council, can you

> speak to some people please?

[James Barber]

Hi rch,

You spotted that as well. I've submitted a bid for devolved highway renewal budget to cover that and some other issues on Lordship Lane as well.

rch Wrote:

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

> Thanks for posting the footway refurbishment

> locations, James... I've walked through them now

> and it appears that the entire west side of

> Lordship Lane from Goose Green almost up to

> Melbourne is going to be refurbished and then the

> section from North Cross down to Frogley on the

> east side is going to be done.

>

> I'm assuming that they are going to upgrade the

> pavement to the same granite paving slabs that

> were used on the side of Lordship from North Cross

> to Shawbury so that the entire parade eventually

> matches, but I'll try to confirm this.

>

> The one section on the west side that doesn't

> appear to be included is the really bad patch

> between Sage Mews and Bassano Street (112-114

> Lordship), which I posted the attached photo of on

> another thread... but conveniently, I've just

> applied for a Devolved Highways CGS grant to

> address that section.

>

> There are some other serious sunken pavement

> problems up by Jade and Oddonos which won't be

> addressed by these works either (which a second

> Devolved Highways bid that I put in could be used

> to address), but I'll discuss those on the other

> thread.