former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[cazkid]

Hi James,

Ive noticed that there are new 'Traffic Enforcement Camera' signs outside the police station and a little further on, on lordship lane, does this mean that a CCTV camera has been installed to catch people parking illegally/bus-lane offences or is it the warning sign for the smart car parking cameras?

[James Barber]

Hi cazkid,

For several years residents have complained about the illegal and intimatory car parking taking place there. It has beenreally tricky to get progress resolving these very local problems. So these cameras will be an attempt to bring semblence of order without endangering Parking Enforcement officers or puting residents in position where they feel exposed for their own safety.

My expectation they will be mix of covert and overt smart car CCTV.

If you wish to talk further about this then please email me.

[James Barber]

Voter regristration forms should be arriving now on doormats. Pleasedo ensure you respond to stay on thre electoral roll. Also I believe credit/mortgage agencies use the electoral roll to help confirm bona fide nature of people.

[Fuschia]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> For several years residents have complained about

> the illegal and intimatory car parking taking

> place there. It has beenreally tricky to get

> progress resolving these very local problems. So

> these cameras will be an attempt to bring

> semblence of order without endangering Parking

> Enforcement officers or puting residents in

> position where they feel exposed for their own

> safety.

> My expectation they will be mix of covert and

> overt smart car CCTV.

> If you wish to talk further about this then please

> email me.

Where is it you're not allowed to park? I know there are restrictions at the bottom of Whately Rd aren't there... and I'm a bit vague about LL itself, some times of day are Ok, some aren't...

[James Barber]

Hi Fuschia,

Around East Dulwich about 3 hotspots where the parking restrictions stated on little plates on poles are regularly removed so enforcement can't take place. When the plates are in place enforcement officers have been repeatedly intimidated. These locations are known and if the problem continues we end up having to make them double yellow lines which don;'t need the plates and no parking is allowed.

So as long as your taking notice of the yellow lines and signs you should have nothing to worry about.

[James Barber]

A public consultation will shortly take place, my guess about 4 weeks time, whether residents would support 20mph speed limits with traffic calming on Matham Grove, Chesterfield Grove and Ashbourne Grove - probably in the form of sinusoidal humps and 20mpn signage only for Blackwater and Bassano.

I'm expecting to view the draft consultation documents on Monday.

One suggestion was to reverse the one-way worknig of Matham GRove. Any views please email me.

[louisiana]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> Hi louisiana,

> The recession has not been good for that scheme.

> I'm due to call the developers and will do so

> today.

So, any news? Ivan Bateman is around and dealing with communications.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Southwark Council seems to be obsessed with installing speed bumps. How about enforcing the speed limit? I have an old Fiesta and going over one of those bumps, even at 15 mph is uncomfortable. The guys speeding down the road in their BMWs / 4X4s won't give a monkeys if there is a hump there or not (actually, careering over them at speed is probably considered more fun). Speed bumps are such an unfocussed and lazy response to dangerous drivers. It also increases CO2 and creates a lot of noise for residents.

[peterstorm1985]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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

> Southwark Council seems to be obsessed with

> installing speed bumps. How about enforcing the

> speed limit? I have an old Fiesta and going over

> one of those bumps, even at 15 mph is

> uncomfortable. The guys speeding down the road in

> their BMWs / 4X4s won't give a monkeys if there is

> a hump there or not (actually, careering over them

> at speed is probably considered more fun). Speed

> bumps are such an unfocussed and lazy response to

> dangerous drivers. It also increases CO2 and

> creates a lot of noise for residents.

Completely agree. Awful things. They don't stop any 4x4 speeding - although they may cause the driver to be distracted and therefore dangerous - they provide a lovely test track for all those vehicles designed for furrowed farm tracks, and make life much harder for cyclists.

[louisiana]

We - while in a normal car - got harassed from behind by a 4x4 driver yesterday. They just steam through speed bump streets at 40mph.

I quite like the idea of publishing the number plates of offending drivers/photos of offending vehicles.

[James Barber]

Hi rahrahrah, peterstorm1985, louisiana,

Blimey!

Speed enforcement by the Policei n London is largely under the control of the Mayor of London. Ken Livingstone halved the number of traffic Police, Boris Johnson hasn't reversed that and nearly closed the Police unit that concentrates on lorries obeying the law - such an uproar he did as U turn.

Locally we've arranged for the East Dulwich and village Police to have speed radar guns but they can;t enforce speeds all the time and even East Dulwich with 65 street some as long as Crystal Palace Road. To declare an area 20mph, unless the aveage speed is under 20mph already, has to have physical measures to make people travel at 20mph. Hence speed bumps.

Average speed cameras could enforce 20mph areas but the Labour govt really put the brakes on this tecdhnology being approved for 20mph and Tory side of coalition believe breaking the law when speeding should'nt be enforced with cameras.

So we're stuck with either allowing speeding or installing humps.

Several types of humps. The best are sinusoidal humps as installed on Melborune Grove betweem Grove Vale and East dulwich Grove which affect all vehicles including 4x4's Speed cushions which 4x4's can ignore are installed on Melbourne Grove betweem Lordship Lane and East Dulwich Grove.

What is proposed is sinusiodal humps.

The other benefit of such humps is not just the speed reduction but also that they discourage rat running along residential streets.

If we could take photos on number plates etc - that's the same technology to record entering and leaving number plates which would be fab as humps can be very uncomfortable for people with disabilities.

[James Barber]

Former East Dulwich councillor Richard Thomas created a scheme to try and help Independant Local Retailers by improving the Environment (ILRE). Every community council area was given funds to spend improving local shopping.

The decision of how to spend this for Dulwich was taken when 6 conservative councillors and majority was allocated to Norwood Road.

However, we did reach agreement for the environment for shops on Underhill Road to be improved.

Attached are artists impressions of how it should look.

[pecksniff]

Hi James

Was wondering if you have an update regarding the query relating to the overgrown trees at the rear of the Thai Pavillion on Melbourne Grove.

Thanks

[James Barber]

Hi pecksniff,

Not yet. I'll have to chase officers for response ot question if council can do anything.

I suspect it will be problem for you to deal with directly with the owner.

[Mick Mac]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> Former East Dulwich councillor Richard Thomas

> created a scheme to try and help Independant Local

> Retailers by improving the Environment (ILRE).

> Every community council area was given funds to

> spend improving local shopping.

>

> The decision of how to spend this for Dulwich was

> taken when 6 conservative councillors and majority

> was allocated to Norwood Road.

>

> However, we did reach agreement for the

> environment for shops on Underhill Road to be

> improved.

> Attached are artists impressions of how it should

> look.

It loooks good - Is anything going to happen?

[louisiana]

Hi James

Re the proposed library site next to the station:

My query below 17th August (you were going to call the developer that day), a reminder from me on 23rd (see above).

Any chance of a response on this one? You did a big sales job on it at the time, but as I mentioned previously St Aidan's Group (now Jersey - they liquidated all their UK companies a while ago) and Ivan Bateman don't seem so good on delivering actual projects of any benefit.... But they are very good at using nice-to-haves (that library, markets, a cinema etc etc) to get planning permission before 'flipping' the property

------

Posted by: James Barber August 17, 10:42AM

Hi louisiana,

The recession has not been good for that scheme.

I'm due to call the developers and will do so today.

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

Regards [email protected]

07903 964130

Liberal Democrat Councillor for East Dulwich Ward

Chairperson of Dulwich Community Council, Lib Dem Environment & Transport spoksperson

[www.jamesbarber.org.uk]

[twitter.com]

[James Barber]

Hi Mick Mac,

Yes, Project Manager on the case, artitects have done detailed drawings, and I believe the planning application has been submitted.

Hopefully all installation will happen before Xmas.

[James Barber]

Hi louisiana,

You've asked about the proposed new Grove Vale library and St.Aidan's.

Firstly St.Aidan's. Their latest scheme is a business centre in Croydon and its reached the first floor. So I can only assume they don't just sell approved schemes but do indeed build some of them themselves. I can;t comment on Crystal Palace as I don't know anything about that.

New Grove Vale library. I came up with the idea in 2005 and a scheme achieved planning permission in January 2008 after hurculean negotations during a crazy property market. Unfortunately the economic bubble burst and bank lending is problematic meaning the orignal scheme doesn't work commercially.

Saying all that things have been proposed, commented on etc since then at frequent intervals. Attached is the latest ground floor I've seen. The blue would be an aspirational retailer/coffee shop I've been told possible names but that means nothing until ink dried. The green would be the new Grove Vale library around 280m2 which is roughly twice the size of the current one which is 144m2.

The new library would come with peppercorn rent, etc. So moving the current library alone would save a little more than 25% of the current Grove Vale library costs.

Problems. Clear that council budgets will be cut. Whether this library saving 25%+ would still be kept open by the administration isn't yet clear as they have a lot of options to consider.

Next steps. The developer working up detailed plans and submitting them - which I expect within the next 8 weeks. Council then deciding whether it wants to take up the option of a new enlarged library on peppercorn rent or close Grove Vale library. Our community then commenting whether they agree with the scheme or not and telling planning officers. Then a planning committee sitting and deciding.

I'm clearly prejudicial as I came up with the idea of incorporating a new library in any scheme so I wont be on any committess making decisions. But I would expect to speak at any planning committee as a ward councillor.

Have I answered your questions?

[James Barber]

Apologies the resident from Lordship Lane amongst odd numbers 331-351 I've lost your pseudonym so can't PM you.

Officers have told me the following about gas works which have so far taken 10 weeks:

"

Thank you for your email enquiring about the works being carried out on Lordship Lane.

Unfortunately, Southern Gas has encountered a few problems.

Please see below an explanation / outline of the works being carried out.

Section from outside 310 Lordship Lane to junction of Barry Road -

- Started as planned on 16th August under 4 way temp signals.

- Found unrecorded back feed and buried valve (S/O Barclays Bank and hardware shop).

- Abandoned 18" main yesterday (from 310 to outside St Thomas More Church) approx 260m.

- Approx 2 weeks remaining.

- Will be resourced Tuesday to weld new pipe and insert across junction in one operation (working extended hours as required).

Section from Friern Road to Court Lane -

This section was planned to be finished and reinstated before 16th August, but over ran due to the following reasons -

- The 18" main dives to approx 1.4m cover, therefore making insertion not an viable option.

- Had to open cut, taking longer to lay new main.

- Had a broken water main at junction of Court Lane (not damaged by MUS) that took approx 1 week to get repaired.

- Had some access problems to properties whilst renewing services.

- Team are backfilling trench and service connection holes today and tomorrow so reinstaters can be on site over weekend to tarmac.

The Road Network engineers will continue to monitor the works to ensure that Southern Gas keeps to the schedule.

"

Coming across all these unexpected problems - especially 260m of abondoned mains which I'd guess is cast iron - is very hard to keep to any project plan or schedule.

[Marmora Man]

It seems, perhaps, that the reservoir work on Homestall Road and close to the Harris Girls School is about to complete.

See: Homestall Road - Humps

If this is the case will the council make good its promise to remove the traffic lights at Forest Hill Road / Colyton Road junction. Their installation created endless traffic queues where before there had been none, but did nothing to improve safety.

[James Barber]

Hi Marmora Man,

I do recall such a promise being made.

I've contacted officers asking this question and await their reply.

[Vickster]

100% agree with this, the traffic lights are a nightmare, and they were always supposed to be temporary. I also think they are contributing to the extra traffic we are experiencing on Underhill Road as people cut up round the lights. Traffic on Underhill Road near the Dunstans Road junction, as I have previously mentioned, seems to be increasingly travelling at excess speed, as there do not seem to be clear road markings to let traffic know that they are moving from a 30moph zone to a 20mph zone.

Marmora Man Wrote:

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

> It seems, perhaps, that the reservoir work on

> Homestall Road and close to the Harris Girls

> School is about to complete.

>

> See: Homestall Road - Humps

>

> If this is the case will the council make good its

> promise to remove the traffic lights at Forest

> Hill Road / Colyton Road junction. Their

> installation created endless traffic queues where

> before there had been none, but did nothing to

> improve safety.

[James Barber]

The new Labour run Southwark Council is proposing to move to fortnightly rubbish collections and make the garden waste collections weekly and add food composting. Surprised this wasn't in their manifesto.

Anyway a 'trial' involving 10,000 homes in East Dulwich and Dulwich is proposed to start in October.

Weirdly this is not considered by the new administration a major change so has side stepped the majority of the governance mechanisms allowing scrutiny.

Do you want fortnightly bin collections?

Will you recycle food?

[expat]

>make the garden waste collections weekly and add food composting. Surprised this wasn't in their manifesto.

Unless of course it was under the 'Improve recycling rates'

How does this party political rant help?

[James Barber]

Hi expat,

I don't think I've ranted.

The trial involving 10,000 homes and around 30,000 residents is proposed as a minor amendment to contracts and consequently sidesteps the councils forward plan, isn't subject to a formal report to community councils or council assembly or consultation with residents.

If anyone doesn't like the idea 'tough' is the democratic implication.

Now, do you think it a good idea or not?