former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[Gadget]

James, As a councillor has anyone approached you about the current situation at Goodrich Primary School? We really need somebody to take an interest in our school. There are 2 much longer, detailed threads running on this already in the family section.

[James Barber]

Hi Gadget,

Lets talk off line.

[tfwsoll]

Hi James

Can I add my frustration at the roadworks at Denmark Hill. I think the lights were rephased once to leave a long enough gap for the idiots who decide to shoot the red light and then encounter a bus or other large vehicle coming the other way. My gripe is that Conway are working at a snail's pace and I don't understand why, when works are taking place on a major public transport thoroughfare, they can't work weekends to complete the contract.

Aside from that, I think it's very positive (and brave) for you to be on here to respond to people's complaints/observations/issues. A friend of mine is a councillor in another London borough and looked aghast when I suggested that he might do likewise on his local forum!

[James Barber]

Hi tfwsoll,

I've just been told that works should end today or tomorrow. On this basis they wont be arranging a change to timings but will consider this for future such lights.

That the policy about where and when to place temporary pedestrian phasing will be sent to me when they have one.

Thanks for your kind comments. Having such a public open surgery has its good and bad points. But generally I'd encourage other councillors to join in where they have the equivalent of EDF. The key seems to be finding such forums and investing a lot of time and effort in getting problems solved and queries answered. Without helpful council and other officials I could'nt answer or solve half the queries that come to me.

[shell]

Hi James,

Someone has fly tipped a window and broken glass into the front garden of my communal flats. I contacted the council who won't remove it since it'd on private land. I can't even lift it out of my garden or I am fly tipping. What should i do? It being there is enticing other rubbish dumps to join in..

[James Barber]

Hi shell,

Call 020 7525 2000 and ask for bulk rubbish collection.

Explain you have a window frame that needs removal.

Before they arrive you'll need to clear the broken glass up.If that doesn't work please email me.

[shell]

Thanks James.. just to clarify,half the glass is still in the frame, what do I do about that? I don't fancy trying to remove it. Also I used the bulk collection recently to get rid of my own rubbish, will this class as mine too and will that mean I can't use it again?

[Polly D]

Hi James

Have to echo other people's comments re the Denmark hill traffic lights and the knock-on effect on camberwell green. This evening coming home from work on a 185 at 5.30pm, traffic was at a total standstill from camberwell green to Denmark hill. And pretty much no traffic got through the lights. I got off at CG and walked all the way to lordship lane without one bus passing me. I see from a previous post of yours that work is due to end today or tomorrow. I sincerely hope so; can't take much more of this.

Would also like to echo other posts that your presence on the forum is appreciated.

Thanks

Polly

[Pugwash]

Just to add to the comments re Denmark Hill - it took me 35 minutes to get from Barry Road to Camberwell this morning, 20 minutes stuck on the stretch of road going down from Dog kennel Hill. 20 minutes late for work. Talking to a Dr at Kings this morning - he was 20 minutes late yesterday morning for his shift.

Had to leave work early at 2.50 - sailed all the way through and did not have to stop!!

[James Barber]

I was told that the road works would end yesterday or today and still in place tonight.

Bother.

I'll chase up why thr inrodinaste delay and also crucially why the amount of road closed could'nt be reduced for the weekend - for example the Champion Park has two westbound lanes closed but only one has been dug up. I can see why both westbound closed when people working on it but not outside working hours.

[James Barber]

Very very occassionally you get the oddest contacts.

Below is the latest.

They really can't have noticed the 5,250 calendar cards distributed in the last 4 weeks. I get about 3-5 phone calls from residents and groups every day and 10-20 emails depending on what's gonig on as well as mobile surgeries knockibg on people's door.

So I wont be bowing to this anonymous pressure but can't say it's pleasant to receive such anonymous contacts.

IF anyone feels I've not given them or their groups sufficient attention please email or call me. I don't bite!

----- Original Message -----

From: Anon

To: Barber, James

Sent: Fri Feb 04 21:30:22 2011

Subject: Contact: Pandering to the middle class

Name: Anon

Phone:

Mobile:

Email: [email protected]

Message:

You appear to be pandering to the middle class a little too much on the EDF and to be honest shows that you'll do anything to get re elected while other groups within our community are being ignored. Stop it and start to help the less fortunate people of East Dulwich.

I shall be raising your over use of The Eastdulwichforum with my MP.

Regards

Anon

[James Barber]

Yesterday I got to use the new shelter on Platform 1 of East Dulwich station. Useful.

It was proposed, applied for and match funded from Cleaner, Greener, Safer funding by East Dulwich councillors.

I had hoped the money would go a little further but it's a start to us helping improve the station with the train operator.

[SeanMacGabhann]

people are so twisted - if that person is aware of the EDF why don't they register and ask you a question if they think the EDF posters get preferential treatement (which is a weird accusation anyway)

But ORDERING you to stop it? Stop... what...

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Oh James, I wouldn't do what you do for a footballer's wage.

Take heart, you do a sterling job (and I don't agree with your politics!)

[Burbage]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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

> But ORDERING you to stop it? Stop... what...

They're not. What they've they've stated is that they'll annoy their MP with a whinge about the conduct of a councillor, though why they've write to the councillor first is not easily discernible. In an ideal world, the MP wouldn't be interested and local politicians would be free from the interference of national politicians, except through parliamentary Acts. However, although it hasn't been an ideal world for a long time, the councillor's correspondent is still on futile grounds, unless success can measured in terms of an intern's boilerplate.

What Anonymous Ed should do is first work out if Cllr Barber's behaviour is a breach of the Code of Conduct and, if it is, complain to the council's Standards Committee, who will assess the case and decide whether or not it should proceed to the national Standards Board, or filed somewhere dark and hollow. As Cllr Barber has unaccountably forgotten to include the details in his necessarily public reponse, complaint form and code od conduct can be downloaded from this page on the council's website.

If Cllr Barber is not in breach of the code of conduct, any vague feelings of miffedness or entitlement can be addressed in the normal fashion at the next council elections. It's why we bother having them.

[James Barber]

Hi Burbage,

I must admit it was such a weird anon email to receive it never occurred to me to point them in the direction the Councillor Code of Conduct. The email address they used was false so I'm unable to respond to them.

Hopefully they'll read your comment.

[James Barber]

We made a promise in 2006 to ensure all ED ward streets had modern street lighting.

So far 62 of East Dulwich?s 65 streets now have modernised street lighting. The final three will be modernised in the next 4-6 weeks with replacement lamp posts taking 8-12 weeks to complete.

Friern Road - All 34 street lights will be upgraded to Cosmo bright white light and 1 structurally unsound lamp post will be replaced. Total cost ?21,222.88.

Crystal Palace Road - Of the 44 lamp posts, 25 lamp posts will be upgraded to Cosmo bright white light, 7 SOX lighting heads which produce a dim yellow light will be upgraded to SON which produce a strong white light with yellow tinge and the other existing SON street lights will be left in place. Total cost ?18,802.39

Dunstans Road - 11 SOX producing dim yellow light will be upgraded to SON strong white light. Total cost ?3,374.12

Barry Road - 4 structurally unsound lamp posts will be replaced and their SON lighting heads reused. Total cost ?6,600.61.

We?re really pleased we?ve nearly delivered this last remaining outstanding election pledge. We have delivered all our other 2006 election promises.

One last note of thanks for all the officers who over the years have made this all possible.

[James Barber]

Hi Dulwich Chef,

Placing car parking i.e. reducing parking controls can be an expensive legal process. I should be meeting the relevant officers in about 4-6 weeks time and will ask then.

One small local tweak they are hoping to fold into other work already planned is to see if loading and unwaiting outside Bells bathrooms can occur - the shop owner has already told me they'd agree to signs being placed on their wall to reduce the costs of posts etc.

Removing the horse box waiting area from behind East Dulwich Police station - horses stopped coming hear MANY years ago.

Probably of more interest is allowing parking on Melbourne Grove near the Grove Vale end. Its no longer a no.37 bus route so doesn't need the parking restrictions that used to require.

Regards james.

[James Barber]

Hi Gadget,

Thank you for raising and highlighting these concerns about Goodrich School. I had heard rumblings but hadn't realised how much was being said.

I've met the head of Goodrich School, head council officer in charge of improving schools and the council Schools Improvement Partner for Goodrich. I've then respoken with the Shirley Paterson the schools head again.

The data for Goodrich School is convincingly positive. Key Stage 1 last results were markedly improved which bodes REALLY well for the future. The Key Stage 2 last results have also been good for the last four years.

The November'10 levels in kids reading, writing and maths are all looking good for when they do their KS2 tests in May. In fact they look ahead of target to reach above 80% in Key Stage 2 in May. 80% places a school in the top quartile for the country.

The contextual value added - how much kids have progressed despite any poor backgrounds, etc - these stats are a sea of green.

Going back over time. The change in head to Shirley Paterson looks to have taken a just Satisfactory coasting school up a notch or two. The last Ofsted report called her inspirational.

My hunch is a few parents want a magic wand for this school to have an Outstanding Ofted report. I'm hopeful that this Autumn terms Ofsted visit will result in it being pronounced Good. Magic Ofsted Outstaning visits of schools don't happen. It takes a huge amonut of work by kids, parents, governors, teachers, support staff, council officers and most importantly the head and her senior management team. We all need to support this school to reach its maximum potential and the next 14 weeks is crucial to build on past years successes.

If anyone has any problems with the school please feel free to email me to see if I can help.

If anyone would like to go through the stats seperately let me know.

NB. the school is planning shortly after half term to hold an evening to go throguh the schools statistics with a council officer who is also an Ofsted inspector. I'm hopeful this will help start to dispel some myths that seem to be circulating around.

[Amelie]

Dear James

Re replacing the streetlights, is there any chance of East Dulwich leading the way and fitting blinkers to its streetlights? The reason I ask is that at the moment the streetlights allow the light produced to form a nimbus around the lamphead. The effect of this is to blot out everything around and above the light, the most notable problem being the impossibility of seeing the stars in the night sky. Blinkers would focus the light into a beam toward the pavement and might help to make the stars more visible.

[James Barber]

Hi Amelie,

Very occassionally residents experience unwanted light shining into their bedroom that their curtains can't block and shields can be fitted to block this. If anyone has this problem do email me as quite easy to fix.

Blinkers. Has this been done anywhere else?

Please do send details. Reducing light pollution sounds great. Apart from making it possible to see the night sky, wildlife would benefit from not having perpetual day time/dusk.

I'll aks officers if they know of any examples.

Could this be achieved quickly?

For East Dulwich ward alone we have 968 lamp posts and 16,500 laqmp posts across the whole of Southwark. So the best that probably could be achieved is to trial your idea on a street to see the costs and impact.

[monica]

Hi James, can you confirm what is happening with the Adoption and fostering Building on East Dulwich Rd? I heard on the Invisible grapevine, that it may be a young offenders Institute. Can you confirm this?

Thanks

[James Barber]

Hi monica,

I'd not heard that rumour.

The council is proposing to close all area housing offices one of which is based no East Dulwich Road and centralise all such fac to face queries onto the internet and a new council housing call centre.

What would become of the building I'm not sure and its a different building to the fostering one.

I'll try and find out what;s planned for both building. This wont be a quick query.

[Ridgley]

What will happen to, people like OAP who don?t have an computer or others in that situation?

[James Barber]

Hi Ridgley,

The officers report stated they could call into the call centre to arrange a home visit IF they are not mobile OR one of the two new effectively super housing offices - Tooley Street and an as yet to be found new Peckham office OR visit one of the One Stop Shops in Rotherhithe or Walworth Road.

This isn't something the Lib Dems would chose to do as we're all for localism.

Regards james.