lesalden

What amazes me is that they never consider the effect of the greatly increased fuel consumption in a 20mph zone. Everywhere else the are on about reducing Carbon footprint. But this issue never appears in the 20mph proposals as a factor to be considered. Also if we are talking about reducing accidents (sorry that's not PC - you have to say 'collisions' nowadays) they never publicise that the biggest cause of 'collisions' between children and motor vehicles is when the vehicle is going backwards. Is this in fact really a war on the motorist?

I can never understand why people you see on television or films are regarded as 'famous'. They are just doing a job they are good at - the same as a solicitor or a carpenter. When you see one of these people sitting next to you in the doctor's waiting room or eating egg and chips in the BBC canteen you realise they are just ordinary people doing an ordinary job. They deserve not to be pointed at in the supermarket aisle. Politicians are the only ones who deliberately put themselves in the public eye.

Estate agents are hardly adding to the GDP. Better if all these agents were gainfully employed.

Do we need any more Estate agents? What about the council policy of at least 50% retail in 100 metres. Or will this be fiddled again ("we remeasured it") like Cafe Nero in LL. As for Foxtons I was surprised they can get away with a business model which charges two and a half times their competitors.

I must have had a dozen Estate Agents putting a card through my door telling me how desirable my house is and how they have loads of clients waiting for a house in my street. Now I have signed up with one of them I find things are very different. Only 4 viewings in two weeks. Did I choose the wrong Estate Agent? Does anyone else have experience of this?

I have spoken to Charlie Smith the Labour ED Councillor about this. It was also discussed at the ED Labour Party Ward meeting. It seems a completely illogical policy - H&S gone mad again. Charlie agrees and will take it up. I suggested to him this is a test of whether the Members (representing the residents) or the Officers (representing themselves) run the council. Good on you Charlie! Les Alden Upland Road

The Southwark one is in the Old Kent Road near the old gasworks. Its brilliant. You just drive up the ramp and throw your stuff into the correct bin. The staff are very helpful. They haven't said "You can't dump that there 'ere" to me once!

There seems to be confusion between two types of dropped kerb. Type A is where the drop is near a junction for the convenience of pushchairs etc. They are about one metre wide.I can see why this should be enforced. Type B is to allow access to a residential forecourt. This is installed at the request of a householder. It is usually two metres wide. It would be excessive to put double yellows here. They would all be overlapping each other down our street!! Please could our councillors clarify this.

Lambeth Council have a more rate-payer friendly approach. They have instructed wardens that vehicle must be more than one third on the pavement. The Hitlerite enforcement of Parking became an election issue some years ago and the Labour Party promised reform. Southwark Council be warned!

This scaffolding scam with the council has been going on for years. When I paid for scaffolding it was a fixed price for the first month and then a weekly charge until you told them it was no longer wanted. Good luck to the councillors if they can crack this one. It could be something to do with the trouser leg brigade!

The law says when entering the box you must have a "reasonable expectation" of being able to leave it. If someone nips in front of you from ED Grove then your expectation has been frustrated. Seems a good defence to me.

It seems that the relentless march of humps and controlled parking will continue despite what residents want. The new council says it wants to consult and even serve the residents. In many areas they are doing a good job. But in just this one area they seem to have no control over the council department. I can only suspect that it is more about keeping certain contractors in work than actually doing what local people want. I call upon our councillors to sort this out urgently and to listen to the residents. Remember councillors are only representative electors. The council legally consists of all of us! Les Alden

The meeting is at East Dulwich Community Centre, Darrell Road SE22 9NL 7pm Monday 12th October. The Scrutiny Committee has the power to question Council Officers and Leading Councillors about the situation and why they have taken certain decisions. It cannot itself take a decision. It is therefore a useful way of the public expressing their concerns. I am pleased they have agreed to take deputations. My main concern is that the room is not big enough so if you have a real personal concern you want to get across I suggest you arrive early. After the meeting someone should start a new thread about what happened and the way forward. Les Alden Prospective Labour Councillor for East Dulwich

JBARBER Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > I'm sorry for the touch on politics that offended. > The propsective Labour East Dulwich candidate Les > Alden critised a decision taken by his Labour > colleagues in Peckham Rye. I felt obliged to point > this out rather than it be assumed he was > criticising me as Lib Dem councillor not listening > to East Dulwih residents. I am rather pleased to learn from Cllr Barber that local councillors have a Yes or No power over putting in humps. By implication this means he is responsible for all the new humps in East Dulwich over the last three years. And yet a resident in Hindmans Road came to me to say that she had not been consulted and more or less regarded the imposition of humps by the council as something beyond her control. 20mph seems to be acceptable to most residents. The trouble is that when they are consulted about traffic calming they are not told all the alternatives including an analysis of environmental impact. It's humps or no 20mph zone! Local councillors should not let this happen! Some will know that I have been writing to the Southwark News over a long period against the imposition of humps. Sometimes jovial and sometimes about the more serious concerns of disabled people. The bottom line is that residents should be consulted on all the alternatives - even if putting in more expensive options delays the rollout across the borough. I will not support any traffic calming at all unless there has been full - and provable - resident consultation and acceptance. Les Alden Prospective Labour candidate for East Dulwich

ginarog Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hi J Barber, > > I live on Cornflower Terrace, which earlier this > year received a brand, spanking new speed bump. > Although the road is not more than 120 meters and > has very,very low traffic levels, and despite all > residents signing a petition the street still > received one. Why didn't you listen to us? This is happening all the time and it is ridiculous how residents are not listened to. As I said earlier in this thread traffic surveys often do not justify the bumps but they still go in. Why? Whose decision? What control do local councillors exercise? Nice work for the contractor! Les Alden Prospective Labour Candidate East Dulwich Ward