James Barber

Hi redmonkey, I initiated a campaign for a new secondary school publicly 5 December 2013. When it reached sufficient sufficient from parents to justify a free school application I asked the first 20 parents interested in helping to form a Parent Steering Group to make the decision which provider to go with. Sadly The Charter School took the news badly that they weren't chosen. We ran a thorough process to review strengths and weaknesses and they lost. Parents will need to choose which campaign they wish to support. More of the same from The charter School or a adding a new choice in the form of Haberdashers' Aske's. If both bids are sumbitted then the Department for Education will decide which they prefer. The only feasible for a new secondary school site in the area is the Dulwich Hospital site (roughtly 2/3rds). I submitted a Right to Contest to obtain that 2/3rds. We await the outcome of that Right to Contest. I was clear in that applciation that the land was beign requested for the new secondary campaign we East Dulwich wards councillors initiated and led. What's particularly sad is The Charter School have been asked by the council if they would consider opening another secondary school in the north of the borough. They've said no. They're spending money of what appears professional canvassers lobbying outside schools. Existing Charter School parents may question whether such a diversion of resources away from teaching their children is the best possible use of resources.

Hi sue k, Yes I supported Chris by attending the. planning Committee and speaking against the planning application as a ward councillor. As ward councillors my colleagues cllr Jonathan Mitchell, cllr Rosie Shimell and myself had called this application in to be decided by councillors. Officers recommended granting planning permission and by a majority the committee granted permission. Very disappointing. The developers were clear to the planning committee they'd like to talk to Chris which was obvious at the time a shallow promise since sadly born out by events. Since that committee we've been trying to find a different shop unit to transfer the business into. I'm still hopeful but their will probably be a gap. If anyone knows of a local shop unit available please let Chris know ASAP.

No I don't think it resolves the problem Kiera. Still defiantely a work in progress.

Hi BeccaL, No need to register again on the Haberdashers' Aske's website. We have all the details. Late June the final stage in Haberdashers' Aske's Federation governance process to be 100% committed to apply for a new East Duwlcih free school. Between now and then they are undertaking lots of due diligence on need, how they'd do it, etc. So until late June when we and they expect to go from 99% to 100% we would still prefer families to show their support via www.newschool.org.uk as we then have the ability to take this support to another provider in extremis. Hope that makes sense.

The Bakerloo Line extensions proposed by TfL involve 6 trains per hour from Elephant&Castle. But the Bakerloo Line has many more trains than that per hour. The obvious solution is to split the line and have two branches - one along OKR perhaps and another through Camberwell and beyond. it should be an either or.

Haberdashers' now have a page on their site about this project: http://www.haaf.org.uk/New-East-Dulwich-Secondary-School-1

Hi ITATM, Yes, but useful to have more people highlight this. Circa 3 months ago I asked council officers to assess whether the guardrailings could be removed and recyclnig repositioned. It is taking a lot of chasing to make progress on this I'm afraid but I'm still chasing. I'm hopeful that by the summer it will be sorted. Making Lordship Lane 20mph will have helped, certainly makes removing the guardrailing possible, by reducing speeds a smidgen.

Hi LouiseC, As Denmark Hill also has TfL services there I've asked GLA Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon if she can apply pressure for a second ticket machine and whether the Camberwell Society idea of opening up another entrance could be explored. I suspect resistance due to the amount of money already spent on Denmark Hill - even if all that cash resulted in more congestion! LouiseC Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hi James, could you possibly speak to the train > company re: Denmark Hill having an extra ticket > machine, it's even busier than ED, so having only > one really isn't viable. If people could update > Oyster cards at the ticket office this would also > help, are you aware of any plans for this to > happen?

Useful video. Thank mynamehere. Which junction do you think we should apply this to first in Dulwich?

Hi unlurked, The planning application has been submitted but it hasn't yet been accepted and 'registered' by planning officers. This step can take anything from a day to months or never. Until its 'registered' no planning officers will be assigned and no public consultation is started and the planning application clock doesn't start ticking. When it has been accepted and 'registered' then East Dulwich councillors will encourage residents to respond to the public consultation.

I don't know and will find out.

Hi Caroline_s, When I spoke to Harris Project Manager he was clear they had high 50's out of the 60 places allocated. With so many local residents not getting any of their preferences I be amazed if this school want full in September.

Yes Gorrty. Application in progress and I'd be amazed if the Department of Education/Educational Finance Agency don't approve the free school application.

Hi Caroline_S, The new East Dulwich Harris Free School, as with other free schools when they open in Southwark, isn't part of the regular admissions process. So parents get two applications and two places and then have to decide which one to release. So we know that upto 60 places in the area are duplicated. For many having a temporary site for this school on Homestall Road September 2014 and then a permanent site on the former East Dulwich Police statino junction of Lordship Lane with Whateley Road September 2015 is too complicated for them. Yesterday when I spoke with Harris they had several places.

Hi iclaudia, The stats usually show the Dulwich area and SE22 to be lower than this. But as with previous years the summary stats haven't been broken down in advance, despite requests in advance for this. The area around Homestall Road and Melford Road will be significantly lower. The good news is that with a local free school opening this September we have an extra 60 places. The central admissions didn't include these. So we have 60 families with offers for East Dulwich Harris Primary school AND another offer in a local primary school. These offers shaking out with people deciding which of the two places they currently have will result in more movement with 60 places locally being released.

Good luck to parents. This years overall 79.20% of families have been allocated their 1st preference, 94.0% one of their six preferences, 5.8% have been offered an alternative places. These numbers are worse than last year by respectively 3%, 1.9% and 1.8%. Please see attached spreadsheet. For helpeither contact a local councillor or use the School Preference Service - see attached for details. Don't forget new free schools are outside this system so the new East Dulwich Harris Primary School opening Setpember 2014 on Homestall Road and then moving permanently to the East Dulwich former police station Sept'15 may have the odd place during the shake out.

Hi Otta, I didn't think you were. I wanted to answer so others had as much context and transparency as possible. I've never been or seen their 'clubhouse'. Head boys and girls are apparently invited to become haberdashers'. The company also have sponsorship for those going to Russell Group universities, etc. Apparently they insist that pupils in their state schools have the same opportunities as their pupils in their private schools.

Hi Otta, You don't get to be a charity since 1369 (from memory) without being cautious. The Worshipful Company will make a final go/no-go decision late June. This is the final project decision gate for them to apply in November to open our free school. We're 99% certain they will proceed. The 1% is if they hadn't spotted something crucial. It's also to ensure that by late june Knight's Academy has made the progress required. We could have achieved 100% certainty by going with Harris last Autumn but that wasn't what people told us they wanted. And with two Harris secondary schools we concurred.

I've added to the first post on this thread the logic and thinking behind choosing Haberdashers' Aske's over The Charter School. Any question about it please email me direct.

Have you not got a URL to link to this consultation?

No, Otta. When the minimum wage was introduced it did not lead to lots of jobs being lost. It led to poor people having a little more money which they spent on local services creating more jobs. This is why even the Tory party now support the minimum wage having previously predicted huge job losses. The Living Wage is a logical extension of the minimum wage. I hope that the minimum wage will ASAP be raised to Living Wage rates. It is crazy that we all pay more taxes to pay for benefits to subsidise low wages. I'd sooner pay sensible honest prices to employ people on sensible wages. Back to cinemas. Can't wait for the Picturehouse to submit its planning application and open before Christmas.

Hi unlurked, Large Eurobins are necessary because Lordship Lane businesses don;t work in concert with one cheaper contractor.

Hi 85volga, Commercial businesses each have commercial waste contracts for waste disposal. In an ideal world all the Lordship Lanes businesses would have one commercial waste contractor realising lots of bulk purchasing savings and ensuring a better service. When asked the business association SSBA didn't feel they wee suitable for this. But they're interested in forming a Business Improvement District (BID). If successful I could see this taking such a scheme forward and others. Bulk energy buying being another ya to save lots of cash for local indie businesses. Until then though please email specific locations and times troubling you and I will try and improve. Hi Zenoria, I've not spotted any planning application yet. If you spot a planning notice for the site on any lamp posts please prod me ASAP.

I'm really sorry Stateeducation that the proposed new Haberdashers' Aske's East Dulwich College have offended you. Clearly no amount of consideration was ever going to satisfy you unless it produced the result you want. I'm sorry but The Charter School bid was good but not as good at the Haberdashers'. Many on the Steering Group who clearly started the process favouring The Charter School changed their minds when they had all the facts submitted by the providers. I'm proud of the East Dulwich community leadership role I and my ward colleagues have played in getting us this far. Not much point electing people to be councillors if they don't get things done. I'm also proud of the Harris Primary school that we did move heaven and earth to acquire the former East Dulwich Police Station site to house it on. I'm proud of all the 20mph and traffic calming, regenerated Dulwich Leisure Centre, new grove vale library coming next Spring. I could go on and on and on. I'm a small p politician solely in it to make a positive difference. I am committed to make East Dulwich great. For that we need people to have great reasons to stay rather than the flight to the suburbs for great schools that is still taking place. When families stay they contribute more to the community making longer term links. What's your vision for the area? Why don't you stand publicly without hiding behind anonymity?

Hi Stateeducation, No stitch up. The recommendation of which free school applications should be approved will be made by civil servants and Lord Nash (a conservative peer) will make the decision. I am frustrated that two school providers will be applying for the same location. Each bid will involve huge expense and senior management time and one must lose and will see no gain for the resources consumed. The Steering Group and Haberdashers' are non political. Frustratingly so when we need to twist some arms. The one good thing is The Charter School application will ensure they won't be able to contest the Haberdashers' application stating no need or demand for a secondary school.