James Barber

Hi esme, I also share your concerns. Cllr Lewis Robinson as then chair of the Dulwich Community Council agreed to my request to ask a formal question about primary and secondary places for the Dulwich area at 29 November 2011 counrcil assembly - http://moderngov.southwarksites.com/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=25822&ISATT=1#search=%22secondary%20school%20admissions%22 The Question and answer are on page 14 Question 10. The then forecasts of primary places have since been revised upwards. But the response around secondary school places was "The planning for secondary school places is carried out on a borough wide basis and therefore there is not a forecast for the Dulwich planning area". This is despite a question from the Rotherhither Community Council is May 2011 where an answere for Ritherhithe secondary school admissions was given referring to forecast to that area alone. So once we've got January and the new East Dulwich Harris Primary school application submitted ED ccouncillors will be looking at secondary school places. With the latest primary school forecasts for the larger area stating we need 235 extra reception places a year and a normal secondary school takes 150 pupils per year - then despite the recent opening of the ED Harris Boys schools - it FEELS clear to me we need another local state secondary school.

Hi Dulwihcfox, Huge waiting list for allotments. We need more. But such a valuable site is never likely to be turned over to allotments. Hi DJKQ, The site is owned by the Dept of Health. Their plan is to use a PPP to finance a new health facility funded by sale of the remianing land. Most likely for private housing. But we need at least a new Primary school. We have an aging population. Such a big site 27,000m2 should be able to accomodate all these needs. Hi Hugenot, I agree in principle but the London Plan see's an extra 2 millions residents over the next 10-20 years taking Lnodon from 8m to 10m residents. Where should we build 1+ million extra homes just to stand still let alone get to grips with unaffordable house prices?

If anyone has a specific pothole please either email [email protected] (ideally copying me) or call 020 7525 2000. The Greendale flower bed changes are a further attempt to reduce the occurence of car parking by parents dropping and collection children from JAPS and to remove as many bollards as possible while still blocking vehicles from using Greendale cycle and pedestrians paths. A more pressing issue is the very narrow footpath meaning many walk along the main cycle path. And the second most problematic issue is the daft chicane put in the cycle path which needs to be removed. But it's in South Camberwell ward so I have little influence. Guerilla gardening - great idea.

Hi Sue, I attended a pan SE England conference on highways maintenance about a year ago. The pan London contract presentation was depressing and basic procurement practices seemed to be missing. So I'm delighted Southwark havent gone for a one model fits all authorities. It makes it easier to change things to suit Southwark. But yes, my experience of FMConway in Southwark is that they have to be micro managed to ensure bacis like residents being told what is happening. HNY!

Battersea used to have an Elephant shaped water slide. ?Havent been for a couple of years but the kids used to love it and the wave machine.

Hi ORC1, Happy to but it wont be quick and I wasnt aware the definition of pothole has changed. Hi Macroban, The current supplier won. Interesting. London Councils as part of a national plan are trying to come up with a standard spec. for highway maintenance. The idea is then that councils come together to have joint procurement. Southwark have announced that theyre procurement excercise came up with cheaper prices than the pan London procurement excercise.

Many thanks Alan Medic and Sue.

81 is the number of families with children who will start at school in 2014 or 2015. Many wont be thinking that far ahead. Many will assume they're close enough to a school they're happy with and they don't need a new school. 80 is the number expected to apply for a two form entry school. Fingers crossed the application will be successful. It would ensure along with the proposed Judith Kerr school that we have 110 places towards the shortage beings forecast.

Hi jonbateson, Just ping me an email to [email protected] with your name, children's date of birth and home postcode. Happy Christmas.

Amazingly the budget for the current Southwakr mayor is ?250,000 pa.

This is the ticket allocation by library: Blue Anchor 100 Brandon 50 Camberwell 100 Dulwich 100 East Street 50 Grove Vale 50 John Harvard 1370 Kingswood 50 Newigon 1250 Nunhead 50 Peckham 700 All seems a bi wonky - Peckham has 3x the library users compared ot Camberwell both the same distance from The Shard but Peckham library 7x the tickets. Also 4 free tickets per person which is higher than the average household number seems daft. But at least my colleague Paul Noblet who has campaigned for free residents access has achieved this http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/6398

I do but I wish the official comms to all emails and appearing on the website reflected what you're telling us and which other schools your colleagues are thinking they may bulge. I can see pitfalls in broadcasting before applications close - it will affect how people try and play the system and encourage second guessing. But if you're going to do it do it thoroughly.

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/download/6403/starting_primary_school_in_southwark_201314 page 18 shows distance where not all applicants were successful.For Ivydale Sept 2012 admissison 1,062m. The proposal is the second consequitive year Ivydale will take a bulge class - despite brochures saying this wouldnt happen.

Hi Renata, That's not what your cabinet member for children's services has emailed.

This morning the Labour led council have announced all the bulge classes they propose for September 2013: - Albion, Bessemer Grange, Crawford, Dog Kennel Hill, Ivydale and Langbourne will all take an additional 30 reception pupils - Camelot, Charles Dickens, and Grange will each take an additional 15 reception pupils. In addition Keyworth had already agreed to take an additional 15 pupils in 2013 and this information was included in the 2013 primary booklet. So 7.5 extra temporary forms of primary school entries. But the last cabinet papers 20 November pages 92-100 This morning the Labour led council have announced all the bulge classes they propose for September 2013: Albion, Bessemer Grange, Crawford, Dog Kennel Hill, Ivydale and Langbourne will all take an additional 30 reception pupils Camelot, Charles Dickens, and Grange will each take an additional 15 reception pupils. In addition Keyworth had already agreed to take an additional 15 pupils in 2013 and this information was included in the 2013 primary booklet. So 7.5 extra temporary forms of primary school entries. But the last cabinet papers pages 92-100 stated we'd need an extra 7-11 forms of entry to cope with September 2013 for Southwark. So zero margin for error and the one major lesson from the last four years of primary school admissions is you need to have margins for error. For the Dulwich area where its predicted we'll need 2-2.5 extra forms of entry for September 2013 only 2 are being provided. But we also have the issue that the schools taking bulge classes are in locations people don't find easy to get to - Langbourne and Bessemer Grange.

The plan is a one off bulge class.

How bizarre. Let me find out what's gone wrong.

SNAP!

You're all right and wrong. Southwark council is composed ot 21 wards each with 3 councillors. The planning committee has 7 councillors sitting on it. None from East Dulwich by I'm a reserve member. Those planning committee councillors act in a quasi judicial capacity and are meant to look at the merits and demerits of an applciation versus the policies and strategies agreed by the council. We USED to have a local planning committee but with constitutional changes to the council that role was removed from the local Dulwich Community Council. So ward councillors do expect to attend an planning committee that decides this application. Hope this helps clarify things.

To ensure not just forumites are aware of this application we're delivering a letter to surrounding streets. Talking to council officers if people miss the deadline it is quite possible their views will still be considered before the final report is produced for planning committee. Hi Macrobana, A developer pays for pre application advice. I've witnessed advice paid for being later told was totally wrong. So I'm not clear it's always good value for money. Hi Marmora Man, Members and reserve members of planning committees are lobied by developers - usually glossy brochures posted to us often repeatedly at different stages of process. Psychologically it's known this has an impact.

Hi Cora, The Thomas Moore hall has outside space on the SW corner. So they#re proposing to keep that for outside nursery play space. My experience of kids playing outside at nurseries it that it's only a proportion of the day that they werent terribly noisy but noise iwll occur at times. Properties backing onto the site may wish to object or ask for conditions about activities being limited to certain times or numbers. But from maps their immediate neighbours are the blackwater business units, Irish shops and those flats above shops. So it doesnt seem like many residents if any will be affected...?

Thanks to everyone who stopped to say hi at our stall on Lordship Lane today. One person who wished to remain anonymous said they were working on school numbers for Southwark. They were very clear new schools were needed to solve the problem in the Dulwich area.

Hi Fuschia, I'm sorry you feel that. I thought I was being balanced by suggesting results in schools being expanded might not be affected while building works take place with a positive example - effectively dismissing a potential argument against expansion.

Indeed. Free schools are funded by central government. While school expansions are funded by the local authority who without any cpaital plans for such work ask central government nicely - which sadly is most likely doomed to failure certainly for ?40-50m. if the council were to expand schools more cash would pass through Southwarks hand a proportion of which is kept to fund the Southwark Council education dept. services. The academies could apply for funding. I presume they'd need to go through a similar excercise of find supporters which for Dulwich Hamlet shouldnt be hard. The lack of clarity about how much Southwark needs also means any application for funding will be asked for further clarity adding delays. I'm afraid I don't know how the schools would be operationally affected and which bits would need ot be knocked down to make room for new larger buildings. Not an easy experience to work or study through - although St.Anthony's KS2 results are doing really well considering the works they're doing.

I received a call from someone wishing to remain anonymous about this. I contact officers immediately who emailed me back: "Dear Councillor Barber, There have been a number of enquiries about the above over the past week. Some of which have been anonymous." "...team Leader of the Health and Safety team and a known expert in asbestos has visited the site..." as have other Team Leaders in the Council's noise and nuisance team. "...reported that there were asbestos cement roofing sheets that had been removed to a secure part of the site. The sheets were intact and presented no risk to public health. They spoke to the site operatives who advised him of the company that was employed to remove and dispose of the asbestos. Sailesh checked the information provided and can confirm that the company concerned are a reputable company licensed to remove and dispose of asbestos. The enforcing authority for construction sites is the Health and Safety Executive" The HSE have been notigied of this site and the complaints received. "...have dealt with a complaint about a bonfire on site. They visited the complainants property and were unable to witness a smoke nuisance. They advised the complainant to contact them again should the problem recur. The officers spoke to the site operatives and gave advice on what could and could not be burned on site. Essentially it is limited to diseased timber. "Once the officers arrived on site, there was no activity. They walked around the site, could find no evidence of asbestos, but did come across some clear fibre glass sheets that may have been the concern of the anonymous compliant. The officers determined that these were not a risk to public health. However any operative working with this material needs to wear protective equipment. The one operative on site was advised of this. I hope the above answers your enquiry, however if you wish for further information or details please do not hesitate too contact me. Yours sincerely Environmental Health & Trading Standards Manager "