James Barber

Hi ITATM, No, we could wait for a more unusual provider - perhaps faith. Or we could wait until we have no spaces even with bulging new classes. Hi Fuschia, That anti website - well did it need to warp the facts or present them so blatantly. I'm not surprised that schools have people paid more than ?60,000pa. Or that Harris has more over time as it grows.

Guys. We need two to three new primary schools. Harris Federation have a near perfect record of creating Ofsted outstanding rated schools. If we get new outstanding schools we will give our local children a great start in life. Little things such as more kids having a school close to where they live. Whether you like academies or not - they were started over a decade ago under Labour and the coalition have increased the number and added free schools. Overall no research that acadamies produce better results but cosst more. BUT Harris are an exception. 9/10 of their schools are outstanding. For those concerned the lead official is Sir Robin Bosher the ex.head of Fairlawn. Plenty of local families are delighted when their kids get places there.

Hi cornelia, I see them as complementary. I hope we have three new schools one being the German/English school. Mrs.Lotte, I have a formal question lined up to explore secondary school places. But not reached the stage of bulge classes at our secondary schools and don't yet have a forecast that shows we need another 2 to 3 primary schools. It is immensely frustrating that the past forecasts have been so wrong. After 40+ years of getting it right the forecasting is still showing such rapid changes. Hi LondonMix, the Dulwich Hospital from memory is 27,000m2. The ideal land for a primary school is 5,000m2. So the site could take two schools. Equally I understand they've shown interest in other sites in SOuthwark and Lambeth. I sincerely hope they success and are based in the Dulwich area. The worst possible case is that one day we have a surplus of primary places and some schools bulge down to two form entry. We're probably decades away from that.

Hi Cora, We're awaiting answers about secondary school demand. But primary school places are more urgent and locally it was only 3 years ago that the Harris boys secondary school opened. Initially pupils have generally come from out of the area so locally we have sme capacity it would appear.

Fancy that!

Hi Jessie, I vividly remember your case and how frustrated I felt. And no I wouldnt wish that upon anyone else. If you know anyone with 1 or 2 yo children in the area can you please ask them to sign-up? Hi Buggie, Many thanks. Please do ask any friends or acquaitances to also sign-up. Ho Prickle, I don't like the idea of Free schools. But Harris Federation have a fanatastic record of producing high quality normal schools of which 9/10 are oustanding. No other provider whether local authority or other has such a record. And having met the chief exec he's bloody annoyed its not 100%. They have appointed a head of primary schools who is Sir Robin Bosher. He knows the area well having been the head of Fairlawn. Harris may also give preference in their secondary school admissions to children from Harris primaries. After a lot of thought I don't mind how we get the new schools we need as long as our children get excellent outstanding education and Harris will deliver on this. Hi nikki73, I agree. Several options which I'm not at liberty to discuss. what I can say is the prime one is an underused site. Yes that makes sense - anyone born from Sept'09. Hi midivydale, It would add depth to the case - so yes any o-1year olds would be great but my focus is on 1 or 2 year olds. Please spread the word. Hi Cyberia, I see the German/Engish primary school as complimentary. Across the area we need 2 - 3 new primary schools. The German/English proposed school are looking for a site across Southwark and Lambeth. So it makes a great third school considering the risk it might not be created in Southwark. Hope that makes sense. Hi LondonMix, Chuffed to hear that. If you know any parents of 1 and 2 year olds could you please ask them to support this? I need as many SE22 and SE15 responses as possible.

Hi Chillaxed, It now appears clear that we have increasing demand expected to peek in 2016 for an extra two or three schools in the area. The German/English school is considering possible sites across Southwark and Lambeth. That lack of certainty about location means we can;t rely upon it being one of the two we need but possibly the third. Why Harris? 9/10 of its schools are rated outstanding by Ofsted. So an amazing track record of producing outstanding schools. They also are very well connected with the government so if anyone can swing having a 1/5th of the Dulwich Hospital site they can. The second site to the east of East Dulwich gets more interesting. But Harris think they can come up with a practical solution. So far I have 10 children's families for a new school of the 80 needed for the first school and of the 160 needed for two schools.

22 July - planning permission given for the temporary site on the Harris Girls East Dulwich Academy site. Tortuous process where the planning application was made 26 May and should have been approved well before 16 July! But at least this has now been agreed. 30 Janaury - the former East Dulwich Police has been sold to the Education Finance Agency to form the permanent site for this new primary school. The land area is about the same size as Heber School and Goose Green School. This is brilliant news. With a permanent site for September 2015 it makes the opening of this school on a temporary site this Setepmber 2014 no longer a gamble for parents. AS the school admissions for the first year runs in parallel to the main Southwakr admissions process parents have nothing to lose applying for both and then chosing which of the two places they wish to take up. 19 December - one of the most likely sites is the East Dulwich Police Station. This site is owned by the GLA/MOPAC and negotiations to purchase it have been very ongoing shall we say. To encourage things The Dulwich Society has very kindly agreed today to apply to Southwark Council for the site to be listed as a community asset under the 2011 Localism Act and we be allowed to buy it for community use. 8 October - Latest news is that Southwark Council as the planning authority has said it is happy for the Dulwich Hospital site to have different planning applications for different parts. It removes one of the Dept of Health excuses for not freeing up a small part of this public land for a new local primary school. Earlier this morning 22 May the Dept of Education announced we've been successful. Approval has been granted for a new East Dulwich primary school. THANK YOU to all the families who've lent their support and the harris Federation for making an application at very short notice way back in January. Edited to attach the Harris vision for the school. The application was submitted on Friday 4 January. So a few more things are now firmed up. The school aim is to be in the top 10% for the country in both terms of academic outcome and progress. It will specialise in literacy. The school expects to run breakfast club from 8am and after school clubs until 6pm. So full 'wrap-around'. Edited to show running total in title. 161 supporters with 1 & 2 year old children and another 102 supporters with children under 1 year old. With 80 supporters we have sufficient evidence of need to apply for a two form entry new primary school - thank you to everyone who has lent their support. Local East Dulwich councillors have asked the Harris Federation to deliver one or possibly two primary schools for our area: http://jamesbarber.mycouncillor.org.uk/2012/12/04/new-primary-schools-for-se22/ To make a new free school happen we need 80 families with 1 or 2 year old children to state they would consider using a new school in 2014 or 2015. Please see attached leaflet. If you support a new school then please email me your name, children date/s of birth, your post code. If we don't get enough new place council evidence suggests we will be short of 235 reception places by 2016 in the Dulwich, Peckham Rye and Nunhead areas.

Local East Dulwich councillors have asked the Harris Federation to deliver one or possibly two primary schools for our area: http://jamesbarber.mycouncillor.org.uk/2012/12/04/new-primary-schools-for-se22/ To make a new free school happen we need 80 families with 1 or 2 year children to state they would consider using a new school/s in 2014 or 2015. Please see attached leaflet. If you support a new school then please email me your name, children date/s of birth, your post code.

Whichever group/s decide to apply to set-up a new school will decide how they want to do it. It's a 130 page form. If they choose to just start with reception - highly likely as most owuld start in temporary accomodation - or open classes across year is frankly up to them and the parents that support them.

Hi DulwichFox, The reason the Dandy is closing it phyiscal comic but keeping an online version is because the Beano is much more popular. The Beano has moved with the times and grown its audience at the Dandy's expense. Children's literature is big. We have a whole local bookstore devoted to it locally. Chener Books has just revamped its children's section. Teenage literature is often turned into Hoolwood films - Eragon, Vampire whatever. The new Canada Water library in its first year has had over 1/2 million visitors. John Harvard Library when revamped doubled the number of visitors. Huge suppressed demand for excellent libraries.

Hi Andybol, Many thanks for reporting it. Hi dimples, I'm sorry to hear Belvoir is suffering from speeding vehicles. This road is in College ward. Sadly your councillors haven't helped the local College ward Safer Neighbourhood Police Team by providing speed (guns) measuring devices. Probably best to contact the College ward SNT Police on 020 8721 2442 or Also if you're free this Wesdnesday between 7pm and 7.3-pm they'll be outside 507 Lordship Lane.

Hi keane, The garden centre is a postage stamp compared to the size a new school would require. But expect some news later this week about new local schools - and I hope you'll support it.

Hi LadyDeliah, I think the neighbours are miffed at the idea of a pharmacy - a shop by another name - opening close to them for 100hours a week with all the deliveries, visitors, extra parking pressure. Espeically when a nuber of existing pharmacies within 500m located on existing shopping streets. To gain pharmacy permission to open 100hours pw they've also included a needle exchange. The iste is next ot a large nursery and the parents of children are concerned. We don't need another needles exchange in the area when a number already exist. Would you like a new shop next door open for 100hours a week?

Hi LondonMix, Fingers crossed you're right and it doesn't see an exodus from more mobile residents from Camberwell. Bakerloo line extension and similar. These will always be hard to make happen with current local taxation. In ideal world it would be much easier to commit more local tax receipts to fund things. Govt has now given this option but its still overly prescriptive.

Hi DJKQ, Much as I love EDF it does always reflect what everyone in East Dulwich thinks. We're self selecting those that post with many times that reading and watching but not wanting to risk posting. My email bags on this has seen no supporters of such an application but several objectors. I'm happy to discuss others issues but it would takeover this thread even more. But I disagree with most of what you've written. Happy to have an email chat abut it.

Hi SeanHitz, Quickest way is to look up the freehold on HM Land Registry. It costs ?4 for a copy of the title deed online so really quick to find out.

Hi DJKQ, The draft agreement with the E&C developer was not signed before the May 2010 local elections by former leader Nick Stanton. That draft agreement was significantly revised by Labour upon taking office and signed that July. They decided to apply a lower ratio of social housing than the previous draft agreement and not obtian a signicant capital sum for the council and overidge. I'm not legally allowed to tell you that sum although it can be found on the internet. The latest E&C specific planning application have tiny proportions of social housing or none. So little that during the by-election current council leader Peter John suggested he wanted to use section 106 paid by developers to buy flats in the developments paying S106. As for selling mgmt of council homes. That's what Lambeth did when they took power in 2006 and at the time of the 2010 elections Labour Southwark was telling us how fab Lambeth Laobur policies were. Since then Southwark Labour have insisted upon paying ?100,000 for an options report into Southwakr Council housing and then rubbishing all the options. While at the same time paying for a newly created Director of Housing and paying for a part-time cllr to lead on housing. With respect to poliical literature. It has to attempt to grab people's attention. However locally in East Dulwich my colleagues and I have on several occassions produced very detailed multipage letters to residnts which appear ot have been useful giving more background. And I'm keen despite professional advice to the contrary to keep doing this in East Dulwich. NB. The chair of the council planning committee has agreed in principle to this decision being taken by committee but awaits the hed of planning to agree or not.

Hi DuncanW, I've been copied on a number of emails objecting to the planning application. That will count for more in the planning process than posting here. Thank you to those that have expressed a view for or against this planning application. If it does go t ocommittee at least more of the facts will come out and a better cosndiered decision will occur. Hi DJKQ, What local election promises do you think I or my Lib Dem colleagues have broken? (NB Labour was the first party to stand on a manifesto for no student tuition fees and break it so a little bit rich being lectured on it from Labour supporters however much I disagree with the trading the Lib Dems nationally did in coalition).

I think they now need to make a planning application. So hopefully another chance to object then.

Hi Joanna, I'm not aware of any but a quick Google search implies lots of classes around London. Hope it goes well and congratulations.

Hi Mutrik, That is shocking. My understanding is that the 100 hours pharmacy on Crystal Palace Road would still need planning permission. So we all need to be vigilant for any notice of a planning application and ensure if council officials were minded to grant permission that it at least goes before a planning committee to be decided. If you're a patient of DMC let them know what you think - I suspect it might well push some people to find a different more community minded practice.

Hi dbboy, You are partially correct. Councillors do sit on Planning Committees but the councils constitution decides which schemes go t oa committee of councillors and which do not and the conditions between the two. Eitherway, I would never sit on a planning committee I had preconceived ideas about a scheme. Hi DJKQ, If you ask EDR shops whether they want a competitor 200m away they'll say no. The parade of shops etc on EDR find it hard enough to exist without diluting trade further. Yes, you're quite right I was having a bad day/week when I did the original post and I regret it not being more balanced as I like to think other threads I've been involved with. Hi Cardiffgirl, Yes I have he right to ask for a call-in but its not automatic. The hurdles for this are much higher now. The chair of the main planning committee has to agree after consulting with the lead council official for planning whether they agree and two councillors have to request it in the first place. Hence my concern it might just slip through witohut proper scrutiny. If it is successfully called-in it then would go to either Planning sub-committee A or B when non local Dulwich councillors would decide. Before May 2011 it would have gone to a Planning Committee of local Dulwich councillors.

I've sat on enough planning committees to have seen bad recommendations from officers and bad use of delegated powers by officers and I'm sure Cardiffgirl as a planning officer you've seen plenty of daft councillor decisions. But the point is when officers make planning decisions they make them under delegated powers from councillors. I'm personally not happy when officers are going to make decisions with potentially huge and far reaching impacts on our community. I'd sooner give local residents a chance to sit before a committee and say why they oppose or support a scheme and hear the developer explain why their scheme is a good thing. And as a councillor speak for or against a scheme. This extra hurdle often ensures much more thorough scruntiny of a planning applcation than a planning officer sitting in SE1 and their counter signing manager alone.

Hi Cardiffgirl, You're right we need more informaiton BUT no one had spotted the planning application. Without any objections it would definately not be given the scrutiny of a planning committee. Officers could grant it permission and last time I looked no neighoburs wer going to be consulted. So objecting in it in itself doesnt stop a planning application but it does ensure it is properly and fully scutinised. If it reaches a planning committee and all the evidence you suggest says it would be a fab addition to the area fine. But the first step is ensuring it receives proper scrutiny. This may be different process thant you're used to. Hi DaveR, But if it resulted in Lordship Lane shops going bust would you still support it or comnsider it trivial?