James Barber

Hi Hazel81, This sounds like a great project to apply for funding from the councils Cleaner, Greener, Safer project - https://www.southwark.gov.uk/engagement-and-consultations/grants-and-funding/cleaner-greener-safer/applications Previously I used this route to ensure all local East Dulwich schools have AED's. you'd ideally find locations for them locally and ideally some training as part of any application. If you need any help or advice on how to apply please get in touch with me.

James, Your offer seems disingenuous. Southwark Council highways team are blocking 130 charging points being deployed across Southwark. The locations have already been identified and have the required planning permissions. Southwark Labour are not managing the council to ensure these happen - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/09/sse-claims-london-councils-are-holding-up-rollout-of-electric-car-charging-points "The Guardian understands that 130 charging points are in limbo in Southwark, a borough which is otherwise seen as good on electric cars. While the points were given planning approval in 2016, permission has not been given by highways management, meaning they cannot be installed. Planning permission expires next year."

Hi Amanda1979, I've chased council officials about this. They have assured me this is being incorporated into the overall view Southwark Council is taking with the site owner. If my Public Right of Way is pursued by the council then the site would have 280m2 of ground so materially important. If you'd like copy of my email chain email me! Hi chazzle, I came up with the idea in 2005, objected to a prior scheme at appeal and then spoke with the developers. I don't recall at what point social housing was dropped. I do recall speaking to several Housing Authority directors who at main planning committee's were saying they would not take on low numbers of social housing - the costs were too high to manage. With respect to 18-22 Grove Vale - council officers stated in reports the library value outweighs the value of social housing and councillors of all parties voted for planning permission being granted. I parallel I have proposed and the council is now exploring building new council housing on garages on Bassano Street and Henslowe Road.

HI Deanna, I lodged, when I was still a councillor, a request for the planning application to be called in if officers were minded to grant permission for A3 use. I asked officers for the report they suggested they had showing Lordship Lane is well above 50% shop use - as past planning applications officers produced reports that we were right on the border of this. We have local policies to not allow fewer than 50% shop units. So good to see one of my and former Cllr Rosie Shimell last acts worked.

Hi Pecksniff, Sadly you've just missed the consultation on the internal fit out and book purchases. Importantly the new library wont have a wall down the middle so will have much more flexibility - the central book cases will be on wheels so they can be moved about. The caf? is really a kiosk with the seating area being roughly twice the current seating area. Overall it should result in roughly twice the current books. I suspect it will feel like the John Harvard Library on Borough High Street - just not so big. The approved scheme is for 250m2. The difference I understand is for Library staff facilities. The current 144m2 I believe includes Library staff facilities. Hi colville09, My lot warned the then Labour government we would have a crash, repeatedly. We were told Labour had 'ended boom and bust' and ignored. The tories were equally complicit in not wanting stronger banking regulation which could have avoided it. No recession in western countries Sweden and Australia; non western China, India, Brazil. i.e. countries with stronger banking regulations.

Very exciting the new Grove Vale Library is to open shortly. If you'd like to help decide the books it stocks go here - www.southwark.gov.uk/grovevalelibrary I came up with the idea of incorporating a library in 18-22 Grove Vale development. I ensured the new library will have a 125 year lease on a peppercorn rent of ?100 per annum releasing the ?25,000 rent paid at the current Grove Vale location is released for longer opening hours. The new library will also have lower running costs being super insulated, etc. Sadly it has taken 8 years longer than originally planned due to the 2008 Labour recession.

Whatever their property rights Southwark Council has SASBU - Southwark Anti Social behaviour Unit - to help in such cases. I would contact the local Police officers in thE SafeR Neighbourhood Team or a local councillor to get the bal rolling in parallel to making noise complaints. If this fails to get traction contact me via PM for further advice.

I've chased this up and await a response.

HACAN East http://www.hacaneast.org.uk/ are highlighting the noise consultation for London City Airport - https://t.co/SWNqUdWHYI Significant proportion of the over flights of the area due to this airport.

You are not paranoid. This is typical operating method for burglars. If suspicious at the time call 101. If you had opened the door and were even more suspicious 999. NEXT are useful deterrents as they video someone approaching the doorbell and while they're waiting - local Police officer recommended them to me.

ideally you would have called 999...

This coming week Lordship Lane will have road works 135-141 Lordship Lane outside cafe to the food&wine shop by Morrisosn. 23-28 August inclusive. So no parking there and pavements will be disrupted.

The sub Post Office on Crossthwaite Avenue was also closed for the same stated reason on Friday pm.

Hi Sue, The West Norwood Post Office Sorting Office was proposed for closure at the same time but the employee union the CWU opposed this and the campaign keep it was successful. The CWU support the closure as their members will have better facilities at the Peckham Office. The ideal would be Southwark Council using Planning policy to ensure the site keeps the parcel collection element but the post sorting office moves to Peckham. I fear this is not being done.

It is certainly true that the current administration is keen on installing double yellow lines where they are not needed. circa 7,500m have been installed in the Dulwich area on corners to 'reduce crashes' based no statical evidence. Th new cycle quiet way along Crystal Palace Road has been designed with significant extra double yellow lines - despite the proposals being opposed by the majority of cyclists and residents. The new Dog Kennel Hill area CPZ is supported narrowly by the majority of respondents. The details of it include again lots of excessive double yellow lines. I find it totally puzzling why our roads are having all these unnecessary parking restrictions. Flip side is driving has never been cheaper.

Hi Habitualbridesmaid, I think it is beholden on all of us to avoid buying things with excess packaging. Reduce. Vote with our consumer purchasing power. Where we do generate waste we need to maximise what we recycle and separate it properly. We need to support campaigns such as Friends of the Earth who give useful advice -https://friendsoftheearth.uk/latest/plastics Depressingly recycling in Southwark is going down - see attached - and it isn't a hot political potato. You could run street stalls, raise petitions, etc to get this pushed up the local agenda. It is now so low on the political agenda that virtually everything not recycled is being incinerated causing air pollution issues!

Hi mini69, you can also ask the local councillors - both of the ward and it is across the road for Goose Green Councillors whether they think it should be 'called0-in' to be decided by a committee of councillors IF council planning officers plan to grant planning permission under delegated powers. When this happens it means you get a chance and others to speak for and against any scheme - at worst it often sees a few tighter conditions for a scheme and sometimes councillors refused planning permission when council officers would have granted permission.

If someone is or has just tried knocking you from your bike call 999. They are imperilling you and the Police will priorities this amongst other emergencies and send a car as appropriate. Where possible the Police want to catch such people and only 999 gives them that opportunity. Robert Poste's Child Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I was buzzed twice in the space of one and a half > hours tonight. Neither came to anything so I can't > call them thieves but posting for awareness. > > As I cycled up towards the top of Woodwarde Ave at > about 8.30pm one came up very close behind and > then alongside me, pushing me in towards the > parked cars. I braked hard and shouted something > stupid, as you do, like, 'are you trying to push > me off?'. He then braked a few yards ahead and > started shouting abuse at me about my '#hit bike' > and me not paying road tax (hello, you can own a > car and a bike). He then rode off, looking back at > me from time to time. He was young, very dark > skin, greyish moped, I think with an L plate on > the front, a light-coloured helmet worn partly > back off his head, and I think a Deliveroo box > carried on the front. > > Later, cycling back up CPR about 9.50pm a very > similar guy, except no turquoise box, passed me > two or three times driving up and down the road > looking closely at everyone he passed. > > I assumed the first one was going for my bike > panier, but like I said, nothing was taken so I > could be wrong. I suppose it could even have been > sexual - female in a pretty dress seen from > behind, so he wouldn't see I'm older at first. > Theft more likely though. > > Tried calling 101 twice, once at DLC (thank you to > the very nice girls on reception tonight) and once > when I got home, but couldn't get through so gave > up. I've tried the online tool a couple of times > before and it seems to be a dead end or placebo. > > Getting really tired of all the antisocial > behaviour every day. If anyone knows of a campaign > to fix the policing crisis without actually > joining a right wing party, please tell me. > > And be careful out there.

Virgin Media don't use this exchange so that is an alternative. Relish Broadband unfortunately don't cover our patch yet.

Hi Jim2134, It is ok to spend your council tax on providing front line services and minimising the necessary spend to support those front line services. It is not ok to needlessly spend more money on support than actually needed. Also some savings can be made from changing the finical management. Not borrowing so much at average 5.5% when so much is earning next to zero interest in bank accounts - internal borrowing - and we're talking millions of savings do this.

Burning stuff causes significant spikes in air pollution particles- can;t complain about diesels etc and then produce particulates to a greater degree by garden waste burning - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/01/pollutionwatch-wood-burning-worsening-uk-air-quality We live in smoke free zone.

Hi rendelharris, That's weird. Because if I do the calculation of CPI - council's don't have mortgages that are included in RPI - it comes to ?373M. 2002 the council revenue budget was ?379M which from the then government grant cuts was ?319M by 2010. Governments of all hues and persuasions have been reducing grants to councils and limiting how much councils can increase council tax. And their is still back office savings that can be made while improving services.

Hi Rendelharris, Southwark Council have not had their budgets cut by 75%. Southwark Council General fund ?315M 2009/10 (govt grants of ?227M, council tax ?88M); ?348M 2018/19 but this includes Public Health ?27M so compared to 2009/10 ?321M (govt grants ?212M+?26M business rates growth which in 2009/10 went to central govt, Council tax ?110M). The Council Tax growth is mostly lots of new studio, 1 and 2 bed flats near the river - many left empty and those lived in by people who use few council services. 2016/17 the ten year capital plan was ?1,855,466,000 for Southwark or ?1.86bn. The 2006/7 ten year capital plan was ?814,983,000 or ?0.81bn. In February my lot presented sufficient back office changes to avoid any council tax increase and also see increases in some front office expenditure. These were rejected by the administration. Regards James.

Many appear to see being a Southwark Councillor as a stepping stone to becoming an MP in a safe parliamentary seat - you can never accuse a Lib Dem of that! They move to London do a PR job, MP researcher, union official. Become a councillor for a London borough near parliament - Southwark is very popular for this. Get selected in their home town for a Safe Labour parliamentary seat. Get elected an MP. Usually 2-3 councillors in Southwark do this each national electoral cycle. I would question their loyalty and dedication to whichever part of Southwark they get elected to - we're just a stepping stone and they don't suffer the consequences of their councillors decisions. It drives short termism. You can see the current allowance structure here - https://www.southwark.gov.uk/assets/attach/7142/Member%20allowances%20scheme%202018-19.pdf Every councillor gets a 'basic' allowance of ?11,270 and then some get extra allowances ranging from ?2,946 to ?53,238 pa. A number of cabinet councillors then obtain extra roles at London Councils - a club of all London's councils with further special allowance. They're usually quite generous how they pay themselves for those as voters don't know about these. Other councils clubs such as the Local Government Association do the same. If you'd like to know each councillors role and then cross reference the extra cash they're getting - http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=50000711 Most councillors have to hold down a day job. A tiny proportion have families or are carers. But when you stand for election you don't stand to randomly represent or respond to residents. For me it was a calling and I would hope for most others they feel the same. In the round being a councillor probably set back my career a dozen years far out weighing any allowance received. But a great twelve years helping people.

Hi Johnl, Factual correction - it is known who votes in each election. It isn't known who people actually voted for. The whether someone voted is contained in the Marked Register which can be purchased from memory at ?20 per ward. When you collect your voting papers at the Polling Station the officer puts a mark again your name on the paper elector roll to ensure no one else tries to vote in your name. A list of who voted via a postal vote is also available.