James Barber

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.

Hi Toffee, My guess is the Professor is probably correct about many of the incidents but SNARF describe some that are way different and not explained in this way. It seems most likely two different stations collated making both much harder to solve.

I had imagined the approved planning application would be achieved by building on the current buildings. But of course that would count as a renovation and incur VAT. Whereas demolition and new build is VAT exempt - in our crazy planet warming world.

As a cat loving family I can't imagine the pain of losing a cat in such a way. Apologies for not realising the New Scientist article wasn't public. Please see attached. The Professor wiring it has studied foxes for 50 years.

Interesting article on this in New Scientist this week - says its road traffic cat deaths and THEN foxes -https://www.newscientist.com/article/2173998-prolific-m25-serial-killer-beheading-cats-is-an-old-feline-foe/

Planning permission obtained for conversion back to terraced housing. See here for details -https://planning.southwark.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=_STHWR_DCAPR_9568047

Curious. The notification I received stated until 12.30am. But can;t see a problem if it reopens 12 hours sooner.

Hi alice, You've baffled me! Generally - tomorrow the following roads will be closed from 10.45 until midnight for residents to host street parties: Oglander Road (Copleston to Muschamp) Muschamp Road (Oglander to Ondine) Ondine (Muschamp to Adys) Adys (Ondine to East Dulwich Road) East Dulwich Road (Adys to 64 East Dulwich Road)

Hi precious star, A group of local people including small businesses contacted me to say they were interested in brightening up the entrance ot East Dulwich from East Dulwich station. Seprperstely I had applied for some money via the cleaner Greener Safer scheme for the same location - the borders then between South Camberwell and East Dulwich wards - now Champion Hill and Goose green ward. The South Camberwell ward councillors didn't support such improvements - presumably being happy with how the station area looks. My then councillors colleague did allocating ?5,000. When I heard about the group of residents I suggested we join forces and that's what're doing. They've shortlisted the potential artists and my application provided the money. And do vote today - see other thread - by 5pm - as I'm about to do. In the mean time the bike lockers have been moved this week, cleaning have done some tract work, wheelie bins etc have been removed that shouldn't have been there. The uplighter that have broken for a third time Im trying to get removed and replaced with pavement slabs.

Southwark has issued a final advertise for a new Traffic Management Order for the Camberwell Grove bridge over the railway line to have a weight restriction limit. This is in keeping with returning Camberwell Grove to alternate one-way signal controlled operation for motor vehicles. This new order will come into force 25 June unless some one objects. At some point after this the road will be so re opened.

GLA Assembly Member and myself met with Thameslink people on Friday to witness and discuss the overcrowding and proposed solutions. Network Rail are proposing in the next Control Period (5 year plan) starting April 2019 see p.85 of this -https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/South-East-Kent-route-study-interactive-version.pdf 1. Additional gates on current gate line. 2. Additional station entrance on Windsor Walk linked to newer Access for All (AfA) footbridge that has lifts. 3. Relocating existing entrance ot align with AfA footbridge. 4. Lengthen platforms to stop trains more centred on AfA footbridge. 5. Add cover to AfAA footbridge. Worryingly this was news to thE thameslink people. They have been discussing plans with Network Rail about post 3 only which would cost circa ?1.5m. Clearly moving the overcrowding from the older staircase to the newer staircase will be money wasted. The height difference between the AfA footbridge will require some substantial ramping - but hopefully some direct stairs as well. Lengthening the platforms form current 8 cars to 12 could lead to a dramatic increase in capacity which would be excellent news. The bad news the government has not agreed the proposed 5 year Control Period 6 plans. The good news is this leaves an opportunity to prepare Denmark Hill plans, align with stakeholders such as Camberwell Society, get planning permission and be 'shovel ready'.

I'll close this survey Monday 18 June at 8pm and take a look ay the results and feedback here.

Old habits die-hard...street party road closures: Saturday 23 June - Goodrich Road, Sunday 24 June - Archdale Road, Hollingbourne Road, Melbourne Grove (northern section) Sunday 1 July - Tarbert Road, Winterbrook Road Sunday 8 July - Bawdale Road Hope they all go really well.

Hi mikeb, I've not been able to find the planning permission for the sports hall to check any such planning conditions. What I have found is a website listing what they do for the local community: Alleyn's (secondary) School -https://www.schoolstogether.org/schools/school/81899/ Alleyn's Junior School - https://www.schoolstogether.org/schools/school/99947/

Something like this should be a 999 call not filling in a form. Did he try 999 and not get a fast response?

You might also want to consider popping along to the Local history Library - rear of the john Harvard Library on Borough high Street near to Borough tube.

The temporary car park I understand was created without planning permission. It causes issues for Townley Road residents who complained to me so I asked Planning Enforcement to investigate. I suspect this is the result but having left office I've not been told directly by officers. My perception is the former Village ward councillors, that the main school site fell within the boundaries, turned a blind eye to such contraventions of planning law. So what will now happen is the school will return to the position before the building works.

Some good news. For some time I've been giving officers examples of Lordship Lane needing to be resurfaced. We even allocated much of our devolved highway renewals budget to a section of Lordship Lane fro resurfacing. This council year it has been agreed to resurface most of Lordship Lane between Goose Green and the south Circular. Still some ommitted sections that I think need to be included - that That's the good news. The bad news it will be highly disruptive. So I have asked that this occur during August school holidays. Fingers crossed.

Slight biased as I asked for this. Providing a service for the south of Southwark from the south of Southwark - the Lister is located in the middle - makes good sense. I hope others will welcome the improvement in local GP services this represents. Presumably being co located with SELDOC will also mean both services can cross support each other. Hi BicBasher, Lister is on 6 bus routes and 6 bus routes are very nearby to Dulwich Hospital. Lister has controlled parking and no parking for visitors. The Dulwich Hospital is currently not located in controlled parking but will have car parking for visitors. Lister is not near a train station but thE Dulwich centre will be. hi se22cat, I think they mean a nurse practitioner rather than nurse. Some practices offer paramedics, pharmacists, nurse practitioners as well as doctors. Even A&E use nurses for triage before access to doctors.

Hi rendelharris, But it has enough money for Golden Goodbyes to Labour councillors who chose to stand down as councillors back in December. At the February budget setting Lib Dems showed how to make sufficient savings, from memory ?5M, to avoid any increase in Council Tax. Amazingly this was rejected and Council Tax increased by 6% this year. It is political choices that caused the ?16 fee to be introduced.