James Barber

Hi Bob, Thank you. Late yesterday I received an email from Royal Mail that a public meeting at the ED sorting office isn't possible but they MAY be able to support a public meeting at a more suitable location. They've also offered me a meeting with the local manager but ask me to provide VERY specific examples of post going awry. So anyone out their with specific examples and ideally Royal Mail reference numbers for complaints I guess please email me them stating Royal Mail problem in the subject header. The more examples the better - otherwise they'll fob me and I'll look silly for making mountain out of mole hill. Hope that makes sense.

Decent bike locks are around ?50 each. You need two different decent locks. I've two different types of D locks and, touch wood, haven't had the bike stolen are 15 years. Also it's a tourer (racer style) and just not as desirable wan fashionable as a hubris or mountain bike. So don't have a fashionable bike and two decent locks.

Hi PN33, Those Police dogs weigh a tonne. so not sure what else they could have done. If you call the local Police you're probably entitled to compensation. If you get stuck please do let me know and I'll see what I can do to help.

The Irish festival is a Southwark wide festival with funding on that basis from the council. The Labour administration has different priorities to previous years and hasn't funded it this year. The organisers may find alternative funding for future years. So although this festival occurred in Peckham Rye Park in Peckham Rye ward its a Southwark wide event with local issues about noise pollution affecting East Dulwich ward residents. Their you go Tiger Ranks. Fingers crossed the organisers can pull something out of the hat for future years.

I'd be surprised as the pavement has been a right of way for years now.

Hi Ko, A consultation about this unfenced play area, adjacent to the Peckham Rye 1 O'clock club, and its promimity to the adjacent cycle route will take place in September and soon after the agreed solution will be implimented. As I hear more I'll keep you posted. Regards james.

Hi Freddy1929, The latest on the Lordship Lane crossing is that the latest plans will be presented at the Dulwich Community Council 15 September. Seperately I've met with a rep of the traders to discuss how to replace any lost car parking and have some really useful proposals from them. They've also asked to appear at the Community Council and potentially object ot the crossing plans. If you want a crossing please do come to the Community Council and bring anyone else you know with a view on this.

Yes and no. The gap between the tree/bus stop and shop fronts I suspect will be too small for table and chairs and people walking past/pushing push chairs. Sadly this latest tweak has been demanded by traders without realising it means the cafe atmosphere at this part of Grove Vale will be lost. I have proposed just a tiny cut into the kerb to increase car parking by one space and leaving the bus stop etc unchanged as a compromise but council officials and Labour councillors have so far poo pooed it.

Hi Hackblade, If she or anyone feels unable to challenge this behaviour then please do contact Southwark Parks ASAP via 020 7525 2000 The following URL explains about Southwarks Parks Community Wardens - http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200073/parks_and_open_spaces/575/safety_in_parks If you find this doesn't solve things quickly and efficiently please do call me on 07903 964130 or email me [email protected]

Hi Peckhamboy, The new Denmark Hill station is intended to open Summer 2012. So moving the crossing on Champion Park has occurred a year early. Irony is the crossing are meant to make people safer but for the next year will result in extra danger. Hopefully no ones gets killed or injured.

Hi Bob, I contacted my Royal Mail complaints manager contact asking if we could hold a publci meeting at the sorting office for residents to explain the problems they've been encountering. They have come back to me asking residents to refer problems to them via 08457 740 740 or via www.royalmail.com The more complaints they receive the more attention East Dulwich Royal Mail will receive to improve. I've again asked for a public meeting. Regards james.

Gimme, You're very welcome. I'm afraid I don't accept gifts for my councillor work so can;t accept a bottle of wine or anything but if you feel strongly moved please do feel free to donate to Dulwich Helpline or attend one of their events. Hi Ko, Apologies for not coming back to you sooner. I've had a response from council officials but due to a family illness and then bereavement haven't had a chance to post it hear. Please see attached. I've responded asking when a solution will be agreed and put in place.

Oh dear. Grove Vale had a central island and staggered pelican crossing. This meant large hatched area in the centre of the wide road that served no purpose. The changes involve removing that island and yes narrowing the road so that more car parking is available. How can creating more car parking for residents on Grove Vale be anti car? To make this happen some kerb build outs are occurring so pedestrians can be seen when crossing the road and to book end the car parking. The proposed raised road near Grove Vale library has now been canned. The very latest porposals - and it does appear a very moving feast - are to cut back the kerb at bus stop outside 50 Grove Vale and move the bus shelter. This will probably stop Blackbeard bakery having tables and chairs outside which is a shame. This is to allow even more car parking.

Useful video from Barry Mason about locking bikes up - two different good locks is the key:

If anyone want to know if a road hump is in within the 100mm guidance on maximum height then measure it. Last time I did surveyor chap came along with a laser device BUT he also suggested anyone could do it. You need a rigid 2m long pole (2"x2" would do). balance it on the hump so neither end is touching the orad. Measure distance from the road surface to the bottom of the rigid pole at both ends. Add both together and divid by 2. Care needs to be taken to keep the pole parallel with the kerb to avoid the roads camber adding errors. If greater than 100mm then more accurate surveying worth doing. Always have second person to keep an eye on traffic - please don't get run over! If anyone wants help making their own measurements let me know.

New byelaws were all agreed a couple of years ago. No constraint on Sunday or other sports of Sunday.

ED Police station is very much in use. It is the base for the ED Safer Neighbourhood TEam and the Village ward SNT. It houses all the school liaison police staff for southern Southwark. Additionally 30 specials are based there but used in Peckham. On a more asd hoc basis many Police units find it very handy with its own underused parking to pop i. It currently houses a couple of specialist units while thier offices are refurbished. SO we have a lot of Police officers coming and going which helps ensure quick response times in our patch to incidents. It has a front desk which is meantot be open 6am-10pm each day.

Hi Whoosh, I thought the highway code said pedestrians crossing side roads have right of way compared to be vehicles turning from main roads into side roads? These entry treatments just reinforces this. 20mph speed limits/zone see a dramatic reduction in collisions and the severity of injuries for those involved in crashes. Over the last decade huge increase in Southwark street with this limit and a corresponding dramatic reduction in people being injured. Problem that the most significant beneficiaries of these humps and bumps helping enforce 20mph i.e. those people who have never been killed or injured don't campaign to support such measures.

Hi DJ, When you say the SNT ward panel meets every 3 months I think you are referring to the Peckham Rye one that you attend. The East Dulwich one meets monthly. It's composed of people who have expressed an interest in setting local Police priorities and thinking about solutions to problems. I'm sorry someone referred to concerns about othe SNT teams but the ED one have come up with all sorts of crime prevention ideas.

I think its reasonable to assume this is less likely to happen in ED while the looting and lawlessness seems related to mobile phone, electrical and money type shops. Equally we have several pre existing 'code red' parking locations in ED where parking wardens have to be escorted by the Police. So perhaps we're not as immune as we'd all like to think.

How do you design a speend hump that keeps every vehicle from going faster than 20mph. If you design and build them for low slung sporty cars then all other cars willcomfortably go at 30+mph. As it is 4x4's can go just about any speed over these humps. And I have used these humps and they feel the same as other humps known to be within spec. That's why I felt confident council officers were correct.

The YOS is currently located on the Aylesbury estate which is about as central to Southwark in population terms as you can get. The Bradenham block is due to be demolished at some point but not soon. I suspect this has more to do with finding a tenant of the current Adoption and Fostering centre which is moving to Cator Street. The ED SNT ward panel is concerned that local Police will be distracted from reducing local crime by dealing with YOS visitors. When asked the local Police said they would expect to have to deal with YOS visitor issues. They also said risk it would be a serious drain on Police officer time. It isn't a particularly attractive concept DJKillaQueen to have all Southwarks young burglars etc sent by law to visit our area. Many wont have ever visited before so real risk we'll be adding ED to their reportiore. On Eco grounds maximising the distance travelled as per the plans for each visitor will increase CO2 emissions. Social grounds why send young criminals as far as you can from their homes and their communities to access the YOS. And DJKillaQueen if ED has such brilliant transport links as you suggest why do we not see any businesses relocate from Borough or London Bridge?

Moving the Yough Offending Service base from the centre of Southwark minimising travelto it for its users and for the staff to travel out down to East Dulwich Road makes little economic, social or environmental sense. This is occuring at the same time as selling of council buildings in the centre of borough. So offenders will now have longer journeys to keep appointments. So probably more will fail to attend on time with subsequent concsequences OR shown leniency which kind of defeats the point of having an appointment. 2/3rd of Southwarks population lives north of Peckham Road. Locating the YOS so far south of Peckham Road makes no sense unless its to serve another agenda.

When they were first installed they were not sinusoidal. Te second attempt they weren't and I was assured on the third attempt ie the current ones that they met the sinusoidal spec. Officers know this history. So we now have officers of on what should be a wild goose chase double checking work from a year ago that took several attempts and was assure as being within spec.

But Renata I do have experience of measuring humps and cushions and the ones on Dunstsans Road in my opinion meet the regs with the possible exception of one which if it failed would still be within in limits. But council officers checking is the correct if expensive thing to do.