James Barber

Community Wardens report eco crimes and generally deal with the grotty things that make out lives annoying but the Police wont generally look into. BUT they always go around in pairs - even in East Dulwich - and if one is absent they become a threesome. When the Lib Dems led the council we tried to resolve this but made no progress. Shame the Labour led administration also don't feel they can get a more sensible working pattern ie not pairs and threesomes which would mean either the same community warden nmber would go further or cutting numbers would see the same number of patrols. And the market has all sort of personal GPS alarm systems a la Alarmguard to ensure personal safety is maintained even when working alone. If such systems are good enough for witness protection etc then good enough for lone Community warden working in non hot areas.

Very very occassionally you get the oddest contacts. Below is the latest. They really can't have noticed the 5,250 calendar cards distributed in the last 4 weeks. I get about 3-5 phone calls from residents and groups every day and 10-20 emails depending on what's gonig on as well as mobile surgeries knockibg on people's door. So I wont be bowing to this anonymous pressure but can't say it's pleasant to receive such anonymous contacts. IF anyone feels I've not given them or their groups sufficient attention please email or call me. I don't bite! ----- Original Message ----- From: Anon To: Barber, James Sent: Fri Feb 04 21:30:22 2011 Subject: Contact: Pandering to the middle class Name: Anon Phone: Mobile: Email: [email protected] Message: You appear to be pandering to the middle class a little too much on the EDF and to be honest shows that you'll do anything to get re elected while other groups within our community are being ignored. Stop it and start to help the less fortunate people of East Dulwich. I shall be raising your over use of The Eastdulwichforum with my MP. Regards Anon

I was told that the road works would end yesterday or today and still in place tonight. Bother. I'll chase up why thr inrodinaste delay and also crucially why the amount of road closed could'nt be reduced for the weekend - for example the Champion Park has two westbound lanes closed but only one has been dug up. I can see why both westbound closed when people working on it but not outside working hours.

Hi shell, Call 020 7525 2000 and ask for bulk rubbish collection. Explain you have a window frame that needs removal. Before they arrive you'll need to clear the broken glass up.If that doesn't work please email me.

Hi tfwsoll, I've just been told that works should end today or tomorrow. On this basis they wont be arranging a change to timings but will consider this for future such lights. That the policy about where and when to place temporary pedestrian phasing will be sent to me when they have one. Thanks for your kind comments. Having such a public open surgery has its good and bad points. But generally I'd encourage other councillors to join in where they have the equivalent of EDF. The key seems to be finding such forums and investing a lot of time and effort in getting problems solved and queries answered. Without helpful council and other officials I could'nt answer or solve half the queries that come to me.

Hi Gadget, Lets talk off line.

The most neutral countries on earth Switzerland and Sweden spend a similar proportion on defence forces. History seems to tell us that at irregular intervals we need them big time and while we pretend to be a world power sitting on the UN Security Council full time we need them to help face into other conflicts. The one aspect I suspect our defence forces aren't prepared for is another surprise total war where their capacity to expand hugely will be crucial. Hopefully this is never tested.

Hi louisiana, Bus stops are largely a TfL. Road works exepting the south circular are a Southwark Council responsibility to ensure they're sensibly managed. I've a cold and chesty thing with antibiotics. So have'nt been out today and probably wont be tomorrow. Where on Lordship Lane?

Hi DJ, I didn't think their was any restriction on Labour cllrs posting. The cross party scrutiny report into housing repairs stats makes very interesting reading. Apart from the step reduction in residents complaints and councillor housing case work between 2007 & 2008 when the system introduced then stubbornly stuck at current levels. One of the interviewees of the committee from a repair companies appeared to be saying they found it really hard to manage their staff because of thier representation - presumably by union reps as hard to imagine what else this means. So hopefully now Labour led administration can quickly knock some union heads together to get this aspect fixed.

Hi peckhamboy, I'll ask and if it changes it will be down to your suggestion. Presume we'd want the opposite at the end of the working day when traffic generally going south.

Hi DJ, FSM is just one of many rash promises made. They add up to around 5-10% extra required on the council budget OR double the cuts required this year to fund. I don't know who is feeding you this rubbish about council contracts. ?100M spent on a call centre. Is that over 10 years or one year. Would that be the call centre contract that allowed the replaced of lots of council staff posts to be removed and proven to be much more than self funding. Would the new administration be proposing more call centres to deal with all council housing issues and closing the area housing offices blocking face to face contact. What loose contracts are you talking about? NB the new administration has talked during and since the election about sharing services and contracts with other councils. EU regulations make this VERY complicated snd very easilly challengeable in law by any suppliers who also bid and failed. Again just not thought through.

Hi DJ, Southwark Labour have choices. They've decided to cut by a lot more than the central govt cuts required. This is to find the money for their rash election promises such as the ?2M next year for universal Free School Meals increasing to at least ?4.2M by 2013 when all Primary school kids will be offered them. The Village schools currently have 12 kids entitled to free school meals the hundreds of other kids not entitled will then receive free school meals. That's a lot of wealthy families being subsidised by the less well of who consequently will see other services they do need cut. Another promise was to half the prices of meals on wheels for our older residents. But they're currently priced at the average rate for London. So southwark will by far result in the cheapest meals on wheels in probably England. To find the money for this other services have to be cut by more than the central govt cuts - one will be the Holmhurst Day Centre for older residents with serious issues. Southwark Labour have very real choices and they appear to be making some really odd ones and choosing to make much more severe cuts than necessary.

This what the Evenning Standard is saying. I hope the Police are wrong. Added to this Southwark Labour Cllr Keadean Rhoden recently convicted of housing benefit fraud. Added to this Southwark Labour Cllr Stephen Govier being suspended from the national Labour party under mysterious circumstances. Added to this Southwark Labour Cllr Abdul Mohamed being unable to complete his legally required Declarations of Interests correctly since at least 2007 so no one could tell if he had any conflicts of interest. This was only fixed after I felt I had to make a formal complaint. All rather sad state of affairs.

The young man who died Daniel Graham lived on Fellbrigg Road. I suspect many people locally will have known him. I would hope that further discussions and theorising would be more appropriate in the Drawing Room area of EDF. This was issued by the Met Police late yesterday: " Police continue to appeal for witnesses and information after a murder in East Dulwich. Police were called at approx. 00:10hrs on Saturday 29 January following reports of an assault close to East Dulwich rail station. Daniel Graham, 18 (27.5.92) of Fellbrigg Road SE22, was taken by ambulance to a south London hospital where he was pronounced dead at approx. 02:15hrs. Police believe that Daniel had attended a party at Dulwich Hamlet football club where an altercation between a group of youths began. As a result he left the party and ran down Dog Kennel Hill SE22 before boarding a stationary Route 176 bus. It is believed that he was followed onto the bus, so he got off. As he did so he was attacked by up to six youths on the pavement in full view of the passengers and pedestrians on the street. He managed to get back on the bus whereupon passengers called for an ambulance. A post-mortem gave cause of death as stab wounds. An incident room has opened under DCI Dave Manning (HSSC), and detectives are urging anyone who may have witnessed the attack to come forward. At approx. 00:20hrs on Saturday 29 January, police were called to a south London hospital to reports of a 14 year old boy who had been shot in the leg. He victim remains in hospital in a stable condition. It is believed this shooting was also connected to the party and police are also appealing for anyone with information on the incident to come forward. DCI Manning said: "East Dulwich is a busy area on a Friday night and I am sure that many people witnessed both incidents. I need to hear from any of the passengers on the 176 bus or any pedestrians who were in the vicinity." Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room on 020 8721 4054; or to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111. + On 31 January a 13 year old boy [A] was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder re. the shooting, and was taken to a south London police station. He has now been bailed to return in late-March pending further inquiries "

Hi mikese22, I'll formally find out as I'm also curious but as a general rule - if yellow pipes it's gas works and if blue pipes water works. Both gas and water pipes are being renewed across London as most are over 100 years old. To complicate things many of the works around and patches of the second world war as a result of bombing means the records are not perfect. The good news is gas and water comapnies are trying now to work more closely together the bad news is fewer streets works but each a little longer lasting. Hope that makes sense and will come back to you.

But do you think it should open on Sundays or not?

Hi Malleymoo, The first temporary lights, currently in action at the junction of Denmark Hill and Champion Grove, with a pedestrian phase currently in place and working. I was chuffed to see this in place despite the long tailbacks. Even better if the road works were being persued a pace. But good to see pedestrians finally being catered for.

Hi louisiana, I'll ask what happened with that leaflet - truly hopeless from what you've described.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23919002-boy-13-who-fired-shots-in-party-battle-arrested-for-attempted-murder.do The fullest narrative for what may have happened that I've seen or heard os far.

Hi Loz, Catching up with my reading came across "Housing Moves- Change Proposals to Landlord service at Southwark Council". Page 71 has section on council garages. Apparently Southwark Council has 8,000 with 2,000 voides. The plan is to centralise them and then centrally market and manage them. Regards james.

Bluerevolution, Well managed venues and spaces have significantly less conflicts. East Dulwich has a recently started a PubWatch scheme and some of the first advice given was visiting some establishments and just double checking that the flow of people inside pubs didn't cause customers bumping into each other unnecessarily with the risks of conflict that causes. So lots can be done without ridiculous infringements to have normal lives. The shooting and then knifing incidents Friday night around midnight are tragic. As much must be learnt to reduce the chances of this happening to people in our area as possible.

LD Sue Shotter 389 (40.4%) Con 270 (28.1% Lab 216 (22.5% Ind 87 (9.0% Majority 119 Turnout 31.3% LD gain from Con

Obviously tragic. Tragic for the victim, family, friends, perpetrator/s who will be caught and spend a great many years in prison, perpertrators families and friends. In the current climate potentially even tragic for the small businesses that have had to remain closed. The ripples are huge from such tragedies. One thing I will be asking about is having such huge unattended areas around Sainsbury's that appears un supervised. The changed reduced Sainsbury's opening on Saturday nights have resulted in much less supervision of their car park and the surrounding areas. If anyone thinks they have any information about this crime please get in touch with the Police South Camberwell ward Safer Neighbourhood Team where this all took place 07920 233911 / [email protected] OR Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 / http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Hi Loz, Southwark Councils website is rather vague to the exact locations but if contact them via 020 7525 5630 or [email protected] tell them where you're looking they'll let you know what they have. Any problems let me know. Hi Coccinelle, I've been trying to get a copy of the condition of all Southwark roads report (edited to add road). Officers are closely guarding its secrecy. Apaprently its too complicated to be made public. We can then all see where our roads fit in the priority for repairs and renewals. If I get no joy this week I'll FOI it. Risk I'll then get a paper copy to be awkward. Will let you know how I get on.

Last weeks council by elections: The Lib Dems held one seat (Solihul MBC Olton) and gained one (Conwy CBC) from the tories. The tories (Kent CC Tonbridge) and Labour (Manchester MBC Baguley) each held one seat. ...still not broken..;-)