James Barber

Hi Cora, I've been told all school swimming sessions during school holidays become general swimming sessions. What might have happened is they had to close the pool for a session while routine maintenace earlier this week took place on one of the air handling units. Please do try again and fingers crossed next time you'll have a good family swim. Hi RDJ, My understanding is that by Christmas day ALL green wheelie bin rubbish collections will have caught up - just in time for all that non recycleable Christmas rubbish most of us will generate. That all recycling collections wont have caught up by then. Painful as we've had no recycling collection this week either and our blue bags and boxes are at capacity and overflowing.

Hi RDJ, I'll have fuller details later today....but on Monday 25% of scheduled collections were made, 70% of collections on Tuesday and a full schedule is expected to be completed today. By Christmas day it is hoped all rubbish collections will be up to date - to aid this and help clear the backlog green waste trucks are being diverted to normal rubbish collection duties. Hi Cora, This seems very odd. I'll find out.

Hi RDJ, The rubbish, recyclingg and food waste collections are clearly in a pickle due to the icy roads. I've asked when will the collections have caught up before the4 xmas roata changes kick in and as soon as I have this details will let you know.

Hi Peterstorm1985, The orignal driver for council magazines was the Audit Commission wanting proof that councils communicated with residents. That's changed. So councils don't feel the need to tick that box anymore. In fact the new Secretary of State Eric Pickles weirdly stating he wanted to maxmise freedoms for councils while telling them to have maximum of 4 issues a year of any council magazine/leaflet. I agree with the intent but not the method. Councils should decide this for themselves. I'm clear that if the Lib Dems were running Southwark we'd drop the magazine as the original driver has gone. Produing and distributing a letter a la DiD would cost to cover the borough around ?5,000 to design & print and ?5,000 to distribute. Drop in the ocean for the councils comms budget. But would one issue have the desired affect. Probably not. Is Southwark Life beign stopped no. I'm sorry I can't directly change this.

Winter Road Salting - Facts and Figures UK salt suppliers maximum production is around 12,000 tonnes/day 1 x 20g/m_ treatment uses 32,000 tonnes/day throughout the UK ?White-out? conditions uses 100,000 tonnes/day throughout the UK It takes 20 days to replenish one UK white-out day using supplies from Cleveland Potash and Salt Union mining combined

Hi DiD, Southwark Life is delivered to every home every month so not sure an extra leaflet is required. I'm afraid so many time people have read that might be sued for clearing the pavement outside their homes or their garden path that it will take quite sometime to counter that. Would I welcome an expectation that everyone had to clear the path outside their house - yes I would mostly could it would end the nagging doubts most people seem to have that they mustn't. Hi Ratty, 'slithered into coalition' that made me laugh. Last winter two bouts of snow and more salt was spread then than now. The 80 hand propelled gritter trolleys we boought and had out on side roads and pavements - not in use these two bouts due to lack of salt. The councillor responsible stated last Friday "We urge residetns to look out for themselves". Hi headphonauts, Can you email direct with all your details please and I'll try and help you.

Hi EDmummy, The CoE church schools generally accept 50:50 religious entry and community entry. So not as drastic as it first appears. Don't forget that any selectivity will result in keen parents more often having kids attend. Many parents will ensure they appear on church attendance registers etc. Self fulfilling that schools that require this do better on average for test results.

Hi louisiana, Councillors haven't been told this but item in South London Press. Southwark Council are close to running out of salt and will only be putting grit on major roads. Stated that no grit on pavements, side roads or side road pavements or in salt/grit bins. Incredibly frustrating being in opposition. When we led Southwark Council we had problems last winter but never ran so low of salt so quickly despite spreading more. Last winter officers were very clear in their advice that 1,000 tonnes was more than enough. My hunch is, due to officers not asnwering quiries, that Southwark started the winter with 600 tonnes and another 400 tonnes on order for deliver mid December. That they used much of the 600 tonnes up and that the 400 tonne delivery has been diverted due to the earleir than usual snow and not delivered. One local paper called me to ask if I'd heard Southwark had sold lots of salt to Bromley. I don't believe that I suspect the bulk of that 400 tonne order has been diverted by the supplier. Eitherway, I obtained a quote for 5,000 tonne salt barn a year ago (?160,000) but very strong officer advice was it was unnecessary. I'll be pressing for this as it seems clear 600 or 1,000 tonnes isn't enough. And that all the stocks required for a winter need to be in place by 1 November latest every year.

Hi McCatllar, I'm also sorry for inflaming you. I'd quite like to talk through the policy from the other thread as you clearly know lots about it.

Hi Fuschia, How can 3% inflation apply. 90%+ of school budgets is spent on wages. Public sector has joined the majority of the private sector in having a pay freeze. So schools shoudn't have any budget pressures from increasing salary bills. You're suggesting public sector pay freeze will be side stepped via salary increments ie pay rises. That would seem very weak management practices.

Hi kateamin, I've met all bar one of the local school head teachers and the Bessemer head particularly impressive when I met her. So definately worth taking a tour. Hi Fuschia, What is increment drift. Is that another way of saying pay rises during a pay freeze. You've also suggested education budgets are going down. The cash given by the government for schools will remain the same at ?35.4bn pa next year + ?2.5Bn pa for pupil premuim from April. Regards james.

After having our front door kicked in we improved the locks to Banham and installed London and Manchester bars down the side and funny nobbly things at the hinge side. If you live in East Dulwich ward you can have free property marking kit. Great deterrent to buglars.

Hi Queenie, You're correct in sense schools budget in cash terms will receive no cuts and stay the same - which with inflation implies a real terms cut BUT 90%+ of school budget is salaries and public sector pay freeze (as many private companies had had in place for some time). So in absolute real terms that near as dammit means no cut. An extra ?2.5bn from other public sector budget has been earmarked for the Pupil Premium which will bring an extra ?5M to Southwark schools. Apologies to veryone else as I really had'nt intended to distract from the excellent SAT results.

Hi ianr, I believe the plan is to make the whole borough controlled.

Eitherway, East Dulwich schools have done well. Congratulations to the kids, parents, governors, teachers, support staff, heads and council officers who have all made this possible. I have the good fortune to know and meet a whole host of local kids and I think they have the potential to do even better. Fingers crossed they do. From April they'll be extra money to support kids from the poorest back grounds and their cohort to ensure those deprived backgrounds don't get in the way of all our school kids acheiving more. ?5M in total for Southwark primary schools via those Pupil Premiums.

Hi McCatllar, Of course the Mayor of London thinks the system should stay exactly as is and shame on anyone who changes it. Politically I would'nt expect him to say anything else. It doesn't come from his budget and clearly the potential changes and reductions are unpopular with people. He's up for re election in 18 months time and that mayoral election has all but started. I understand Southwark historically has been a small net beneficiary. This doesn't make it a great scheme or idea to be run as it has been. And, yes I do know that London Lib Dem run councils have stated they'd like to keep it. I'm sorry my difference of opinion has antagonised you.

Hi McCatllar, Perhaps I should have explianed my thinking behind my last post. Lib Dems are clesarly very low in the national opinion polls. This probably relates to the obvious compromises that have been made and the announcements made so far. My point about the Pupil Premium is that 65% of the Lib dem national manifesto promises are in the coalition agreement. As those promises come to the for and are implimented I'd anticipate a change in Lib Dem fortunes. The Pupil Premium was one of our four main election promises and I think it will make a huge difference. Whether it makes a difference to people likely to vote Lib Dem is another matter. If you point out the areas you believe I've been lazy it would help enormously. Many thanks in advance.

more details of the Pupil Premium announced this week. Southwark Schools will receive around ?5M at ?425 per poor pupil to give them and their cohort the extra support they need to counter under priveledged backgrounds. It wont happen instantly but I think places like Southwark it will quickly make a big difference.

Hi snowy, I still think London boroughs chipping in money to a committee of the London Councils body who then redistribute to pan London voluntary groups is daft. We have pan London democratically elected Mayor of London who should be accountable for pan London voluntary funding. We need to simply government not keep unnecessary extra levels of complexity that skim an avoidable percentage. And of course council leaders will vote to keep it. They give themselves extra allowances to hold this responsibility. The money given originally to London boroughs is based on complicated needs formula so to then give some up to a London body subverts those calculations.

Met Police are also consulting strategically about Safer Neighbourhood Teams and broadly how they operate. http://www.keysurvey.co.uk/survey/339166/19e4/ Do let them know what you think and feel.

Southwark Council has a consultation about introducing Dog Control Orders. The consultation is rather leading - no questinos about whether you agree SOuthwakr has a problem or not, where any problems might be. But if you want to complete the online consultation - http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200005/animal_welfare/1933/dog_control_order

Southern Railways are conducting surveys about what improvements passengers would like. If you could spare 2 mins to tell them about how East Dulwich railway station could be better that would be fab: http://www.southernrailway.com/survey I?d prioritise betting rid of those 4 steps just before the ramp up to platform 2, more shelter space on platform 1, an indicator board at the entrance to platform 1 (so I know if I time to fetch a newspaper or snack), stairs directly at the start of the ramps so I can sprint to catch trains when time tight, and also asked about why the train can;t be flush with the platforms as they are for the Heathrow Express. Do let Southern Railways know what your priorities are.

I suspect snatching the handercheif away and putting a clean surface against the hand for a good set of finger prints would make the local Police forces day. Then call the Police.

Tonight we have Dulwich Community Council 6/30-7pm local Police hold surgeries before main meeting starts at 7pm. http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?6,586448

512 LORDSHIP LANE, EAST DULWICH, LONDON, SE22 8NF is the official BT address. http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/LSDUL Amazingly BT Dulwich exchange doesn't support SDSL. I happen to know the LLU Operators (at least one does) as I was the Project Manager who unbundled it for one of these operators.