James Barber

I've been double assured that Southwark is sticking to its gritting plan and that Barry Road and all other resilience roads were gritting last night and this morning. That until these resilience roads are cleared they wont start on side roads. That salt/grit stocks are high with sufficient to grit all resilience roads 4 times a day for 12 days before running out. Not sure that earlier in the week when first snow arrived side roads done once resileincy roads done but hopefully they will be gonig forward. Pavements are treachorous so try to avoid going far unless you need to. TfL and Southwark are apparently in regular contact about any problems buses are having on Southwark roads. I've also been assured that every day winter planning meeting being held at noon and all councillors will be updated with what's happening following those meetings.

Or email them at [email protected] If you don't get a response in 24hours let me know - preferably by forwarding your orginal email.

Hi Penguin68, We can't of run out of grit as 1,000 tonnes was reported in stores with deliveries for mid December already booked. I'll ask about this example and the obvious implications of being sparse with the grit. My sense is that grit is being rationed already but if you don't get it down early it causes black ice etc. Hi fish, Barry Road is one of the key roads that gets gritted. Last night several inches of snow so perhaps it needs sufficient traffic for the salt to get to work. Saying that it doesn't appear that much salt and grit is being used. Again I'll ask officers. NB. Last winter councillors had daily snow updates. This winter we've had one issued twice. So information is proving harder to obtain this time round.

Hi Chocoholic, If you need more blue boxes or bags Southwark council will happily provide them. When you contact Southwark do make it clear you'd if you'd prefer a blue wheelie bin. The people that ask the greater chance they'll allow this.

I'll ask who Southwark council doesn't appear to be clearing side roads. Last year I spoken with street cleaners beavering away in Derwent Grove and on Crystal Palace Road. Non to be seen. Hi Allycat, Good to know that Dog Kennel Hill pavements were gritted - imagine such hills if they weren't.

Hi talluah71, ~council officers assure me that street cleaners have less crap to clear where these stencils are placed. I have to be honest I've not checked this with a cross section of street cleaners myself but it appears to improve streets where its done as I usually get fewer complaints after they've been placed. Clearly some dig owners are idiots who don't give a damn for the rest of us. If their is a god these owners will keep stepping in it.

I think you'll find lots or people are working from home and many schools are closed with kids around going online. I think you need to wait until the weather has improved and everyone back to where they normally are before judging broadband.

Alleyns OPEN DKH - CLOSED Goodrich - CLOSED Goose Green - ?(first school in Southwark to achieve Every Child Matters standard) Heber - ? JAGS & JAPS - OPEN St.Anthony's - CLOSED St.Johns/Clements - OPEN Village Infants - ? Dulwich Hamlet Junior School - CLOSED Charter - CLOSED Harris Boys - OPEN - no after school or homework clubs Harris Girls - CLOSED (again) Kingsdale - OPEN 9.30-2.40

Sand seems odd. Southwark has over 1,000 tonnes of grit/salt mix with more on orders for delivery in two weeks time.

Hi Penguin68, I have a copy of the main Southwark gritting routes. I would post a copy hear but its 900Kb and wont fit. It clearly shows that Forest Road Hill should be gritted all the way (by Southwark) to slightly south of Honor Oak railway station - slightly across the border with Lewisham. In fact all the main hilly roads in the south of the Southwark are included in the plan to be gritted. If you can see it hasn't been then complain to [email protected] and copy me so I can find out why. What's also troubling me is where are the 80 human powered gritter trolleys - I've not seen any, have you? Southwark has sufficient for ALL pavements to be gritted. Not much point having so much salt stocks if it doesn't get used.

So summary seems to be: DKH - OPEN (has Xmas fair this Friday 3 December 3.30-5.30pm) Goodrich - OPEN Goose Green - OPEN (first school in Southwark to achieve Every Child Matters standard) Heber - OPEN until 2pm, no afternoon nursery, 4pm meeting for new parents is going ahead. St.Anthony's - OPEN St.Johns/Clements - CLOSED Village Infants - OPEN Dulwich Hamlet Junior School - OPEN until 12.15! Charter - OPEN from 10am Harris Boys - OPEN Harris Girls - CLOSED Kingsdale - CLOSED

Hi Peckhamgatecrasher, I'll ask about great priority. I'm finding it more than frustrating - last winter we bought 80 hand propelled gritting machines( ). This year you can't see them anywhere and they are listed in ther Winter Service Plan as one of the key mechanisms for getting and keeping our streets cleared of ice and snow. Have you seen one of these gritting machines in East Dulwich?

In Southwark we have over 5,000 empty homes. Most for more than one year. Southwark has 15,000 people on its housing lists. Many of these families etc. Even if policy carrots and sticks halved the numbers of empty homes huge dent in the housing lists would take place. Potentiall sticks - double or treble council tax on empty properties. Charge council tax and business rates on uninhabitable properties.

I've had complaints about the Melbourne Grove Medical Practice burglar alarm going of every night in the VERY early morning. I've contacted them and asked what is being done to stop this anti social behaviour.

Hi rahrahrah, Amazingly they seem to deter people from leaving dog poo after their dog has. Prerhaps one of those nudges veryone seems to be talking about.

Hi dbboy, Southwark Council ask TfL where they need roads gritted to run bus services. They grit those roads. I'll ask officers about this problem and whether TfL oversight in not requesting it be gritted.

I've been assured that yellow stencilled anti dog poo logos have been applied on Landcroft and Jennings Roads. That a street cleaner has absolutely made sure these and neighbouring streets have been cleared.

Goose Green school is being provided a significant slab of the ?12M ear marked for resolving Primary School places to fund effectviely a complete remodelling of the ground floor - new kitchens, etc. GG side of this is to support a bulge class. So I think McE is being quite realistic in thinking they have a cgoice between GG and StJ&C.

Hi GinaG3, Those were the faulty lights we found when I spent a brilliant evening having a 121 mentoring session on street lighting from southwark lighting guru - who is now in charge of all highway assets.

Hi DJKillaQueen, I thought your figures outlandish and different ball park to those I recalled. So I checked the figures then responded and included the links. As for not knowing southwark's budget - which bit or total or type? Broadly its ?1.5bn pa. The cuts proposed are probably in the region of ?20M pa. But no one knows for sure how the cuts will affect a specific authority until around the 9 December.

All Southwark councillors have been issued the following bulletin: "The weekend?s weather forecast predicts snow on Saturday/Sunday with the likelihood of heavier snow on Monday/Tuesday. The longer term is predicting sub zero road surface temperatures for next week and into the following week. Currently the council is fully stocked with salt and more supplies are due in mid December. We have recently increased our stock of salt bins by 100%, adding 54 more in particularly needed areas. In addition 36 schools have their own supplies already in place but some schools are still waiting for supplies to be delivered but this is because they ordered late. [beggars question why Southwark council can't 'lend' them supplies] Please note that we will have to focus our gritting on keeping key roads and pavements open, making sure access to essential services is maintained. In terms of gritting off road, an updated list has been prepared of vulnerable locations such as schools, transport hubs, medical facilities, elderly people's homes, and shopping centres and will be used by our cleaning service to prioritise deployment of gritting crews. [ street cleaners are used to clear pavements and grit pavements using hand propelled gritters]. TfL is responsible for gritting the roads and pavements along red routes. The council are contacting TfL to make sure they are fully prepared to deal with any snow in Southwark so we?re not left in the same position as last year, with very slippery pavements in red route areas and people having to walk in the roads. There is information on the homepage of the council?s website about our preparation to deal with the snow that is forecast over the weekend and into next week. " I've attached the latest version of the Southwark's Winter Plan which came out on the 18 November.

Hi GinaG3, Which lights did you see being fixed? Hi Eddie, Southwarks contract is on the case for fixing 1 Zenoria. Hi snowborder, Southwarks Night Scouts had already spotted Cyrena Road lamp post 10 as faulty and its programmed to be repaired 2 December - enjoy the dark while you can.

Hi DJKillaQueen, I think you've ridiculously over egging things. The BBC reported Sheffield Forgemasters ?80M proposed government loan would create 180 additonal jobs to make parts for nuclear power stations. Another alternative would be for Foremaster to issue a rights issue or commercial bonds OR it doesn't make commercial sense and the jobs would be short lived. Nick Clegg won with a majority of 15,000 votes with second place to a tory. Attempts to 'de capitate' him are extremely unlikely to succeed but do generate sensationalist headlines. Being in coalition with the tories probably means a proportion of those tory voters will vote for him. So 2015 it seems very likely his majority will rise even if the absolute number of votes he receives is distracted by a spoiler candidate.

Hi ComputedShorty, You're right but several front doors open onto for homes numbers as per other streets. Cyrena does have street lighting.

Hi eddie, I've reported the broken light outside 1 Zenoria. Hopefully it wont take long to get fixed. Hi DulwichFox, Sorry to hear that when you reported a broken street light on line it appeared to take so long. This is unsual. Sometimes its not a simple matter to change the proverbial bulb. Sometimes EDF Energy has to repair the electrics and can take some time. if you spot any more please do let me know.