James Barber

I think the buses and bus drivers have generally been brilliant. amazing to think 8 tonne buses are out and about on icey roads but trains would appear more sensitive.

Clearly sending anyone out litter picking in areas covered in snow and ice is as the subject line says - stupid, stupid, stupid - it's also contrary to Southwarks Winter Service Plan. I've contacted officers to ask why this obsurd working is going on when we need street cleaners - as per the Winter Service Plan - to be used to help clear our streets of snow and ice.

Hi lousiana, I would expect grit bins to be refilled. I'm chasing up three empty grit bins but if you spot any report its empty and tel me so I can also chase. Hi Applespider, Michael Palaeologus, Chick, Indeed after so many days you'd have thought side roads and pavements would have been gritted by now. Those 80 hand gritting machine things - bought precisely to grit side road pavements and roads - seem to have vanished. I'll ask where they've been in East Dulwich.

Hi Meadow48, Piermont 05 & 06 street lights have faulty eletricity supplies. The works orders have been raised for the monopoly supplier EDF Energy to fix but this never happens quickly - but at least these orders have been raised now. Hi Louisiana, Well yes and no. Of the 16,000 street lights in Southwark 421 left to be modernised of which 70 in East Dulwich or on the otherside of the ED ward boundary. So our East Dulwich decision will upgrade a few lights just outside the ward boundary but will light up ED pavements etc.

Shame South London Line from Denmark Hill & Peckham Rye is under threat. It provides direct train services to Battersea and a huge regeneration scheme has been launched "Vauxhall, Nine Elms and Battersea Opportunity Area". It's believed 25,000 new jobs and 16,000 new homes will be created.

What a truly great thread to see. Well done zeban. One great way to help would be to volunteer for Dulwich Helpine - they specialise in offering "friendly volunteer support for isolated older people". They clearly have lots of clients who need help and are always on the look out for extra volunteers. Their general contact details are: [email protected] 020 8299 2623 For volunteering: [email protected] 020 8299 4594.

Hi tommy, If you get stuck please call or email me direct. With the current weather it must be really dangerous to be without heating.

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.