James Barber

Could it be rain getting int othe door bell and shorting the circuit or something? No one selling stuff door to door is going to ring 20 times.

A '6 month pilot' scheme involving 10,000 homes in Southwark starts on Monday 4 October. The pilot involves adding organic waste i.e. food to the weekly recycling collections via 240L, 23L and caddy brown bins and also biodegradeable plastic bags. For non recycling rubbish collections will become fortnightly. This is a big emotive change and frankly looks botched due to ridiculous timescales. The concept is great - we all want to see great recycling but the execution for this pilot is very weak. The pilot was announced about 6 weeks ago and it has been really difficult to get information. I've repeatedly requested a precise list of which properties are in the pilot and this si still not available. Those homes in the pilot should have received a non addressed letter a month ago and another leaflet this week. Hopefully you didn?t miss it! Only 'easy' properties are included - so we have a pilot designed to learn next to nothing as it doesn't attempt to try this extra recycling at properties with less space for extra bins. Clearly many will be surprised come Monday with the letter and leaflet being lost in the general masses of junk mail/leaflets we all receive. To confirm if you?re in or out of the scheme you can call 020 7525 2000 - I was assured people could check this via the web but this is still not up and running. East Dulwich ward street that have properties in the pilot are - Barry Road, Crebor Street, Dunstans Road, East Dulwich Road, Etherow Street, Friern Road, Norcroft Gardens and Upland Road. For those that are in the scheme not all homes on a street are necessarily in the pilot - if council officers felt insufficient room to store a brown bin then you?re not included. So you can expect neighbouring properties to have either weekly or fortnightly ?residial ? rubbish collections - you?ll need to pay close attention! If you have any problems please let me know and I?ll try and help. PS. I've attached a photo of the 23L brown bin, the kitchen caddy and biodegradeable bags.

A '6 month pilot' scheme involving 10,000 homes in Southwark starts on Monday 4 October. The pilot involves adding organic waste i.e. food to the weekly recycling collections via 240L, 23L and caddy brown bins and also biodegradeable plastic bags. For non recycling rubbish collections will become fortnightly. This is a big emotive change and frankly looks botched due to ridiculous timescales. The concept is great - we all want to see great recycling but the execution for this pilot is very weak. The pilot was announced about 6 weeks ago and it has been really difficult to get information. I've repeatedly requested a precise list of which properties are in the pilot and this si still not available. Those homes in the pilot should have received a non addressed letter a month ago and another leaflet this week. Hopefully you didn?t miss it! Only 'easy' properties are included - so we have a pilot designed to learn next to nothing as it doesn't attempt to try this extra recycling at properties with less space for extra bins. Clearly many will be surprised come Monday with the letter and leaflet being lost in the general masses of junk mail/leaflets we all receive. To confirm if you?re in or out of the scheme you can call 020 7525 2000 - I was assured people could check this via the web but this is still not up and running. East Dulwich ward street that have properties in the pilot are - Barry Road, Crebor Street, Dunstans Road, East Dulwich Road, Etherow Street, Friern Road, Norcroft Gardens and Upland Road. For those that are in the scheme not all homes on a street are necessarily in the pilot - if council officers felt insufficient room to store a brown bin then you?re not included. So you can expect neighbouring properties to have either weekly or fortnightly ?residial ? rubbish collections - you?ll need to pay close attention! If you have any problems please let me know and I?ll try and help. PS. I've attached a photo of the 23L brown bin, the kitchen caddy and biodegradeable bags.

Dulwich Infants - I've wrongly stated that this would increase by one class size permanently. I should have stated it is likely o take bulge class Sept'11. Apologies for my error.

BT Openreach have contacted me to talk about their superfast broadband - initially 40Mbs downstream and 10Mbs upstream. The Dulwich exchange will have super fast broadband from March 2011. I've done a little investigation and all exchanges serving Southwark will have been upgraded to superfast broadband by end of 2011 - back end loaded Sept-Dec. www.superfast-openreach.co.uk (Bermondsey Sep'11, Beulah Hill Mar'11, Brixton Sep'11, Forst Hill Mar'11, Gipsy Hill Sep'11, New Cross Dec'10, Southwark/Borugh dec'11, Vauxhall/Kennington Oct'10, Walworth Dec'11). Not clear about Southbank but suspect it doesn't serve homes. To make this work they are talking about Fibre To The Cabinet so we may see some BT digging but mostly cable pulling in the next 15 months across Southwark and in Dulwich during the next 6 months.

Entry treatments are a different colour and usually blockwork to give a different pattern. They have nobbly paving to give a tactile reference you're about to cross the road. Blind people are more likely to trip over a regualr kerb which is an issue they don't have with entry treatments. The highway code makes it clear to give way to pedestrians when enterring a side road. Cyclsits. Some of my friends are cycling into their late 80's and they cycle over hills. I suspect one of the reasons they are so well is that they have always cycled and make me feel quite inadequate puffing up hills when I'm cycling. If hills are to much for a cycle walk your bike up them or get better gears.

Hi TJ, The pool temperature increase would have a coresponding pool air temperature increase. Good practice says the air temperature around the pool should be 1c higher. Changing room temperature. That is tricky. I've not found any recommendations fo what that should be and its currentl;y shared with gym users while that part of the centre is rebuilt/renovated.

Hi Peckhamgatecrasher, All the crossings are helpful for pedstrians. moving them wont aid any pedestrians and wont make much odds to vehicles using the roundabout as it wont be balanced anymore with pedesitrans breaking the traffic flow allowing other arms of traffic to go onto the roundabout. It's also horribly expensive to move crossings and we should spend any money on reducing collissions where they are actually occurring. Apologies for grumpy coldy day. Regards james.

Very late last night it was agreed to raise the pool temperature. Please try it again and let me know how it feels - I would try it myself except my cough is nearly gone to be replaced by man flu (and feeling rather sorry for myself). Gym. I've asked and will ask more today.

The Crime Stoppers has loads of realy really helpful crime prevention ideas and tips: http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/crime-prevention

Hi Loz, Lordship Lane is much more successful now that 10 years ago and Lordship Lane roughly carries ther same amount of traffic. So the through traffic doesn't appear to have revitalised Lordship Lane. Most of the traffic goes through never stopping to shop. Half of all the vehicles moving at any one time in Southwark start and end their journeys outside Southwark. Majority headed into town where free to use business parking makes this possible. Hi PeterW, The Dutch invested a lot of money over several decades to encourage and make attractive using bicycles and other public transport. With a little money relatively, London has seen a doubling in cycle use.

Hi cheerdisco, Goose Green roundabout defies transport planners theories in having far fewer collissions per pedestrian and vehicle movement that other styles of junctions. I think the tight small roundabout with zebra crossings makes everyone driver more slowly and with care to avoid scrapes. Some years ago it was proposed to increase the size of the rounabout - about 10 years ago from memory - to increase traffic flow but it was acknowledged it would gobble up parts of Goose Green and potentially have more collissions. Popular opposition killed that idea. Of more concern to me is that Lordship Lane and to lesser degree Grove Vale and east Dulwich Road are ribbons of collissions that we need to fix. In particular the junction of Lordship Lane with Northcross Road.

One of the Alleyn's team responded very quickly today, as the head teacher is away, but I've only just had chance to read and pass on the response. They have contacted the Foundation Coach Service manager and have requested coach drivers don't leave engines running and park more carefully. When he gets a resppnse he'll let me know. Apparently some of the islands make manuevring the coaches tricky so i'll pass that ot one of the village ward councillors to see if this can be looked at.

The feedback I've had from head of leisure is the newly reopened Dulwich Pool is at the following temperatures: Male change 21c Female change 21c Family change 22c Poolside 29c Pool water 28c Looking around the web suggests for excercise swimming pools 27-29.5c with the ambient temperature 1c higher - not just for comfort but to avoid condensation. Apparently Dulwich College pool 28c today but I thought Dulwich College pupils are 13-18 probably expected to swim athletically. Peckham Pulse apparently varies between 28c-29c but normally 28c. The following website seems authoritative: http://www.caromal.co.uk/Resource%20Page%201.htm It states: Recommended Maximum Pool Water Temperatures Competitive swimming & diving, Fitness swimming, Training . . 27 deg C - (80.6 deg F) Recreational, Adult teaching, Conventional main pools . . . . 28 deg C - (82.4 deg F) Childrens teaching, Leisure pools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 deg C - (84.2 deg F) Babies, Young children, Disabled & handicapped. . . . . . . .30 deg C - (86.0 deg F) So my overall conclusion is Dulwich Pool needs to be 0.5c->1c warmer and the corresponding air temperature higher. However, first few hours 6.30-8.30am and 7pm-9pm could potentially be kept at the current temperature when adults swimming lanes. I've requested they try 0.5c higher and gauge peoples reactions. I thought it might be a nice touch to give people a bead or somthing similar and have three perspex boxes so users can place bead in cold, hot, just right boxes. that way most people will comment publicly. Until this is agreed I would'nt dream of taking my kids to this pool.

Hi coopsey76, Dulwich infants will have a bulge class. EDITED as I wrongly state permanent expansion - apologies for causing confusion. Regards james.

Hi Sebedee Tring, I'll happilly contact the school and ask that they request coach drivers to not leave engines running needlessly. I'll also make a point of travelling more along Townley Road at school morning times to experiences the problems for the next fortnight.

Hi coopsy76, You need to visit schools. They all have slightly different vibes and some will resonate with your child better than others. That should temper the order you place the schools on the form. Ofsted reports lag behind where a school is and the definitions Ofsted use aren't necessarily ideal. long way of saying don't rely so much on Ofsted. Southwark will attempt to maximise 1st preferences while maximising people getting one of their four choices. With reards to Dulwich Infants/Junior. You'd need to speak to the school and existing paretns experiences.

Hi Vik, Understand the point you make about Dog Kennel School having an SE22 post code. All the schools I've listed have kids from East Dulwich ward attending them. regards james.

I'll try and make a point next week of hanging around for that time next week to experience it.

ITS TRUE. The key is how officers try suggesting it gets spent. orginally proposed to be lordship lane and now proposed grove vale and lordship lane. key is TfL buses and what these highnesses find acceptable.

Hi vik, I was only stating schools in East Dulwich ward - but yes East Dulwich ward is surrounded by other excellent schools such as Bessemer Grange, Doge Kennel Hill, Dulwich Infants, St Johns and st Clements, etc.

Hi mrs.lotte, i'm really sorry about this. I'll badger about the pool temp and other unacceptable issues. A lot of money has been spent and absolutely no reason why the service delivery has been this poor.

Hi Zebedee Tring, Earlier posts by others suggested digging up and tarmacing some of their grounds. I was responding to those. I think the idea of digging up green space is at best unhelpful and a distraction from the root cause. The odd coach is parking slightly outside the coach bays occassionally during very short periods at the start and end of the school day. The other suggestion was coaches driving up the relatively narrow road that arcs to the front door and back again from Towlney Road. My hunch is that it would'nt be wide enough for coaches to over take each other. You'd also have issues of coaches emerging into Towley Road. Not practical in my mind. I really think a sense of proportion is required. If the coach drivers aren't sticknig to the bays then we work on that. Realy irony to me is that we've had other thread suggesting leniency from parking enforcement.

Hi gwod, Dulwich Village infants is expanding by one form entry - 30 kids - a bulge class Planning permission given early at the start of the year so works will be ready. EDITED - as I wrongly state permanent expansion. Jumping the gun somewhat!

Gym - 6 months until phase 2 finished. I've heard back from Southwarks head of leisure and the cold temperature being looked into.