James Barber

Food waste pilot. I received details late yesterday that at present Southwark/Veolia don't actually have anywhere to send collected food waste. Negotiations are taking place with Greenwich to receive it and 'bulking' it prior to reprocessing. No contract for the reporcessing component either yet. Fingers crossed they find a solution in befroe the pilot starts in 4 weeks time.

Hi ellisscott, I feel equally frustrated and have again report this activ speed sign not working. Southwark seems to have a permanent problem keeping these in a good state - see one on Crystal Palace Road which I've also reported several times. Hi expat, I didn't know that. Hi elloriac, edanna, Tetrapaks became quite an election issue. As then it isn't clear whether recycling them is good idea it feels while they have to be exported to Sweden to be recycled as no plant operates anywhere else capable of stripping them down to recyclable components. I've quite some correspondence with Tetrapak people and they are unable to provide a life cycle report to show the merits of recycling them. Saying that it feels good and 6 large supermarkets in Southwark have Tetrapak recyclnig facilities collecting last time i heard 14kg of Tetrapaks in total each week. Southwark generates over 100,000 tonnes of waste. Hi Miacis, I was releived to hear people would be on hand to assist with crossings. I'm arranging a briefing with council officers as to how such a junction could be dug for such planned works during term time. If they have to be, then proactively as part of the traffic management order (TMO) that the utility proposes council officers should demand such crossing patrols.

One thought would be polystyrene - bulky, often in boxes for electrical goods and doesn't break down and isn't recyclable. Sure other items.

Hi peterstorm1985, I'm keen that we don't all become bin vigilantes! Also recognise that the planned pilot described by an officer as "bad news" for the borough could really benefit from real community engagement to ensure it works well and every type of item disposed is planned for. Which I think it what you're saying.

Today's Southwark News page 45 has an advert advertising that Dulwich Hamlets have applied for a variation to their hours of opening, hours of providing enteraintment and hours they can sell alcohol. The extra additional hours they've applied to sell alcohol and provide entertainment are: Friday 11pm - 1am Saturday 11pm - 1am Sunday 10pm - 11pm Overal opening hours will then be: FRiday 7am - 1am Saturday 9am - 1am Sunday 9am - 11pm If you wish to comment - whether to support or object then contact Southwark licensing department The application was made 20 August and the window to make a comment is 28 days from then so deadline is 17 September. Any objection would legally need to be on one or more of the following grounds. Equally any support would need to explain why the applciation wouldn't have these imapcts: Objections must relate to one or more of these four licensing objectives. 1. The prevention of crime and disorder 2. Public safety 3. The prevention of nuisance 4. The protection of children from harm Any representation you make should include: - your name and signature - your address details - the date you wrote the letter (or email) - the application that you are opposed to - the reasons why you are opposed to the application I've attached the guide to this. All representations should be sent to: Southwark Council Licensing Service The Chaplin Centre Thurlow Street London SE17 2DG Tel: 020 7525 5748 Fax: 020 7525 5705 [email protected]

Today is the 1st birthday of this thread. I'd like to say a big thank you for the generally warm and sometimes generous welcome I've had. We've worked together to find information out and fix things. If you have anything involving the local council that isn't done well, annoys you or you think plain stupid please let me know and I'll try and improve things with you.

If they bother you then consider joining Heathrow Action Campaign Against Noise (HACAN). City Airport has applied to expand by 50% from 80,000 flights pa to 120,000. The way they've phrased the application it seems clear this is just a stepping stone to further flights. If you're against that then look at Fight the Flgihts.

Contractor has agreed to supply for free replacement photos and screw them all down to reduce risk of damage if someone decides to try removing them. The council officer Pippa has done a good job arranging this.

If anyone needs more blue boxes of bags just make your requests via 020 7525 2000. Any problems with that let me know.

Council officers told the previous adminstration that the food recycling collections apparently required the Integrated Waste Management Facility to be built on the Old Kent Road. This wont be finished until 2011. So I've asked where is proposed to receive all this food waste. Hi louisina, You can request a smaller green bin. The normal sized ones are 240L and the smaller ones are 180L. Takes up less room. Call 020 7525 2000. Any problems please let me know. Hi BrandNewGuy, It is amazing how much rubbish our society generates. Much can't be recycled.

I'm surprised by this. The school has been told that they don't have to have an electrical fire alarm and that the local authority H&S team see no reason for this school to be closed for the stated reason.

Exactly why Cambridge Council spent a year working with residents to get such changes just right. Nappies stored for a week probably not a problem if tightly wrapped in plastic bag but people will think it a problem and look to take them elsewhere to dispose of. Unintended consequences of any proposed scheme can kill it.

Some lamp posts have small cylindrical things for plugging in Xmas lights.

Hi edanna, Cambridge Council introduced such a scheme and spent a year counsulting and preparing people for it AND the final scheme was very different to that originally proposed and seems to have popular support. The idea would be that if you're recycling you wouldn't need extra bin bags (which foxes in East Dulwich would love) so my understanding is that they would not be collected. My guess is officers might be helpful to begin with and get stricter over time. I'm not sure what people in flats would do who already find even the smaller wheelie bins a problem.

Hi Miacis, Eddie M, A colleague form Village ward - Cllr Robin Crookshank-Hilton spoke with Southern Gas a week ago who stated two weeks until they finished. Eitherway I'm hopeful they can be strongly encouraged to finish sooner.

Hi Tomsav, Agree Landcroft Road is a pickle. I've reported many of the pot holes for repair and only patching has occurred. The next round of road maintenance budget will decided on its size at February budget setting council. Previous years the Lib Dem allocated an amount for local ward councillors to decide - we decided on Pellatt Road, Landells Road and a bit of Goodrich. It costs roughly ?1,000 per metre of road and pavements to be renewed and we have budget of ?33,333. We plumped for only doing the roads which made the money go a lot further. Southwark as a whole has a backlog of ?18M of highway renewals to bring every road up to decent standard. Largely the 8 years of Lib Dem led council we chipped away at that backlog but didn't seriously dent it. Personally I'd imagine Landcroft next FY being a likely contender.

Hi expat, Where fortnightly bins collections have been introduced they have faield to gain popular support without an extensive consultation which has usually resulted in subtle changes making the originally proposed schemes better. The advice from the ex.Labour government was exactly that. The expereince of Lib Dem councils is exactly that.

Hi Miacis, Eddie M, I'm also really worried that we have what appears to me a near repeat of the circumstances that resulted in the tragic death of a school girl at the junction of Peckham Rye/East Dulwich Road. I've contacted the lead council officer and explained the similarities and will chase later today. With Southwark schools going back today this needs to be resolved asap.

Violence Against the Person is often domestic violence. So largely invisible except to those closely involved. We've done lots in East Dulwich to reduce crime - property marking kits for stopping burglary, alertboxes to cut shop crime, those hooky things under bar/pub tables to reduce theft. We can't fund capital things to reduce domestic violence. Any ideas very welcome.

No, I'm not saying that. In some places I'd imagine fewer and in others more.

Hi Amelie, Sure you're right but must be something more can be done. Ultrasound? Just randomly guessing how long works will take seems a bit rubbish this day and age. Any ideas?

Hi rahrahrah, When modernising the street lights wherever possible the lighting engineers assess the spacing to ensure no big gaps between lights. So they've been placing some in different positions. Fewer. They could only have fewer if they were much taller to spread their light or allowed to shine out horizontally which would cause more unwanted light into peoples homes.

Hi louisiana, A neighborhood dislocation charge. Oh how I wish. Great idea. The good news is that replacing water and gas mains now should avoid such works in the future for the rest of our lifetimes. The reason they don't put end dates is in case they come across the unexpected. With records relating to gas works undertaken 80+ years ago I'd guess and blitz damage where changes weren't fully recorded it would be very hard to know exactly when you'd finish. I work for a telecom company. One customer was held up as the simple trenching for 100m found 2m thick concrete under the road. Truly bizarre. I'm surprised not able to use archeological sub ground radar/sensing to get better idea of what likely to be found. Very low tech at present.

Hi expat, The national government has so far said they'd like councils to not raise council taxes and will work with local councils by allowing them far more freedon and less ring fencing of the monies they receive so they can be more efficient. REal example Audit Commission going. The following is the email received by councillors from Cllr Barrie Hargrove about the planned changes to recycling: "I would like to welcome you to an all member drop in session for a new recycling pilot, which will run in the East Dulwich, The Lane, Nunhead, Peckham Rye, Surrey Docks and Village wards. The sessions will take place on 23 September, from 6pm at Tooley Street, SE1 2TZ, Room 519. We?ll be running a series of drop in sessions at 6.15pm, 6.45pm and 7.15pm where we will be explaining details of the scheme, provide examples of the materials and answer any questions you have. Places for the sessions are limited to 20, so please confirm by reply to this email of your order of preference and we will confirm details prior to the 23 September. Further details of the pilot at www.southwark.gov.uk/foodwaste In conjunction with our waste and recycling partner, Veolia, we will run a Organic (garden and food waste) recycling pilot for 10, 000 homes in the borough from October to March next year. This will not affect residents weekly collections of dry recyclables. The recycling pilot will enable residents to recycle additional materials and will contribute to raising the boroughs recycling rate. This in turn will reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill. " If you follow that link it takes you to a page where at the very bottom it has a link titled 'background details of this scheme" if you follow that link and read very carefully it states rubbish collections will go fortnightly. The wording around this implies they'll be next to nothing left to collect. This is not what other authorities have found. It's sugar coating a controversial decision. This type of burying decisions, obfuscation is an example of what gives politicians a bad name. The whole fortnightly collections idea and decision for Southwark, trialled in East Dulwich, should involve proper public consultation and a robust decision making porocess.

Hi expat, Central Government provides around 70% of the money that local councils such as Southwark spend. In calculating how much money to provide they take into account number of homes, population, number of freezing days and so one. So clearly these numbers affect how much money they provide for rubbish collections. Hi Twirly, I'm afraid I don't know. Currently my uncooked vegetable waste is composed in the garden. My guess is that you'd be encouraged t put food waste in a recepticle or plastic bag for collection. I guess that what's troubling me. The zero consultation that's taking place to talk through issues. Presumption appears to be that the trial booked for East Dulwich and Dulwich assumes everyone lives in houses with front and back gardens to locate more wheelie bins etc. Dulwich has fewer subdividdd properties due to Dulwich Estate ability to restrict this. East Dulwich has high proportion of subdivided properties. Not everyone can share wheelie bins with neighbours even from the same 'house'.