James Barber

Southwark Council provides free cycle tuition and route planning. We all think we know how to cycle but the trainers opened my eyes to a couple of bad cycle habits and suggested some route alternatives.

Reading the London Mayor's Draft Municipal Waste Management Strategy, I know I need to get out more, it highlights that on average flats on estates only recycle around 10%. This is a mega problem as half of London's homes is in the form of flats. In Southwark I've been told by a council officers we have 70-80%.

Hi edf, During the summer we should expect to see a proper pedestrian crossing of Lordship Lane where Sommerfields/coop shop is.

In East Dulwich we funded the East Dulwich Police via Cleaner, Greener, Safer funds to provide state of the art speed guns/camera and active speed sign. They now have the tools to enforce speed limits. The Peckham Rye Police team don't have such tools so they can;t enforce speed limits. I wonder if the Labour Peckham Rye councillors will have decided to provide such tools or other crime fighting/prevention kit?

Breach of planning laws would be embarassing for Southwark. Such a breach could be resolved in a number of way from atomic one of closing a buuilding/knocking it down to fines. Tend to agree the one one or two during year with people moving into and out of the area unlikely to have a material impact or concern. If a school were to ignore planning laws then I suspect parents would be reticent to apply as they might find an offered place is withdrawn at the last minute. So I'd be amazed if any school would play fast and loose on numbers.

Hi Magpie, Sorry you've not spotted the context. When renewing the road surface it makes it hard to go back later and renew pavements as the kerb line is often affected by pavement works. So the pavements are renewed first THEN the whole of Melbourne Road will be renewed. That how Dunstans Road has progressed, Crystal Palace Road road will have its road renewed from 22 March, and not so long after than Melbourne Grove. All these works were started at planning stage last July and part of the 09/10 planned programme of street renewals and maintenance.

I made a point of walking down Melbourne Grove over the sunny weekend. I could see a couple of small areas where the pavement works were still in progress. One of then was full of shredded tree which would need to be removed before paving could happen. Suspect that has held these two sections up. I could see some snagging issues for completed areas. Other than that lots of progress sicne the previus weekend.

Next Monday 22 March the Crystal Palace Road resurfacing begins. It will be phased and the current angular humps will be replaced with sinusoidal ones. Any concerns, problems or issues please do get in touch with me.

Hi intexasatthe moment, The planning application stated a number of pupils. Gonig above that number would be a breach of the planning application and council officers would enforce the planning application. Whatever other processes Harris would wish to take regarding pupuil numbers. For this school with its actual planning permission it has a maximum number of pupils. Harris Peckham Academy is reducing its number of places by two forms of entry per year. I'm amazed no parent of a boys at the temporary site hasn't said anything on this forum.

WELL DONE Bunny19.

Hi intexasatthe moment, IF a planning application is submitted it can be refused by planning committees. Refusal can be appealed to the Secretary of State by the applicant. Hi Cathyg1947, The architectural and planning officer advice was that the aesthetics were ok. I seemed to recall asking the applicant around dull facade but the answers and officer answers were helpful. Having seen its unfinished backside I'm keen to see that the completed building will actually when completed be ok.

Suggestion that perhaps some cycle parking should be the road. I've been helpfully sent the attached. Not sure it would suit Lordship Lane - what do people think? If nothing else its made me smile.

Hi Barry, I can formally confirm that ?6,000 has been decided by East dulwich cllrs coming from East Dulwich Cleaner, Greener, Safer funding this coming financial yrar. So the money is available first thing in April. Perhaps a site visit in the next fortnight?

I believe this school is costing ?30M to build and open with the land provided free by Southwark Council. That isn't a small amount of money or land opportunity cost to me. Harrow, Eton and Dulwich College I'm sure have large areas of playing fields but importantly they were contructed a long time ago in then rural areas. Buying farmland then would have been cheap. To create such playing fields in East Dulwich would need either Peckham Rye Park or Common to be handed over to a school or compulsory purchasing many many hundreds or thousands of homes. Which might well reduce the need for a new school. Allowing Harris Boys to use the common would result in a very similar amount of playing fields for local boys. So in my mind we have the ingredients its just having the local will to use them together. Admissions numbers. I'd be surprised if they would'nt need to reapply for planning permission to change the numbers. I'd be amazed if a planning committee agreed to an increase when the original evidence and subsequent research suggests 750 is optimal numbers. Some bigger schools are being subdivided into smaller units of this size. I went to a comp that had twice these numbers - close to 2,000. Great for being lost in the crowd. Not good to ensure every child progresses well.

Hi elliescott, Zebra crossing are great in that people walking get to cross more or less when they need to and vehicels are not held up when no one crossing but the mere suggestion someone might cross normally reduces speeds around zebra crossings. Could you PM exactly where on Barry Road staing house numbers - hence the request for PM. I'll then take a look and come back to you.

I was on the planning committee that decided to grant planning permission. I did ask at the time whether the Academy could be allowed to use the common/park but in exchange allow its changing rooms to be used at the weekend. This would allow all those unsightly shipping containers to be removed. I was told that the friends of Peckham Rye Park at that time were against such a concept and the applicant didn't want to rock the boat.

The playground is being rebuilt after receiving planning permission earlier this year. I believe this is largely funded by Southwark Council using central government funding to improve playgrounds but along more naturalistic lines. So kids get mounds, grass, tunnels, etc. Naturalistic playgrounds are thought to promote more adventure and imagination. That this funding tipped up with Community Concil CGS funding. When I was asked about playground priorities in East Dulwich ward I suggested the ones at Goose Green, Dulwich Park and Pekcham Rye Parks.

The kerb build out were placed to stop people driving the wrong way up Spurling Road. Residents told me that this happened at speed as drivers preumsbly wanted to reduce the time they spent doing this illegale maneuvre. Rather than just place a block to illegal cars I asked that we allow cycle through as they can then reach lots of quiet roads. I'm told that a traffic order needs to catch-up with this cycle gap. As traffic orders are a legal requirement and cost a lot of money - I was quoted typical costs inclduing pubcli consultation, legally required advertising etc of ?5,000 - I'm expecting it to be piggy backed with other traffic orders. Fortunately as the gap was included with the Goose Green rounabout changes consultation it shouldn't need a reconusltation.

Hi Bono Fido, Locking bicycles to these Sheffield type of bike parking is about the securest way of bike parking you can get in a publci space. BUT two good different type of locks should be used. Different as apparently bike theives tend to carry one type of lock breaking kit. Two locks as seperately front wheel and frame should be locked and second lock for back wheel and frame. Absolutely no evidence that placing sheffield stands results in more bike theft. Locking bikes to solid items does result in less bike theft.

Hi TheAllSeeingEye, Iceland have a yard out the back for their delivery lorries to park up and unload. They shouldn't be parking illegally on Lordship Lane. I can imagine its quicker to park on Lordship Lane than fiddle with parking in their yeard.

Hi Barry, Great program of works. Well done. East Dulwich station. You said your number one priority was extra covered waiting area on the platform facing London Bridge. You said it would cost ?12,000. We were going to split this ?4,000 from South Camberwell councillors Cleaner, green, Safer funging - Cllr Jenny Jones applied for this - unfortunately they have not granted this share. However, I anticipate the East Dulwich councillors will be able to allocate ?6,000. We patently want to make East Dulwich public transport better. Are you able to match fund 50:50 rather than the previosuly agreed third?

Hi Nero, Good to hear my request has resulted in this visit. I've requested that for a while this school is added to the mobile CCTV rota. Hopefully, encouraging more acceptable behaviour will result in bad habits being broken.

Hi dbboy, Councillors are aware and have made council officers doubly aware that after this cold winter, and it was bitterly cold over the weekend again, that we have many more potholes exiting this winter than usual. We've assigned another ?4M for road and lighting renewals this coming financial year of which ?3.2M will be spent on renewing roads. Thats a lot of potholes and roads be fixed. But all those potholes can't be repaired quickly. While the weather is still freezing overnight more potholes will appear. Water seeps in cracks, freezes and when thaughing cracks the road surface further creating potholes.

I've had an anonymous letter. Very rare. Shame really as wonder why they felt the need to fire in comments but not want a response. Little bit barbed about mush and brains, etc but compared to others this is fortunately very tame. It starts by complaining about the number of cycle parking stands being installed. The stands have been installed where 'free' cycle parking has taken place. The idea is having something to lock bikes to will reduce theft and make life a little easier for those that cycle. It also directs cycle parking to locations more convenient for pedestrians. Also, they complained that cycle parking is on the footway rather than the road. I agree in theory but having had a bike wiped out while parked on the pavement by a car mounting the pavement I can't see how to park bicycles on the road. All ideas welcome to resolve this. Complained about removing guard railings. I'm proud of the changes to Walworth Road where its no longer two alleyways between shops and guard railings. Guard railings generally were put in place to ensure car drivers didn't have to worry about stray pedestrians and resulted in drivers going faster - common phrase for guard railing areas is 'sheep pens'. The whole culture of traffic planners in the past treating pedestrians as 'sheep' is wrong. Hence gradually guard railings are being removed. Clearly some exceptions. Criticism of having a cycling officer but not having walking officers. Hmmm. All officers are trained in traffic and highway requirements. So in effect trained in vehicles and to undertake their role must be ambulatory ie. walk. But most do not and have not cycled. So to bring this into the mix has required a cycling officer. When all transport officers have good solid cycling experience we wont need a cycling officer. Lastly suggestion that the cycling officer should'nt cycle in their own time.

Council officers have told me that the wrapping stayed on while the concrete dried. The very cold weather delayed things but that all the wrappings should be removed today.