James Barber

Indeed ryedalema. The Audit Commission do grade all councils and one of the very many factors is how its communicates with residents. Hi Steveo, I've checked and yes ryedalema appears correct. Audit Commission one of my pet hates. They decide how much auditing they need to do AND they decide the cost they charge us. No appeal on the charges. I've professionally project managed and they could'nt give me a project plan for their audit of Southwark Council. Needless to say it overruns every year by months. The charge every year goes up by much more than inflation. If councils had a statutory duty to obtain external auditors AND could competitively tender rather than have to go via the Audit Commission we could save more money each year than is spent on Southwark Life.

I've certainly seen posters in shops windows on Lordship Lane. My understanding is the Palmerston event was to get initial ideas. Then sift ideas. Come up with shortlist of ideas to flesh out. Then presume public consultation a la Goose Green before a decision made.

Hi Bloonoo, My understanding is colour these days is roughly the same price for the volume print involved as B&W. You can imagine the discount for 10 issues per year going to 105,000 homes. I suspect the largest element of the cost by far will be the delivery. Trogging along to 105,000 doors!

Hi boothy, If you want to raise any issue in the hope of political changes then several different factors that appear involved. The type of lorry doesn't have side guards as tipper trucks are exempt. Then yes contact the relevant MP which for this junction would be Harriet Harman and tell her this exemption is outrageous. If you're concerned about local Southwark roads then such as East Dulwich Road then tell your councillor or the responsible councillor [email protected] for road safety. If you think having more ways to enforce speed limits then that's national government changing rules for things like averaging speed cameras - again Harriet.

I can't stress enough that if you don't complain you're complicit with any rubbish service. I have been told in writing that complaint numbers for East Dulwich about postal services are in the normal range.

I found it interesting that the Harris Academy in Peckham (secondary school) will from September have 60 fewer pupils entering. Apparently fewer kids in the area. Locally we have the new Harris Boys Academy that opened on its temporary site last September and moves to its permanent site this September with intake of 150 boys. So clearly taking into account changing in schools the demographers don't think at secondary stage a problem is brewing. At primary school level a bulge of pupils for the next 6-8 years is predicted and plans afoot to cope with this.

Isn't it only 3 more stops for the 63 to reach Honor Oak Park station. That must be a tiny rejig of the bus timestables to make this possible. Running more 484's for the whole route would cost loads. Seems a bit unreasonable to suggest an alternative and then rubbish the original idea as your alternative is so expensive and damn the original idea by the total bus subsidy in London. Most of that bus subsidy being presumably the 40% who get free bus travel as they're retired, not in work, disabled, under 16, etc.

Hi Steveo, While you're contemplating alternatives to Southwark Life I will try and find out what it costs per annum to run.

Hi Steveo, I'm sorry you're appalled by Southwark Life the monthly Southwark Council magazine telling people about services Southwark Council provides. How do you think councils should inform residents about what it is doing and what residents can expect? DElivering leaflets to every home clearly reaches every home - except if a contractor gets it wrong. Email would only hit a tiny minority and probably not residents who need extra help. Phone people - that would be expensive and very hit or miss. Post - ouch that really is expensive. Leaflets in libraries - that was tried and doesn't reach many. Advertise in local newspapers - that would reach about 5% of residents. Billboards - I don't know the merits of them but probably not reaching universally. Alternative is not telling residents when things change. Renovate the Dulwich Leisure Centre - don't tell anyone the swimming pool will be closed as they'll find out if they go swimming. Not really satisfactory. I'm happy to propose a different approach but what is the different approach you're proposing?

Hi sniffy, Weirdly where 20mph speed limits introduced drastically fewer crashes, collisions and most importantly injuries. Perhaps being told what the correct speed drivers should be going at helps them avoid driving badly. Even just placing 20mph signs without any other measures brings down vehicles speeds and drastically reduces crashes, collisions and injuries e.g. Portsmouth. Average speed cameras. Sad that on some roads they're necessary. Fines all go to the treasury. Redesigning roads ideal way of reducing vehicle speeds as they naturally get used at a safer speed. Shame fines arn't hypothecated to redesigning roads to make them safer. Sweden have a national plan called from memory 'plan zero'. They are working towards zero injuries.

Hi bloonoo, Two local papers. South London Press and Southwark News. Former in the shops Tuesdays ad Fridays with Fridays habing more content. It covers Southwark, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Lewisham, Greenwich and a few other south London bits. Southwark News in the shops on Thursdays and concentrates on Southwark. Recently Southwark News has produced a south Southwark version for sale in you guessed it south Southwark. Hi steveo, Call the Southwark Council business helpline and THEN criticise it. Tell me what you think its failing on and I'll tell the executive councillor responsible that feedback.

Hi the-e-dealer, Standard operating procedure is for Southwark Council traffic officers to visit the scene of all KSI/dreadful crashes (Killed Seriously Injured). They talk through with traffic Police the issues involved in a crash to see if any emergency actions are required. This crash seems to have involved huge tipper lorry the type that has 4 steering wheels. This type are the prime killer of cyclists in London. They don't have side guards to stop things going under the back wheels. They're exempt from side guards on the basis they might go to rough building sites and the side guards get damaged. Ridiculous exemption which one major cement company ignores and has had side guards installed. I don't know if it would have made a difference during this crash but it might have helped. I suspect a number of factors that individually would'nt be a problem but together have created this situation. I hope the Police, Health&Safety Executive and Coroner do a really good investigation so real lessons are learnt.

Hi edf, I'm sorry ot hear about your bad experience on Crystal Palace Road. It has full width speed humps which I find a pain to cycle over but my kids loving screaming weeee when on our bucket bike. Average speed cameras. These are currently ?80,000 a pair. I believe non of the fines would end up with Southwark but with something called the London Camera Partnership. They're no allowed yet to enforce 20mph and the approval paperwork allowing this has been stalled with central government for years - its appears they don't want to offend speeders. Locally we've arranged to buy state of the art speed 'guns' for the local Police. If you email me where it happened we can ask the local Police to undertake some speed enforcement.

Hi ryedalema, What you've described is unacceptable. If you email me [email protected] with time, date, you house number I'll ask council officers to obtain an explanation of what actions they'll be taking to avoid this happening again to you or anyone else.

Hi Monica, Yes the roads in Southwark but especially the south including East Dulwich have suffered tremendously with all the snow and the freeze thaw action that causes. Probably as problematic is that the roads have been dug up so much with gas and water pipe replacements making the roads more suscetable. I've been assured a program of making good potholes will start in the near future once the most pressing craters have been fixed and the weather has improved.

Hi Steveo, I think we've commented on this thread before about Southwark Life. Please refer to Southwark Life comments from before.

Hi gh, Some time ago you asked me about the traffic count results for Whateley Road. At last I have the traffic count data. Apologies for the delay. Whateley Road (east) Mean speed 15.2mph 85th percentile 20.1mph Whately Road (west) Mean speed 24.5mph 85th percentile 29.8mph Earlier this week I received the draft consultation about making the area bounded by and including Whateley Road, bounaded by Lordship Lane and bounded by Barry Road a 20mph speed limit area. Signage togin with which should see a marked drop in speed. Where this has been done before surprisingly most drivers obey the new lower speed limit. After two years it gets reviewed and if it didn't do the job physical measures are considered. During the two years we've provided state of the art speed 'guns' for the local Police to enforce. Any questions, observations please do let me know.

The private schools in the area run a joint coach service to make the kids a little more independant and reduce the number of cars coming into the area during the school run times. As one friend pointed out Private Schools are the biggest industry in Dulwich. This system is designed to reudce its impact.

I'm afraid I had heard. I've spoken to a passing nurse who described in detail what happened and how she helped the 10 year old girl. Very distressing. I felt distress just from that conversation. I have two young kids I treasure. I can only begin to imagine the grief her friends and family will being going through. I'm going to take a couple of days of from posting.

Hi JeanieB, Great idea to locate a community notice board there. Have asked council officers to talk inform EDf electricity that we plan to install a free standing notice board.

My original posting was to get people thinking what could be done to brighten up this long electrcitiy sub station wall. I've already talkedto electricity engineers about if the sub station could be reduced in size and they said we would'nt have the scale of money. Anyway, it seems some people took the graphic literally - it's just a diagram of the wall with a few ideas - but it certainly got people talking! The wall is not owned by the Southwark council but by EDF electrictiy and it took lengthy negotiations before they agreed in principle to art work on the wall. The idea they agreed to was laminated art work on the "squares" as these could be removed if they withdrew their permission at a later date. EDF will be asked to give formal permission when we have one or more ideas for the artwork. They absolutely have turned down the idea of a mural or graffiti. Apparently the graphic I was given and posted was to encourage people to think how an unusual feature of the wall, ie four "panels" with raised squares on them, could be exploited for any art work. The graphic also showed how it might have a greater impact to select a limited number of squares rather than decorate all the squares. The consultation will take place at the Palmerston back room this Saturday between 3 and 6pm - with free nibbles - all welcome. with a fuller idea of the brief hopefully all those East Dulwich can give their ideas. I've attached another mock-up to generate even more 'interest' ;-)

Hi Peckhamrose, Peckham Rye shopping area and public toilets. This is one area that seems to have several public toilet the Pulse leisure centre or Peckham Library or Macdonal's even. Sure others. In East Dulwich. We've approached Iceland with no joy yet.

Hi Monica, Reason for different trees for different location - London Plane trees can get bigger than Pear Pyrus Chanticleer which apparently tend to be more slender. Probably worth pointing out that when it does fruit the pears are about the size of peas. So it should'nt create much of a hazard on pavements. In your opinion will this be a problem at 45 Lordship Lane?

Hi Medley, I suspect the bus only section of Rye Lane (bit just south of Peckham High Street) has been allowed deteriate as its due to a complete overhaul to enable a south bound contraflow cycle lane. Should look really good when finished before April and fill a gap in Southwark cycle lane network.

Grit bin russling. I kid you not. Lambeth Council has had a spate of grit bin thefts. 101 so far. Each grit bin costs over ?165. So that's a lot of money has been stolen. Southwark Council has found that its grit bins get used for rubbish, stolen, etc so relies on a different apporahc of depositing grit to a location as needed - harder to steal a pile of grit than a grit bin. If you see anyone removing a grit bin do report it via 999.