James Barber

IF you ever have any activities before 6am regarding bin collections please email me asap. The dustcarts are not supposed to leave the depot in Manor Place Walworth near to E&C before 6am. Equally no one is meant to be moving bins in preperation before 6am. james.barber@southwark.gov.uk I've on several occassions been promised breaches of such timings will not and do not occur. Any evidence to contrary please email me. Any and all evidence will help me get routes rearranged to reduce the risk of this happening. For recycling that is meant to kick of from 7am. Why 6am? I've been told that the constrained Manor Place depot can't cope with everyone leaving at 7am.

Hi gimme, Please take a look at james barber for latest info. on the speed reduction we've been working on. to add to that post. we're waiting the details of the traffic counts behind the mean average and 85 percentile to see whatthe range of the median speeds looks like. when we have that we can decide which streets are the highest priority for physical measures. Personally I would anticipate Matham Grove being one of them. so you're not being ignored. Far from. But to do things properly and fairly rather than by who screams the loudest takes time. Sometimes much more time than I'd like.

Hi Peckhamgatecrasher, This school is in The Lane ward but I suspect I have an answer for you. School Keep Clear hatched areas are meant to ensure children can cross roads close to schools without having to cross between parked cars when they are not so visible or can see as much. But if no children are crossing at this point then it would be superfluous or should be located at a different spot. A happy side effect if these hatched areas is that they create somewhere for fire engines to park during school emergencies. You should ask your local councillors to ask for a review of this hatched area if you are sure no children cross their. Please be really sure as such a review would probably need a formal investigation involving video recording and traffic counters ie. not trivial amount of money or officer time. It would also need the support of the school. If you get stuck let me know.

Hi Jeremy, One of your queries was about the historic listed Concrete House. This building has been on the English Heritage ar risk register for some years and to save it Southwark Council decided earlier this year after exhausting all other avenues to persue the Compulsory Purchase Order route. This purchase is supported by the Heritage for London Trust. The current position is that Southwark Council have filed CPO papers with the Government Office of London. As both owners have objected to the CPO, it will go to a public inquiry with a date yet to be set. However a last meeting with the Concrete House owners may take place.

FYI - last night Southwarks main planning committee GRANTED planning permission for a new Integrated Waste Management Facility on the Old Kent Road. This single item took over 4 hours of debate by the committee. Meaning that the committe sat until 1am. This new facility when completed in about 15 months time will enable recycling rates to climb form the current 21% to over 50%. This can't happen soon enough.

I was corrected when I said 'all children were found a suitable place'. So technically and complacently I was right - all kids were offered school places within the legally required 2 miles of home. Most less than a mile from home. A small number were not offered schools they necessarilly would wish to attend for a host of reasons and for those families they will never agree a 'suitable place' was found. Some of these reasons being contentious. We will never create 'middle class' primary schools and 'working class' primary schools despite requests for this. What this makes crystal clear to me is that we must ensure that even though our school are improving at the highest improvement rate in the UK that this must be sustained until they're all good or outstanding. That no one ever feels the need to question the prevailing ethnicity or class structure of a school because it's so damned good and welcoming. What would help immensely is more people putting themselves forward to become governors. Please do take a look into whether you have something to offer to help govern and improve a local Southwark school: School Governors

Hi EDmummy, We've allocated ?25,000 for improvements to Northcross market. What those improvements will look like is debatable. One view is eletric points so that generators by the vans and stalls aren't necessary. Other have suggested closing the entrance with Lordship Lane on Saturday. What's clear is we need to ask reisdents, shops, stall holders what they think would make the market more successful while making life better for residents. What do you think would make the market more successful?

Hi TJ, Much of the pavement you reference is actually owned by the freeholders and not Southwark Council. Some is Southwark Council owned and controlled. This makes is rather complicated to give a uniform pavement. If we had the cash, which the ED cllrs are working on finding, every one of those businesses would have to agree to share that space for us to pave uniformly - else we'd be spending public money for private gain. On the tree pits. I'll make a point of reporting specific tree pits when I'm next strolling along or if you beat me to it feel free to report them 020 7525 2000 and let me know how you get on.

This financial year Crystal Palace Road will be extensively renewed. This will be a painful protracted experience rebuilding the road including the pavement. This road was selected as being in the poorest condition in southern Southwark. Every year Southwakr officers make a formal assessment and we spent circa ?4->5M on road and lamp post maintenace. Effectiveyl a huge backlog of repairs going back 40 years which we can't fix overnight. It'll take a round 15-20 to catch up. Hope that puts a little context. The resident on CPR should have received a letter from council officers.

Hi PugWash, As part of the centralising of 30 back offices and Southwark Officers in a new admin centre on Tooley street significant sums of money are being saved from removal of duplication. One reception not 30, one lot of security not 30, one accounts payable, one vending contract, etc, etc. It also means that many of the roles earmarked for reductions once centralised twhere contractors have been employed are being released. You should see a much higher ratio of permanent employees in the future which hopefully reduces the problems you've experienced. As for communicating with local councillors. We receive 3 couriers of officers reports, residents letters, etc a week. About 12-18 inches of papers to plough through. I diligently read through it. We receive around 30-50 emails a day. Around 3 invites to attend things a day. Most weeks will also involve 3-5 evening meetings (this week tonight, weds and thurs). It's a very busy calling/role. Most councillors have a normal day job to pay the mortgage, acquire a pension, etc. BUT we work very hard to help as many people as we can while leaving enough time and energy to push for projects that have an impact on our wards while contributing to Southwark wide governance. Hope that gives a little context. Basic email etiquette helps immensely so when someone has an issue they make it clear which councillor they are asking for help by sending the email TO them and to CC others if necessary.

Hi EDmummy, Every month I spend a long day knocking on East Dulwich doors with my ward colleagues. Simple maths says with 5,200 doors at rate of 30 doors an hour it takes sometime for us to knock on every door. Equally we find about 15% of homes have people in when we call. We typically deliver a focus leaflet every month to every home in East Dulwich. we're fortunate that we have volunteers to help with these. You'd be welcome to join us this coming Sunday. If you'll recall we spent every Saturday for several months outside Somerfield on Lordship Lane collecting signatures for a petition against closing the East Dulwich Police station and we did similar against a needle exchange proposed for Crystal Palace Road. ....and yes to be honest I was inspired by the East Dulwich station manager style for engaging his customers. as for the previous Labour councillors. Labour councillors represented East Dulwich for a very long time and ran Labour ran Southwark Council for over 40 years. They NEVER invested in the Dulwich Leisure Centre - we're spending ?6.5M. Southwark Labour ran education so badly that a Labour Government appointed private contractors to run it - the same Labour government handed it back to a Lib Dem run Southwark Council. When the Lib Dem took over Southwark in 2002 Labour had achieved a recycling rate of 3.5% and falling - its now at 21% and climbing. I could go on but it feel like a Python sketch 'What have the Lib Dems ever done for us?'

Hi OutofFocus, Options as I understand them are phyiscally building humps. This is usually last resort on busier roads and junctions such as this as not only does it affect all vehicles but the emergency services are affected as well as buses. The emergency services and buses would object. We've consistantly been arguing for average speed cameras in Southwark and as East Dulwich cllrs in East Dulwich. Unfortunately the government seems incapable of issing regulations that allow us to deploy them. Theirs even a law to say Southwark isn't allowed to deploy them as all such cameras london wide have to be decided by the London Safety Camera Partnership. This body has to wait until a requisite number of deaths and serious injuries occur before they act. Best chance of resolving this junction is a serious amount of funding from Transport for London. The document for applying annually for such money is called the Local Implimentation Plan and we're lobbying hard for Lordship Lane and this junction to be included. But the earliest we'd have funding is 10/11.

Hi Jeremy, Update on the Dulwich Park houses. The one by College Road entrance College Lodge is going to be leased by a company called Whippersnappers who've been awarded a leaseholder tenancy subject to contract. That contract including them paying for the College Lodge to be fitted out. The Roseberry Lodge facing the south circular currently doesn't have funding to fit it out. The Parks Wardens have expressed an interest in being based their for those working in the south of Southwark. Fingers crossed we can find the funding to make this happen.

Additionally, some pavements are legally shared use where walking and cycling are allowed. Along the south circular close to Dulwich College a number of sections of pavement have this status. You should be able to see a little blue round sign with picture of bike and adult holding a smaller persons hand on posts at regular intervals. However, cycling, running or walking without consideration for those around you is to be deplored. But if they didn't cycle with all the indenepence that brings a high proportion would be driven to school. Most winters a spate of muggings of Dulwich pupils occurs. Cycling is one way to reduce their chances of being such victims. rgards james barber Liberal Democrat councillor for East Dulwich Cycling and Walking Champion for Southwark

East dulwich councillors asked the local Police Safer Neighbourhood Team led by sgt Duncan Jackson what would their number one proprioty for crime prevention in East Dulwich. They said they were given 100 Smartwater property marking kits, on a good year, by the Met Police. They suggested they'd prefer SelectaDNA. So the Lib Dem East Dulwich cllrs responded by providing 1,000 SelectaDNA property marking kits. We also suggested to the Police they deploy these properry marking kits to innoculate houses where burglary has taken place and their neighbours for 50m. Most burglaries are repeats around previous burglaries. They know the house layouts so more certainty what they'll meet. I'm told all the kits have been deployed. 1,000 out of 5,200 homes in East Dulwich ward. Any burglar of an East Dulwich home has an 18% chance of stealing proprty that will get them or any fencer nicked. We anticipate buying another 1,000 property marking kits this year. If you'd like one for your home then let the local Police know EastDulwich.snt@met.police.uk

Hi will dex, I'm sorry if we've taken longer to pop back to collect complete surveys. We try and stick religiously to being back 60-90 minutes after talking to residents. We laos offer an on-line version and a freepost reply. But eitherway, please let me know which road and when in East Dulwich and we'll work out who was on collecting duty that day and highlight this mistake. regards james.

One potential solution I omitted to describe - apologies for that - is to create a much more shared spaces like Walworth Road is between Amelia Street and Liverpoll grove. That owuld probably work but it would costs over ?1/2M which we don't have.

Hi wonderwoman, I'm amazed that you contacted cllr Richard Thomas and myself on two seperate occassions and failed to get a single reply. I'm sorry sorry. Obvisouly I wont have logged any casework under the pseudonym of wonderwoman. Could you please contact me direct on james.barber@southwark.gov.uk so I can see what went wrong. Funily enough I regularly receive casework from residents in Village, College, Peckham Rye and Nunhead wards with residents suggesting they've been unhappy with their local councillors.

Hi Jeremy, developing a subdivided house I guess would probably exteniguish any permitted development. I don't see why any planning application in such circumstances would be limited to small dormer windows. If you have a scheme I'm happy to look at it and ensure it absolutely gets a fair hearing before councillors. Regards james.

Hi macroban. I've not stated a 100m "law". At the East Dulwich Grove/Lordshipl ane with the traffic flows involved its around 100m. The Lordship Lane/Barry Road/Eynella junction each arm is differently controlled. The main 3 arms all have two lanes of traffic. QED.

Hi Jeremy, Loft conversions. I've just had my loft converted. We didn't need planning permission because we were within our allowable 'permitted development'. Take a look at permitted development summary for more details. It does'nt exclude houses from ever needing planning permission to convert a loft.

Hi macroban, Traffic planning specialisrs have done the calculations. If the junction of East Dulwich Grove and Lordship Lane were signalised then southbound Lordship Lane would require a right turning lane and a straight ahead lane. Two lanes where currently one exists and a lane of parked cars. Northbound Lordship Lane would need a left turning lane into East Dulwich Grove and a straight ahead lane. Now 7-10am bus lane means that wo lanes for some of the day but two lanes all day would mean a loss of parking. Faling to provide two lanes each way would result in huge tailbacks which would include blocking Goose Green roundabout. If it didn't need two lanes each way the junction would have been signalised two years ago.

Hi macroban, If you google 'talking cctv cameras' you get loads of stuff: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6524495.stm http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news/talking-cctv The schemes implimented so far don't seem to have sufficient scale to prove anything eitherway. Equally they generally are aimed at reducing low level anti social behaviour that isn't reliably recorded such as instances of littering.

Hi Theehope, The talking help points. These were not my idea. However, when this was originally mooted I was expecting the successful idea of existing CCTV cameras to have have micrphones and speakers added. CCTV computers programmed to recognise certain noise profiles which indicate a problem and then the CCTV operator tells the perpetrator they are being recorded and 9/10 times they stop. Unfortunately this was not what was project managed. I'm afraid I don't remember the exact sums but it was around sixty something thousand pounds for something like 20 help points around the borough. One was next to the pizza place next to East Dulwich station. It appears one of those cases where a government grant was available. This carrot was bitten without thinking through the consequences. The current executive councillor Linda Manchester is wise enough to avoid such pitfalls. But Theehope what do you think would reduce crime in East Dulwich. We've given out over 1,000 property marking kits (1 in 5 households), every shop has an Alertbox. What should we do next?

Hi Pebs, I've met council officers several times to work out how East Dulwich Grove/Lordship Lane junction can become pedestrian friendly. The obvious thing would be to signalise it. But to enable that car parking would'nt be allowed for 100m in either direction along Lordship Lane which would make it a dual carriageway and no a local high street. We've considered a zebra crossings, raised entry treatments as well and they have other problems. I've not given up on this but we've yet to find a technically acceptable solution that doesn't kill the bus timetables.