Cllr Richard Thomas

Marmora Man Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have also alerted a local councillor by > directing him to this thread - suggest as many as > feel strongly about this vandalism do the same - > their e-mail addresses are on the Local Info page > of the forum. I have not idea why this has happenned but I've asked the Director of Environment to explain. Richard

Six days after the London elections, it has been confirmed that confirmed that all eight post offices in Southwark that were under threat will get the chop - including Melbourne Grove. You can't help but wonder at the cynicism of the timing of this announcement. more on my blog

the immediate neighbours will certainly be pleased. http://cllrrthomas.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/caffe-nero-to-stay-but-air-con-units-to-go/ richard

It worth saying that this closure comes just a few years after the last round of cuts saw the closure of the Post Office in Crystal Palace Road. Consultation will continue until April 2nd. You can help the campaign by signing the petition outside Melbourne Grove Post Office or go to http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/savesouthwarkpostoffices. In addition, you can make their views known to Anita Turner, Network Development Manager, c/o National Consultation Team, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM, or email her at: [email protected]. more on my blog www.richardthomas.org.uk

As Mark points out, the reason we decided to do the survey is that we get lots of complaints about parking. So we thought we would ask people what they think. I fail to see the problem in that. The reaction of some posts on the forum seem rather over the top! I am pleased to say that most people we spoke to were pleased we were asking them their views and many many people did complete the survey. we will be reporting back on the results in due course. richard

I bumped in to blinder999 at the weekend whilst delivering leaflets. he told me the sad bnews that Hans Monderman has died http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,2251163,00.html

PeckhamRose Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sir Councillor ELECTED person - why did you not > address my own suggestion on the previous page, Sorry - I did mean to respond to that. I am really keen on this approach. I visited holland to look at these ideas in practice and have listened to Hans Mondiman - the guru of this approach - talk, he was inspirational. The two areas in which I managed to progress this approach when I lead on transport was in building Southwark's first Home Zone in Sutherland Square and on the Walworth Road - where we have got rid of guard railing and introduced shared surfaces - to an extent that I have not seen anywhere elese in London or the UK on a main road. You ask us to be brave - well, I took quite a lot of flack for that project - and no doubt mentioning it now will invite some more! Both those examples were 'special projects' with very specific one-off funding streams. Integrating the ideas more widely is more tricky, not least because it is often very expensive and because our fuding streams from TfL are very restrictive. But some principles can be applied more widely - like trying to use less paint and avoiding use of guard railing, street signs are now screwed to walls - not installed on posts. Barry Rd is very straight and that is why people speed because the sight lines are so clear. I am not sure that simply taking away the signs and lines would be enough to create the ambiguity that approach relies upon, I think you'd have to spend a lot of cash That's whay I suggested cameras there.

The issue with speed is not just about the cause of the crash but the impact the crash then has. Hit by a car travellling at 40mph, nine out of ten children will be killed. At 20mph its one in ten.

I agree that policiing of speed offences would be a very good step forward. For reasons I don't understand the police don't want to enforce 20mph zones. There is evidence that illegal drivers are more likely to commit offences. But there is also evidence that the vast majority of road users speed too - around 80% admit to speeding in surveys.

There are very few alternatives to humps available to councils. Fore example, the police won't enforce traffic offences in 20mph zones. The best hope is average speed cameras which track a vehice's speed over a distance between two points and fines anyone who covers the ground too quickly. They are being trialled in Camden I think. I am pushing for Southwark too be allowed to install them too. Any suggestions as to where? I think Barry Road might be a good place to start.

they count the shop units and record the use of each one. At the hearing Caffe Nero said it was 56% A1 (retail), Southwark said it was 54%. Either way its above 50%.

The East Dulwich councillors have sent in objections to this application. The grounds for the refusal are severely estricted by Tessa Jowell's Gambling Act. In the past you had to prove there was a need for such a new facility. Now you have to show either that the owner is crooked or that there are vulnerable people nearby to prevent it. Richard

James Barber and I both attended the hearing and gave evidence. I've put a post about the hearing on my blog. http://cllrrthomas.wordpress.com/2008/01/29/caffe-nero-planning-appeal-update/ richard

if the car was red it sounds as if it might have been a community warden. There is a point in emailing your 'lovely councillors' who will of course do our best to help - if you don''t we can't.... richard

James Barber is the expert on all this but according to his blog www.jamesbarber.org.uk it will be twice as big as the existing library.