MaryT

CT-R has just sent me the full FOI documents (sorry, that’s Freedom of Information Request, for the uninitiated). I’m so angry, I can barely speak! It’s blatant that pressure was applied to internal departments to wave this through and that they were actively instructed to forego informal consultations stages. Apparently the Council Leader and/or others (names retracted of course) were keen to bulldoze this through without reference to those of us who actually live here and pay council tax and to ‘priortize’ it over other schemes, at haste. Rather than follow transparent processes, they went to the Council’s legal team to see how they could impose this with minimal public scrutiny and how exposed they might be if they did so. Having been told that they were treading a thin line, legally, they decided to do it anyway, presumably assuming we unwashed locals would be too stupid or apathetic to notice. I’m raging! I want to know which of our elected politicians thought that was an appropriate exercise of their public office! I’m sending the FOI response to our local Councillors and Ellie Reeves and to demand ‘WTF?!’. Unbelievable!

CT_R, I was about to submit an FOI on this! Do you think you could screenshot or attach that response here? We could all take a look? It avoids the need to make separate FOIs. BTW, I’ve now emailed Cllrs Jon Hartley & Maggie Browning, who should be expected to answer concerns from their constituents on this (from both sides of the argument ). It seems Maggie is back from maternity leave and playing catch up, probably on all the queries not picked up by Cllr Hartley. I’d really urge others to also email. This Forum is great for discussion but ultimately, it’s Southwark Councillors who need to respond…

I’ve lived on a neighbouring road for 30 years. Yes, I drive but I don’t think this is an argument about those who drive and those who don’t. I genuinely have never seen any ‘excessive’ traffic on Ryedale; it suffers the same amount of traffic as any of the local side streets, so I’m unclear as to why this proposal is merited. As others have said, it will simply force traffic elsewhere, especially St Dunstans Rd. Its not obvious why Ryedale specifically should benefit from a quieter street if that’s to the direct detriment of others? More importantly, I regularly see congestion at the traffic lights on St Dunstan’s Road, junction with Forest Hill Road, at busy times because the road is narrowed by legitimately parked vehicles. This means that oncoming traffic can’t get onto St Dunstans Road when the lights are in their favour. This can block the junction and that’s very dangerous, given that it’s immediately adjacent to the crossing to the Park entrance, with kids, buggies, dogs and cyclists all accessing that gate. That problem will worsen exponentially if this scheme goes ahead. FYI, local Councillors are Maggie Browning, who I think is still on maternity leave, and Jon Hartley who doesn’t bother to reply to emails, as discussed elsewhere on this forum (don’t let that stop you emailing him anyway!) Anyway, I’ve put my feedback into Southwark on the portal.Hope others do likewise, whatever side of the debate you fall on…

That’s interesting, Dulwich Dweller; my 70 yr old neighbour told me 2 weeks ago that he’d left work early to go and book in person (being uncomfortable with all the online & app stuff) and was explicitly told that he needed to go away and book online. He’s not the sort of person to be insistent and, like a lot of older people, a bit embarrassed at his lack of digital ability, so he left without the appointment . This is my point about inconsistency, since his experience was quite different from yours. I’m beginning think that it rather depends on who, at Reception, you speak to on day…

Thanks for the response and to some who PM’d me. I’m now included on the Patient Participation Group (meeting next in Dec) so I’m going to feed back the comments here, good and bad. Update today to PPG members is that, as some of you have said, there is a new contact in place with GP practices with effect from 1 Oct. That appears to be the driver for some of the changes we’ve seen at The Gardens. From the responses here, though, patients might be getting an inconsistent message from the Surgery; I was definitely told that appointments must be made through the app, and only the app. It was only when I expressed concern that a strictly online service would not be suitable for all, that I was told by the receptionist that she could complete the request for me (or others if needed). Even then, then patients would need to await a text from the Practice. Perhaps we are just teething problems with the new provision…Happy to bring any and all comments to the PPG meeting (although I’m aware that the most digitally-excluded people probably aren’t on EDF!) Thanks folks.

I’ve been happily with them for donkeys years but my recent experience has been a bit shocking. Clinical staff have been great (if you can get an appointment) but apparently the Practice has a ‘new system’ in place. You can’t phone for an appointment, you have to go ‘on the app’ and request one. GP will review the request at some unspecified point and decide whether to offer you an appointment . My experience of using the app hasn’t been good and I’m a bit horrified that folk can no longer arrange appointments by phone or by walking in. I’ve also had them lose referral forms, and had to chase them multiple times over a simple GP letter. This has never been my experience in the past so it’s alarming. Anyway, I’ve asked to be included in the Patient Participation Panel, so I’m interested in the experience of others, good & bad? Feel free to PM me, if you prefer!

Oh dear! The general response is that my experience of Jon Hartley is the norm. That’s bad. As an update to my issue with him, Ellie Reeves’ office advised that I contact the Southwark Labour Party Chief Whip in the first instance with my complaint. Coincidentally, the Chief Whip turns out to be Cllr Maggie Browning. She acknowledged my complaint and, in response, said that she had ‘spoken’ to Jon Hartley and appeared satisfied that he’d now responded to me. Not sure that’ s an adequate response, since it seems to been well-known that he consistently ignores constituents. Maggie will know that better than anyone as she’s paired with Jon in our Ward, and she’s having to pick up the stuff which he’s ignoring. As people have noted, Maggie does indeed respond to constituents but she’s now on maternity leave. Alas, I think that means we’re lumbered with just Jon. I’ve bypassed him in respect of my own issue, because I think he’s a waste of my time. In case anyone else should be having problems with him, especially now that Maggie Browning is away, I’d recommend emailing Ellie Reeves MP. Her office is very responsive in my experience and, if she hears from enough disgruntled constituents of Cllr Hartley, I imagine she be quietly speaking to the Southwark Constituency Labour Party about him. Ultimately, if he stands again, he won’t be getting my vote. Be annoyed people, be very annoyed ! Your vote should count for something and the candidates privileged enough to get it should do the job they were elected for!

CPR Dave, attendance records are available on Southwark's website. Maggie Browning has attended 100% of meetings. Jon Hartley has attended 65%.

Thanks for these responses. Yes, Cllr Browning & Cllr Hartley did a door-knocking exercise a couple of months ago. It was Maggie Browning who knocked and I told her that I'd had radio silence from Jon Hartley. She looked embarrassed but not surprised. I have spoken to him since, only after writting to Ellie Reeves, our MP about it his lack of response. He agreed to address the issue I asked about but I've not heard from him since. It's really not acceptable for an elected Councillor to consistently ignore his ward constituents. Since it's clearly not a one-off, I'm gonna pick this up formally. I'll let you know how I get on...

Yes Sally, I've emailed him several times since Xmas. I don't contact Councillors frequently but when I've done so over the years, I've found them generally engaged and responsive. It's unprecedented to just be ignored and, regardless of the query I'm raising, that's worrying from the point of view of our local democratic voice. Its a Councillors role to represent local people! A different thread on here made reference to a lack of response from one of our ward councillors and, since there are only two, I'm guessing it's the same one. I'm following up my own concern separately but I'm asking on here about whether others have had the same problem. I'd like to think it's a one-off but, increasingly, I suspect it's not. Hope that gives a bit more context!

Anyone else having problems getting responses from Cllr Hartley (Dulwich Hill ward)? I notice that someone else on here suggested that he never acknowledges emails from residents?

This problem has been going on since before Covid due to the closure of the Dulwich sorting office. The local MP Ellie Reeves is aware and has written to the Post Office. They give the same generic responses about 'temporary' staffing issues. Would encourage people to email Ellie Reeves. It's about time this was finally resolved!

Just had a huge dump of overdue mail today; a birthday card sent on 11 March (that birthday is now long gone!), a missing SIM card, which had to be ordered again, overdue PCN correspondence from Southwark, meaning fines have been missed without me knowing (again!). This is a problem which stems back to the closure of the E.Dulwich sorting office over 5 years ago, although Royal Mail keep saying that they've now got it in hand. Rubbish! Local MP Ellie Reeves knows about it. Go ahead and email her please, as I've been doing! ([email protected]) I'm heartily sick of the problem; it has tangible consequences for people when the mail is so unreliable!