Local Elections: libraries, shops. cycling and walking

[East of Dulwich]

In the absence of much attention being paid to the local election -- I decided to write to the candidates standing in my ward (Peckham Rye) to ask them about their views on libraries, independent local shops cycling and walking.

I'm pleased to say that three of the parties have replied and I've posted their statements to my blog.

Sadly, despite writing three times, I have had no response from the Greens. If any Green Party member is reading this perhaps they could send me a reply via a private message.

Meanwhile here are my three questions:

Libraries: Public libraries provide not just a free leisure service but a vital lifeline to those who need internet access to apply for jobs and purchase goods, support for lifelong learning and a place to study. Children especially gain enormously from being able to choose and read the books they like, giving them the opportunity to acquire the reading habit early on. In times of recession, this service becomes even more important to help people retrain and get back into employment. If elected, will you fight to defend our local libraries (Dulwich and Nunhead) from budget cuts and neglect?

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Shops: Lordship Lane is a shining example of the success of small shops providing a unique and characterful centre for the community. If elected will you ensure that independent shops are not driven out by high rents and prevent large chains from running rough-shod over planning rules?

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Walking and Cycling: The cycling facilities in Southwark are reasonable but there's huge room for improvement. Will you ensure that the cycle network is expanded and existing routes improved. Will you ensure that all road schemes prioritise cyclists and pedestrians over through traffic?

I hasten to add that I don't think that these three are the only or even the most important issues in the local election. I just have an interest in these three areas and wanted to make sure that local politicians at least are aware that they matter.

I'd also like to apologise to the marvellous Grove Vale Library for not mentioning them -- I only didn't because the original letter was to Peckham Rye Candidates and so was focused on facilities to the East of East of Dulwich.

East (of Dulwich)

http://www.eastofdulwich.com

[Huguenot]

East, do a search on tomchance on the forum and you'll find your answer.

The Greens are predictably and painfully underresourced. It's meant that they've had to focus their efforts in South Camberwell.

He's been pretty honest, and explained that if he could he would have committed more resource in ED but he was 'tween a rock and hard place.

It's a shame really, when on 'policies not parties' they score so highly.

[tomchance]

I sent East a private message with the following response, which now appears on the blog:

Libraries - yes, we would fight to protect libraries from public spending cuts. Whichever of the three grey parties form the next Government, all three are committed to large cuts in public spending and locally the axe often falls first on services like libraries. Whilst access to the internet is increasingly used as an excuse for neglected or shrinking library services, the reasons you cite in addition to the relatively low level of internet access in Peckham Rye make them all the more important.

Shops - the Green Party has long campaigned to protect local independent shops. We have published an action plan for Peckham town centre (http://southwark.greenparty.org.uk/peckham) and would apply the same principles to Lordship Lane, Forest Hill Road and other smaller arcades with handfuls of shops throughout Southwark.

Walking and cycling - we would press for three simple measures: first, actually implement the council's dormant policy of providing cycle lanes and infrastructure whenever road works are carried out, extending this to also include the widening of pavements for pedestrians where there is road space; second, prioritise roads on cycle routes such as LCN 22 and 25 when filling potholes and other road maintenance; third, more consistently implement a 20mph zone across the entire borough on all residential roads and ensure the police are taking road safety more seriously.

We are, more or less as Huguenot says, focusing our resources on South Camberwell and The Lane. Sorry for the slowish reply.

[East of Dulwich]

Very pleased to have received Tom Chance's reply which has now appeared on my blog along with replies from all the other parties standing in my ward.

I do accept that the Green Party lacks the resources of the other parties but still think it's a shame that they can't get a volunteer to answer messages sent to the address given on their website. But this of course could be reason why we should be supporting the Greens -- they seem to need all the help they can get.

As for what I think about the other parties' responses, I may leave that for another time.

East

www.eastofdulwich.com