East Dulwich Needs You! Looking for proactive & talented people to join a community initiative

[eddeal1]

Dan Rigby can you please tell us how much funding did you get in total. thank you.

[geobz]

taper Wrote:

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> "..most of the people of this forum aka this

> community.."

>

> Now that's stretching it a country mile.

>

> I for one look forward to seeing Lordship Lane

> made more attractive. And if local businesses

> benefit, then that's a good use of public funds.

> Local regeneration and economic development is

> part of Southwark's remit. They're not just about

> bins and potholes you know.

I meant the community of this forum, at least those that post here and there. If you read through this thread you'll find out that statistically people on this forum don't like the idea.

[taper]

I've asked all my friends, and 97% of them love it. They cannot wait for the banners to appear.

[geobz]

taper Wrote:

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> I've asked all my friends, and 97% of them love

> it. They cannot wait for the banners to appear.

you either trolling, working for the council or you own the business behind the ?21k banners!

[taper]

None of the above. Just tired of cynicism.

The community will benefit from a more vibrant and successful high street. Small projects such as this can help. If not, ?21k is peanuts.

Good luck to those who have got off their backsides to put the proposal forward.

And no, I don't want to help out. I can't stand shopping.

[Nigello]

I really, really doubt that (even well produced and - equally important - well maintained) banners will "enhance the shopping experience" to any great extent. Far better to persuade/impel all businesses to keep their houses in order, extending opening hours, co-operating (perhaps in the form of tie-ins and mutual support). All of that could be done without any council input but it require s bit of gumption and vision.

[dc]

eddeal1 Wrote:

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> Dan Rigby can you please tell us how much funding

> did you get in total. thank you.

And in triplicate please, please, please.

[edhistory]

taper Wrote:

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> I've asked all my friends, and 97% of them love

> it. They cannot wait for the banners to appear.

Interesting arithmetic.

[taper]

I have a lot of friends.

[intexasatthe moment]

I'm guessing that the project referred to in this thread was approved and allocated funds in the 2015- 2016 round but not carried out yet as it appears in the list of previuosly funded projects http://www.2.southwark.gov.uk/info/100002/business/3381/the_high_street_challenge/2 but not in the 2016/17 doc giving amounts allocated .http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=5730

It's described ,as already quoted upthread

"East Dulwich Traders

Creating a locally owned brand for East Dulwich by installing 35 lamp post banners and a map of the local area. This activity hopes to promote the North Cross Rd market extension (results of market extension consultation due in February 2017)."

Other extracts from docs already linked to by posters such as rch ,GooseGreen,ianr.

http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=5730 see "Accompanying docs "

"That the Dulwich Community Council allocates a total of ?140,555 of the

Neighbourhoods Fund 2016/17 from the list of applications outlined in Appendix 1.

This amount consists of two elements, namely ?90,000 available for 2016/17 and

?50,555 of unallocated funding carried forward from the previous year?s programme."

" The neighbourhoods fund has a borough-wide funding budget of ?630,000 with an

allocation of ?30,000 per ward."

4. "The purpose of introducing the neighbourhoods fund was to give community councils

decision making powers over significant amounts of revenue funding, that they could

allocate to meet locally determined priorities."

"The community councils will use the criteria set out below for the allocation of this

funding.

a. Creating opportunities for people from different backgrounds to get on well

together; (e.g. community cohesion).

b. Establishing projects which treat each other with respect and consideration (e.g.

being good neighbour, inter-generational contacts).

c. Encouraging residents to be responsible for their own neighbourhood (e.g.

community clean-ups; volunteering initiatives).

d. Specific measures to enhance a neighbourhood?s environment (e.g. increased

cleaning)

7. A community council may choose to allocate some of their neighbourhoods fund

resources to their cleaner greener safer capital allocations.

8. Subject to the availability of resources, the neighbourhoods fund may be used to ?buy?

services from the council.

9. As with any executive decision taken by community councils this decision is subject to

the council?s existing scrutiny arrangements."

"The allocation of the Dulwich neighbourhoods fund will, in the main, affect the people

living in the Dulwich Community Council area. However, in making the area a better

place to live and improving life chances for local people, Dulwich neighbourhoods fund

activities will have an impact on the whole of Southwark."

19." Neighbourhoods fund projects may require consultation with stakeholders, including

the project applicant, local residents and tenants and residents associations where

applicable."

[rch]

A couple of relevant points...

Firstly, I submitted a CGS bid for ?20,000 to implement another section of new pavement on Lordship Lane, with an observation that even if we just did one block at a time every year then we would eventually get through the whole length of Lordship in due course. (The problems with the Lordship paving is complicated, I explained it ages ago in a post, let me know if you want me to type it all out again.)

But you won't be surprised to hear that councillors refused this bid... instead, they approved ?20,000 for traffic calming measures on Melbourne Grove (which I assume means the pointless speed humps).

There was also a bid for trees in East Dulwich ward, which was put on hold because of the new tree planting guidelines... conversely, the Village ward councillors approved a CGS fund for me to plant trees in Village ward, so I shouted out at the DCC meeting (on Feb 1st) that I would be happy to advise on the East Dulwich tree planting issues if councillors would approve the funding.

Also, bear in mind that there has already been ?20,000 spent on a High Street Challenge project on Lordship Lane last autumn called Animating Lordship Lane:-

http://fantasyhighstreet.org.uk/uploads/images/homepageimages/ArtistBriefLordshipLane.pdf

So, the bottom line here is that there are still small amounts of funding available (in fact, we could get quite a useful sum in local CIL/Section 106 payments if we campaigned to stop ED funds from being diverted out of the area), but there doesn't seem to be any administrative sympathy for what East Dulwich actually needs or wants.

The only way to address this is for us all to start sticking together and speaking in one voice... Herne Hill has the Herne Hill Forum (which is an actual community group, not just an online discussion forum) and Dulwich Village has The Dulwich Society. But East Dulwich has nothing.

To this end, I actually contacted Dan Rigby with a view towards volunteering to help to develop an East Dulwich community infrastructure, building on the North Cross Road market and Lordship Lane destination concept, as I understand how council funding and protocol works.

His bid also states that he wants to develop an East Dulwich brand, which is actually a good start... especially as we're going to be known as Goose Green Ward once the new ward boundaries kick in next year. Sadly, I suspect that if no one takes a stand then the East Dulwich community consciousness will evaporate even further. So an East Dulwich logo, similar to the Herne Hill logo, could become very useful as a uniting element.

And, if we're going to be stuck with branded banners, then I vote that we use them to protest. East Dulwich (logo) wants NEW PAVEMENTS. East Dulwich wants TREES!! East Dulwich needs Lordship Lane community facilities so that we can actually get together and talk to each other face to face instead of posting on a forum!!

[dbboy]

Why not hold a public meeting one Saturday morning on North Cross Road up from the market to get views on what East Dulwich actually needs or wants as the road is already closed off?

[Abe_froeman]

It's a shame you're not still on the council RCH

[rch]

It was too time consuming fighting the political headgames, Abe. Plus the amount of public money I saw being pissed away was shocking. I'm much happier being a community activist...

A community stand at the North Cross Road market is a good idea, dbboy. Will suggest it if no one else does. Might wait until the weather gets a bit warmer, though!

[claresy]

Lamp post banners seem absolutely pointless. I can't think why anyone thinks they'll add anything other than a nasty corporate feel to the road. Also rather distasteful to spend money on empty PR when people are sleeping on the streets and relying on foodbanks (regardless of separate budgets etc). They're not even creative. I'd rather have some more street art. Reminds me of how schools like my children's spend money on supposedly 'motivational' messages around the school etc when the toilets are broken (but not visible to visitors).

[edhistory]

nxjen Wrote:

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> AFAIR when the Glazer Delmar sign appeared at the

> end of North Cross Road, JB was outraged it had

> been put up without planning permission.

I spoke with a GD representative at the Goose Green fete.

It is possible that no-one has made an official approach about this.

[titch juicy]

cordsm Wrote:

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> Yes!

>

> Agree with Nigello. The Herne Hill banners look

> quite attractive. I think one of the ideas for the

> ED ones (should they happen) is that they showcase

> local artists, which seems quite a nice idea...

>

> Could the money be better spent on social

> care/filling in potholes/mending pavements

> etc......Yes!

>

> Although, could the same argument then apply to

> any 'non-essential' (in itself, subjective)

> government or council spending? E.g. art galleries

> and firework displays (to give two random

> examples)...

>

> I doubt we get any say in the matter, but admire

> anyone up for trying...

I don't know how many times (over a hundred i would imagine) i've been through Herne Hill over the years on the bus, on my bike, walking or in the car and i can honestly say that i've never noticed the banners. I have no idea whatsoever what they look like or what they say.

I notice individual shops, pubs, restaurants, the park etc. but never once the banners.

A complete waste of money IMO.

[titch juicy]

claresy Wrote:

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> Lamp post banners seem absolutely pointless. I

> can't think why anyone thinks they'll add anything

> other than a nasty corporate feel to the road.

> Also rather distasteful to spend money on empty PR

> when people are sleeping on the streets and

> relying on foodbanks (regardless of separate

> budgets etc). They're not even creative. I'd

> rather have some more street art. Reminds me of

> how schools like my children's spend money on

> supposedly 'motivational' messages around the

> school etc when the toilets are broken (but not

> visible to visitors).

Couldn't agree more.

[MissKing]

Wow people are so negative and cynical. I think it sounds like a great initiative. If people want to help shape the project, then why not get involved and play a part.

[tomdhu]

MissKing Wrote:

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> Wow people are so negative and cynical. I think it

> sounds like a great initiative. If people want to

> help shape the project, then why not get involved

> and play a part.

If you read the earlier posts, you will see that there were plenty of alternative ideas that were suggested. They were positive, constructive and imaginative and certainly much better than than the idea of attaching banners to lamp posts.

[monica]

I agree, I cannot understand why ED need banners, I remember the first time when the local business community group wanted to install banners on to the lamp posts and the general consensus at the time from Southwark officers was, it was not a good idea and the expense was too much.

The money should be put to good use, we need a community base, for the police and local council workers to use. We have literally no policing in the ED area, and with street crime and shop lifting so apparent in the area, money being spent on banners is just a bad idea.

I was in the COOP a few weeks ago, and a guy with an M&S fleece walked in with 2 empty bags and walked out with 2 full bags, however he conveniently forgot to pay and did this twice in 10 minutes. I told staff and they just looked at me and shrugged?????

Apparently having a security guard costs more then losses through theft.

[edhistory]

This has dropped below the radar.

The original post dates from February.

Has the people's representative been appointed?

[Jennys]

Let us hope the whole idea has been dropped and that the money saved will be put to a better use - one that will benefit the East Dulwich community rather than one or two shops.