Dulwich Community Council - Have Your Say Here!

[rch]

Dear Forumites,

At the last Southwark Council Assembly, I was appointed as Chair of the Dulwich Community Council for the next year. We are extremely fortunate in Dulwich not to have had our Community Council merged with an adjacent CC, as has happened in other parts of the borough, therefore it's extremely important that we work together to maintain our independence.

Last year we had an excellent turnout at meetings concerning issues such as saving the Lollipop crossing guards and considering whether East Dulwich should adopt a CPZ... and it was the sheer volume of the Voice of the People that affected the subsequent decisions that were made. To this end, I intend to keep all of you updated here, so that those of you who can't always attend the meetings in person can have your say.

[rch]

The next meeting of the DCC will be on Tuesday, June 26th, at the Herne Hill Baptist Church on Half Moon Lane, starting at 7pm.

At this meeting we plan to hear officer presentations on the South of the Borough Event and the Replacement of the Barbara Hepworth Statue in Dulwich Park consultations and note our preferred recommendations. We will also be awarding the Community Council Fund Grants.

At every DCC meeting we will be providing free display tables for community groups to hand out promotional literature and an opportunity for local groups and activists to talk about their projects during the meeting.

There are five DCC meetings set for this year - after the June meeting, the next ones are currently scheduled for Sept 18th, Nov 27th, Jan 30th, and April 22nd, but no agenda or venue has been set for any of them.

So, I have three questions for you:-

1. What issues would you like to have discussed in future meetings?

2. Where would you like to see the meetings be held? We are always looking for new venues.

3. At the moment, all the meetings are scheduled for weekday evenings... would you be more likely to attend a DCC meeting on a Saturday afternoon, especially in the dark winter months?

All opinions and suggestions are welcome!

[rch]

Possibly the most intriguing item that we'll be considering on Tuesday night's DCC meeting is the report of the South of the Borough Event sub-committee. The sub-committee has recommended a 'pop-up' showcase/celebration in each of the three DCC wards to correspond with seasonal events such as Halloween, Christmas, or St George's Day.

Which themed event would the residents of East Dulwich most like to celebrate??

[rch]

The next Dulwich Community Council meeting will be held next Tuesday Sept 18th at the Dulwich Library, beginning at precisely 7pm.

The Southwark Police Borough Commander, Charles Griggs, will attend from 7pm until 7.30pm to update us on the future of our local police services and the fate of the East Dulwich Police Station.

The second half of the meeting will include a presentation by NHS managers about the Dulwich Hospital site consultation, with an opportunity for us to begin to express our views. There are campaigns being launched by community activists to build a new primary school, a retirement village with elderly care, and a community hall with a small park.

Any development on the police station site or the 7 acre hospital site will have a major impact on the Dulwich community, so I think it's important for us to make our views known now, before any final decisions are made.

The full agenda for the meeting can be found here, along with reports that can be downloaded:-

http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=176&MId=4315

[the-e-dealer]

Bush blows across dusty path.

I don't think they like Tories in these parts!

[Bic Basher]

the-e-dealer Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Bush blows across dusty path.

>

> I don't think they like Tories in these parts!

SE22 has one Tory councillor serving the College Ward part of our postcode. Lewis Robinson. Until the last election, College was a Tory ward until Labour won two of the three seats.

[Reg Smeeton]

I can't make next Tuesday's meeting, but I hope somebody on EDF can go along, and report back with edited highlights of news on the police station and hospital site.

Regarding the hospital site, I know that a primary school is one suggestion, but won't this be a bit late - especially as it will be several years before it could be built. The baby boom in SE22 has probably peaked, and what we're likely to need in 5-10 years time is a secondary school to cope with the bulge that is currently working its way up the existing primaries.

rch Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The next Dulwich Community Council meeting will be

> held next Tuesday Sept 18th at the Dulwich

> Library, beginning at precisely 7pm.

>

> The Southwark Police Borough Commander, Charles

> Griggs, will attend from 7pm until 7.30pm to

> update us on the future of our local police

> services and the fate of the East Dulwich Police

> Station.

>

> The second half of the meeting will include a

> presentation by NHS managers about the Dulwich

> Hospital site consultation, with an opportunity

> for us to begin to express our views. There are

> campaigns being launched by community activists to

> build a new primary school, a retirement village

> with elderly care, and a community hall with a

> small park.

>

> Any development on the police station site or the

> 7 acre hospital site will have a major impact on

> the Dulwich community, so I think it's important

> for us to make our views known now, before any

> final decisions are made.

>

> The full agenda for the meeting can be found here,

> along with reports that can be downloaded:-

>

> http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.

> aspx?CId=176&MId=4315

[rch]

Just to remind everyone that this DCC meeting is tonight at the Dulwich Library starting at precisely 7pm.

I'll try to post tomorrow with an update if I have time, if not Thurs.

[TopTree]

Good meeting tonight ? Cllr: Robin chaired well. WELL DONE CHAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jenny1]

I agree. It was an interesting meeting. Some good speakers talking about a variety of issues that matter. ie how to lobby to keep some kind of regular police office presence locally once the Lordship Lane station closes, and a report from the NHS on their (nascent) plans for the East Dulwich Hospital site.

I'd recommend these meetings if you're interested in getting a full briefing on key local issues.

[mynamehere]

Could someone post minutes or summarise the meeting.. I had a conflict and when I went by on the bus at 21:30 and saw you were still there! I was too tired to arrive for the last few minutes.. how late did you go?

[Jenny1]

I left early - 21.30 - but the meeting went on for a bit longer.

Yes - I think it would be a good idea to get minutes or a summary. Robin (who chaired the meeting) is probably best equipped to do that. Though I'm happy to come up with an amateur effort if needed.

[Jenny1]

For me there was one clear urgent action point out of the meeting.

The Police Borough Commander for Southwark came along to the meeting and said that Lordship Lane police station is due to close. He said that if anyone is interested in lobbying for some kind of continued police regular office hours presence in East Dulwich once the station goes then it's a good time to speak up now. The London Assembly is due to challenge Deputy Mayor Stephen Grennhalgh on his plans for police reorganisation (which include the closing of stations) at a meeting in October.

Caroline Pidgeon and Valerie Shawcross are the Assembly Members to contact about that. [email protected] and [email protected].

There is some point to doing this (if it's an issue that concerns you) because there could be a way of getting an interim police office on the East Dulwich hospital site and then - when the site is redeveloped - something more permament there.

[Pugwash]

Caroline Pidgeon is also an East Dulwich resident so will have an extra interest in the Police Station.

[rch]

Sorry about the delay, there's a lot happening at the moment...

It was fortuitous that we managed to talk the Borough Commander into attending the Sept 18th DCC meeting, as we just got a notification today at lunchtime that he will be leaving the MPS on the 28th Sept.

We suspected that things were going to happen quickly, and there were a lot of rumours circulating, so I'm grateful that Mr Griggs was able to attend and confirm what he could.

The main bullet points are that the ED Police Station is indeed going to close, although we're still not sure when. At the moment it looks like the East Dulwich and Village Safer Neighbourhood Teams are going to be based out of Camberwell and the College SNT will hopefully stay at Seeley Dr for the foreseeable future.

The big issues that were raised are the large geographical distances across the DCC area of Southwark combined with poor public transportation in Village and College wards in particular, which will hinder police patrol movements in addition to the difficulty for residents to access the Peckham police station to report crime.

In order to address these concerns councillors and Safer Neighbourhood Panels, in discussion with the local SNTs, have come up with a suggestion to base the local teams at the Dulwich Hospital site and Seeley Drive in the interim while negotiating a longer term agreement to rebuild a smaller police station in the redevelopment of the ED Police Station site with section 106 or CIL funding.

To this end, all parties are working together to lobby the Deputy Mayor for Policing, Stephen Greenhalgh, and the Mayor to consider the viability of these proposals before they unilaterally pull the plug.

We understand that there are financial restrictions, but we believe that a cost-effective solution can be identified and implemented quickly and we are willing to work together to move forwards.

[rch]

TopTree and Jenny1 - thanks for your kind words and support. I'm in the process of making contact with Assembly Members with a view towards progressing a united campaign. I'm also drafting a letter to Stephen Greenhalgh for all nine DCC ward councillors to sign. Will keep you updated.

In the meantime, the draft minutes to the DCC meeting should be posted to the Southwark website within ten working days of the meeting, I'll let you all know when they're up.

[Reg Smeeton]

rch Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> longer term agreement to rebuild a smaller police

> station in the redevelopment of the ED Police

> Station site

Is there any clue as to what the 'redevelopment of the ED Police station site' is likely to be? Is the plan for this to be mainly a residential development, with a small police station tucked in there somewhere?

[Pugwash]

With all the empty shops in LL surely the police could get a lease for a few years to have one of these premises. I had to go to the Seeley Drive one the other week, not ideal but better than nothing and it is right in the heart of the estate. I was surpriused to see how many empty shops on the Kingswood Est. a bit of a ghost town.

The chair of the East Dulwich Society (Stan Hardy) wrote to the local press some weeks ago and suggested that if new buildings are put up on the Whateley Road station site, then the ground level should be commercial with the police having a long lease there. This would keep our coppers in our local community. I think people should campaign for this suggestion with the shop lease for the immediate future. How can our beat officers have a visable presence if they have to hop on and off buses from Peckham all the time. I know our ED Councillors habve been fighting hard to retain police presence and also Robin. Thhe ED Hospital site is a good alternative, but the original suggestion of the porters lodge is probably not ideal as it is very small.

[Jenny1]

Hi Pugwash

I just wanted to pick up on this point

the original

> suggestion of the (East Dulwich Hospital) porters lodge is probably not

> ideal as it is very small.

Yes - that's what I thought initially too. But then I learnt that actually it was the local police 'Safer Neighbourhood Team' who'd identified the lodge as a good interim measure for them - until something else can be built.

The point I came away from the Dulwich Community Council meeting with is that none of this will happen (ie a continued police presence in the short or long term in the area) unless people speak up now. Police budgets are being cut by 20 per cent so nothing is guaranteed. So if it is something people feel strongly about it's worth emailing Caroline Pidgeon and Valerie Shawcross (London Assembly Members) before the end of the month to let them know that you want some kind of police office presence in the area once the Lordship Lane station closes.

[Renata Hamvas]

Just to add to some of the points above, I was also at the Dulwich CC meeting. Even though Peckham Rye Ward comes under Peckham and Nunhead CC, both the future of Dulwich Police Station issue and Dulwich hospital are important to many residents in my Ward. The Peckham Rye Councillors are very much opposed to the closure of Dulwich Police Station. It was only a few months ago that we were told that no front counter services would be cut. As I raised at the meeting, I think that it will mean that there will be an decrease in reported crime as residents won't always be able/willing to go eg to Peckham Police Station to report crime.

Renata

[mynamehere]

unfortunately I wasn't able to go to the meeting but I'd like to say that as a resident I am really happy to see/ hear politicians of all stripes working together. I have had a nagging fear from posts here/ watching the US elections and from my own experiences in Southwark recently that politics had degenerated into partisan mud throwing name calling: you're with us or against us. No sane person elects a representative to stone wall and hurt initiatives to better everyone's life. To have problems with a politician's record/ manner of delivery/ lack of ideas has first to do with that person and only a very long second to do with a political party (in a country like ours).

Thank you Renata and James and Robin for posting here under your names and working together to solve really difficult problems in straightened times.

[rch]

Hi mynamehere... it's well-known that I consider myself a public representative and not a politician, so I'm always happy to work together with other elected members where possible, especially when we already agree with each other and want the same thing! And, in this case, I think it will help if we stick together.

Renata - do you want to check with your other two ward colleagues and see if you all want Peckham Rye ward to work in tandem with the three DCC wards on this?

We agreed at the DCC meeting to send the Deputy Mayor for Policing a letter from all nine DCC ward councillors, but I am also in the process of liaising with the SPCCG chair on this and it would be useful in future discussions to be able to say that 4 out of the 21 Southwark wards are in agreement on the need for a local police base either at the existing site or the Dulwich Hospital site in the interim.

Reg, Pugwash, Jenny - I'll post a more in depth commentary on the pros and cons of the current site vs the hospital site when I have more time as I've been working on this with the local police behind the scenes for the past three or four years and, now that the situation becoming more public, it would be useful to hear all of your views. In fact, this is the reason why I asked the Borough Commander to attend the DCC meeting when he did, so that we could put an end to the rumours and open the door for an open and transparent discussion.

[Renata Hamvas]

Yes Robin,

the Peckham Rye Ward Councillors will sign the letter too, so maybe work it from Councillors from the Dulwich area, or area served by Dulwich Police Station rather than Dulwich Community Council.

Renata

[first mate]

Is the ED forum the right place to target the opinions of the young?

The lack of response may indicate one of two things: there are not that many youngsters who go on here, or there is a general intertia that prevents using the invitation.

Getting young people to work for free is a problem area. I think proving yourself over a few weeks in order to get paid work is probably okay but can see it is open to abuse. On the other hand it is probably better for youngsters to be doing something with their time, like volunteering- it all looks better on the CV...surely?

[rch]

Hi Renata... am getting advice from constitutional officers, I'll email you directly.

R