former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[Abe_froeman]

Did Caroline Pigeon say she would do anything? I see Helen Hayes has written to the transport minister and is publicly calling for the franchise to be removed. I'm sure it would help if there was public support from local government too.

[Nigello]

I hope the very sensible idea of extra/express buses will be adopted. It pains me that solutions - even ad hoc ones - are hard to come by. Getting people up the hill at the top of FHR to the HOP station on an "emergency" extended 63 would be great as well!

[chazzle]

James,

The consultation period for the latest plans to partially demolish and extend the cottages at Railway Rise has now officially ended (although it does appear the comment are still open.)

For the previous complete demolition, you said that you and Councillor Shimell would call in the proposal for a council meeting. Would you consider doing the same for this reduced proposal?

Although the new plans are less dramatic, they do include a substantial demolition. The developer has followed his usual practice of repeated applications. It would also be an opportunity for the council to consider the prospect of supporting this application in the wider context of the ten-year history of the failed development at the former Garden Centre site, etc.

[uncleglen]

Hi James,

I have just been reading in Private Eye that a tenant has taken Southwark Council to court for overcharging some tenants and residents for their water from Thames...? Do you know the specifics?

[Siduhe]

UG, I was going to link to the info here, but I see you already have seen all of this:

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,1667700,1667700#msg-1667700

[James Barber]

Hi uncle glen, Siduhe,

Yes. 2012 introduced centralised charging for water bills/rates. So instead of 45,000 separate water bills to count tenants that this charge be made via their council housing rents. The council received a discount which they used to cover the costs of administering the billing, debt management etc on behalf of Thames Water. It transpires this charge was illegal - it also looks high for what was involved. This practice being common amongst councils.

Having confirmed people were wrongly charged the process for making water refunds has started over the weekend of 2 and 3 July.

If tenants are in arrears, the credit will either partially or fully offset those arrears and any residual sum (over a minimum value of ?10) will be refunded by cheque. Where an individual?s rent arrears exceeds the refund due, no cash refund will be payable.

Southwark Council are currently consulting with tenants regarding the future relationship with Thames Water.

[James Barber]

Path finally cleared earlier this week - thank for pointing it out to me. I even bought some secateurs thinking I might have to do it.

It also transpires the council has no planned maintenance work for such paths. Another thing to fix!

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

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

> James,

>

> The path/cycle route that joins Greendale to DHFC

> is very overgrown now due to all the wet weather,

> to the point that it's making things a bit

> hazardous, particularly for the little children

> who use it to and from school. Do you know who I

> can contact for help with this?

>

> Thanks.

[Oopnorthpup]

Hi James,

Can you look into who the contractors were that were working on East Dulwich Road on Saturday, who abandoned site late afternoon leaving the temporary traffic lights not working on the busy crossroads by the playground adjacent to Adys road? Caused mayhem for several hours and could have caused a nasty accident.

Thanks

[Oopnorthpup]

Hi James,

Can you look into who the contractors were that were working on East Dulwich Road on Saturday, who abandoned site late afternoon leaving the temporary traffic lights not working on the busy crossroads by the playground adjacent to Adys road? Caused mayhem for several hours and could have caused a nasty accident.

Thanks

[James Barber]

Hi Oopnorthpup,

Will try and find out what on earth happened and by whom.

[Oopnorthpup]

Thanks James.

[Lollipop]

Hi James

I'm hoping you can help. I booked a bulky waste collection (paying ?16) as I am moving next weekend and need some stuff removed. On the website when you book, it asks when you would like the collection. I asked for Wed next week. I have had a reply from the department saying my collection is booked for this Saturday anytime from 6am - completely ignoring my request for Wednesday. I need the weekend to get someone to help me put the stuff outside as it is quite large and I work full-time. They won't deal with this over the phone so my only option is to cancel the collection - losing my ?16 - and try and book again.

Surely it should be possible to have the time you request? Why bother asking if it is not an option?

[James Barber]

Hi Lollipop,

If you email me at [email protected] I'll seek to get this sorted for you.

Sadly you can no longer ring them up to correct this directly.

[Lollipop]

Hi James - Thanks for getting back. I have been premature in my criticism. Lindford called me this evening (!) and told me that all other days were taken and the only one free was Saturday so I will have to stick with that.

Thanks for offering to help though

[theron2]

Hi James

The road where I live has been closed off this week to allow Alleyns school contractors to deliver some temporary classrooms with the aid of an enormous crane. Yesterday one of the large lorries delivering the classrooms knocked a traffic road sign and it is bent at an angle of forty-five degrees across the pedestrian crossing where Hillsboro Road joins East Dulwich Grove. I reported it directly to Southwark council.

Today another lorry has damaged one of our roadside trees quite badly. Can you advise how we can complain and rectify, or how we can log these as complaints. Alleyns has a big programme of works coming up with buildings being demolished and another new building project starting. I have taken some photos and will send them to you via email?

We residents of Hillsboro Road and the nearby area have had a few problems caused by the contractors used by Alleyns over the last couple of years, and despite several complaints being raised, Alleyns have done nothing to put right these problems or prevent them occuring.

[James Barber]

Hi theron2,

Thanks for telling me about this. I will raise today (probably tonight) with council officers and the schools bursar.

[Asset]

Hi James,

Just to add to Theron2's points above; I am also a resident affected by these works. I have had to speak to various contractors on several occasions now for starting works before the legal 8am time. One morning recently there were diggers moving around at 7.20am. Alleyn's were informed (as were the council) and although they apologised and said they would speak to the contractors, it happened again not long after.

Another point - with this road closure we have motorbikes travelling up the pavement outside our house, clearly dangerous but presumably not a lot can be done to stop the idiots who think it's ok to do that.

I objected to these temporary classrooms being located here, the acres of space on the Townley Rd side of the grounds would have been more suitable. This street is already massively congested (during term-time...) and we have been putting up with major construction on their site for a good 5 years now.

[James Barber]

Hi Asset,

Your points will be included and are helpful extra detail. Thank you.

The decision to place classrooms temporarily there I did challenge at the planning application stage as the loss of car parking is clearly likely to impact the immediate area. The actual ward councillors for Village ward where this is located were happy.

[sarahemjones]

Hi James,

There are no trains from East Dulwich, Denmark Hill, nor Peckham Rye today and there is no service on the Clapham Junction branch of the Overground. Complete madness not to have kept one line running so enable quicker access centrally. This doesn't seem to have been thought through very well.

[James Barber]

Hi sarahemjones,

They all share a common part of the network from just west of Peckham Rye to beyond Peckham Queen's Road. So every once in a while we will see all those rail lines closed. Bloody annoying if it affects a particular journey though. And too many train are replaced by buses.

[hertburs]

James. Do you have any idea about what is happening about the replacement of the Advanced Cycle Lane and Box on the South Circular at The Grove Tavern which was removed when the road was resurfaced? In late June you and Caroline Pigeon were assured by TFL that it would be replaced by early July.

[James Barber]

Hi hertburs,

I think it's just TfL being slow.

They need to issue a traffic management order to close the lane. Burn of the current wrong road markings. Paint and dry the new markings. I suspect this will be v.early one Sunday morning - clearly August would be ideal as quieter.

I will chase Caroline to ask when things will happen. I suspect it will take some time to extract an answer.

[pipsky2008]

Hi James

Could you advise me if a T&RA (Tenants and residents Association) has a requirement to have a formal complaints procedure, being a voluntary organisation?

Thanks

[James Barber]

Hi pipsky2008,

They have to be formally constituted.

Whether that includes a complaints procedure I don't know but good practice would suggest it does.

This page on Southwark Council website has contact details for officers in place to encourage and nurture them so they should have copies of particular constitutions and be able to advise. If they can;t or asking them tis awkward let me know and I'll ask - but confirm which T&RA if you do.

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/1012/council_tenant_involvement/737/tenant_and_resident_associations

[pipsky2008]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> Hi pipsky2008,

> They have to be formally constituted.

> Whether that includes a complaints procedure I

> don't know but good practice would suggest it

> does.

>

> This page on Southwark Council website has contact

> details for officers in place to encourage and

> nurture them so they should have copies of

> particular constitutions and be able to advise. If

> they can;t or asking them tis awkward let me know

> and I'll ask - but confirm which T&RA if you do.

> http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/1012/council_tena

> nt_involvement/737/tenant_and_resident_association

Thanks for responding so quickly James. I'll mail the named peson for my T&RA

Many thanks