former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[James Barber]

Mayor of London Boris Johnson budget plans for next financial year to cut Police budgets and 455 Police officers. That's probably 1 less Police officer in East Dulwich. We only currently have 1 Police sargent, 2 Police officers and 5 Police Community Support Officers. This is really dreadful and unnecessary.

He doesn't need to do this. See an alternative budget that increases police numbers while reducing taxation.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

hi James

Have to agree with mrsw's post - this junction is far worse to cross than the EDR/P Rye junction was with roadworks. It really needs some pedestrian lights.

[VikkiM]

mrsw/Peckhamgatecrasher these works are in Peckham Rye ward rather than East Dulwich ward. I've asked that the ward councillors chase the council about this. Will get back to you.

Victoria

Peckham Rye Labour

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Thanks Victoria.

[James Barber]

Hi mrsw,

You raise an important principle with borough wide implications.

I've asked officers about why such temporary controls don't have pedestrian facilities. I'm awaiting a response.

[James Barber]

Hi mrsw,

I've been told by Southwark Council officers that at present no temporary traffic signals with integrated pedestrian phasing have been approved by Department of Transport for use. That this is an industry wide concerns and discussions are taking place with the Department of Transport, London Council's (representing all councils in London) and Transport for London with an expectation that approval will be given. No time scales yet on this.

Clearly this means that when permanent lights are replaced with temporary lights existing pedestrian phasing is lost. To deter pedestrians from chancing this ridiculous situation barriers are placed but clearly some will try dodging traffic.

For the specifics of the recent Forest Hill Raod work. Thames Water have made a temporary fix of a 300mm mains bringing back water supplies for 578 properties. Tonight from 8pm a permanent repair will be made. This is at a time with less traffic, most dinners have been made etc. So overall minimising inconvenience but importantly fewer pedestrians around.

When I find out the timescales for this type approval for temporary lights that include pedestrian phases I'll let you know.

[James Barber]

Primary school admissions.

Southwark Council received more primary school applications than at this time last year by the end of January deadline. It's hoped this will reflect a lower number of late or amended applications over the next few months. Helpfully the number of online applications has risen from 300 to 1200 so the admissions teams are ahead of where they were last year with getting all the applications into the system.

[Smiler]

Interesting info re. library stock. I have always found the stock really good, they often have some of the latest titles, and there is a good inter-library loans system throughout Southwark.

[mrsw]

Thanks James, this is good to hear that something is being done. However I share concerns of others (on other thread) that there is no practical interim solution. I also believe that the issue of absent workmen at roadworks needs to be tackled.

[James Barber]

Hi mrsw,

Roadworks will always have some periods of absent workers. Concrete and tarmac has to be left to set. Concrete ideally for over a week. The period of setting is affected by temperatures. So colder weather means longer periods where no visible work taking place. The key is knowing this.

Equally, I wish fewer works were concentrated on and completed more quickly at a time.

I'll ask the councillor scrutiny chairs to consider investigating this issue.

[Smeltz]

Having noticed another thread dedicated to the resurfacing of Dunstans Road I was wondering whether there are any plans to sort the ever deepening "pot hole" outside the Post office on Lordship Lane? This has been an ongoing issue for quite some time, much before the wintery snowfalls.

I do apologise if this has already been mentioned before. This thread is getting quite long and mixed with different issues.

[James Barber]

Hi Smeltz,

I've reported the Post Office bus stop road condition and the problems with roads where the bus stops outside Chener Books and Sea Cow are.

I've not yet been given dats. I suspect the root cause for thee is the gas and water mains work undertaken last year and year before.

[James Barber]

Last night attend the Dulwich Area Housing Forum - discussing issues around council tenancies and leaseholders.

I was really chuffed that all the immediate issues we'd been working on for the last 6 months had beene resolved.

That the 1.3% council housing rent increase finalised.

BUT if you have any local council housing issues do get in touch.

[tomdhu]

JBARBER Wrote:

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

> Hi steveo,

> Southwark Life doesn't cost ?50,000 to

> distribute.

> I was curious how much the Conservative and Green

> Party who tend to pay for political leaflet

> distribution in our area - insufficient volunteers

> or bags of money.

> The quote for East Dulwich ward, which is one of

> 21 political wards in Southwark, was ?300->?350.

> times that by 21 allow for 20% at least as a

> volume discount and it would cost less than ?5,000

> per month.

>

> As for the print costs and editorial content

> preperation. As I said I've asked for this info

> from officers and when I receive it I'll share

> with you.

James,

Perhaps I can help you.

Recenly there was a 90-minute debate at Westminster lead by Liberal Democrat Chief Whip and Sutton and Cheam MP Paul Burstow. Mr Burstow estimated that the cost of producing such publications by all the London Boroughs was in the region of ?10 million per annum.

Given that there are 33 boroughs in London then the average cost is ?303,030 per borough.

I sure could find better ways of spending that sort of money in Southwark.

Tom

[James Barber]

I've been asked whether school free lunches could be universally provided to children in Southwark Schools.

The total Southwark state school population is 33,849 with around 20,000 Primary school kids. This doesn't include children at Harris East Dulwich or Harris Bermondsey schools. So around another 1,600 pupils.

85% are Southwark residents.

7% from Lambeth

5% from Lewisham

3% from other boroughs.

Something like 190 schools days a year.

Around 25% receive free school lunches.

So if schools did provide universal free lunches we'd have to find funding for circa extra 5 million school meal to provide total 6.7 million free school lunches.

A number of Southwark children go to boroughs outside Southwark. So real problem of equity as they'd lose out on free school meals with their household paying for them.

One way of paying for this would be to insist schools spent their money on this. So less money for teachers, books, etc.

I think schools should choose how to spend their budgets.

Another way would be cutting something else or to increase council tax to give schools more money.

What do you think?

[steveo]

tomdhu Wrote:

>

> Given that there are 33 boroughs in London then

> the average cost is ?303,030 per borough.

>

Well done Tom. It looks like my estimate of ?50,000 a month may only be ?25,000 but hey. I'd love to know about Southwark chapter and verse though.

Close it. Close it now.

[ryedalema]

We have to produce a publication for all residents in the org I work for, and my team's responsible for its production and distribution. We send out 25,000 copies per issue (quarterly) and it costs ?23,000 per issue. A lot of the cost is distribution - across the whole of the South East, which isn't the case for Southwark which has a very manageable area. Also - we offset a lot of the costs with carefully considered advertising, from partners who are directly relevant to our audience.

Just some thoughts ;0)

[steveo]

ryedalema Wrote:

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

> We send out

> 25,000 copies per issue (quarterly) and it costs

> ?23,000 per issue. - we offset a lot of

> the costs with carefully considered advertising,

> from partners who are directly relevant to our

> audience.

That's ?1 a copy. Southwark has 100,000 homes and the mag has no advertising so maybe we're getting near my original ?50 grand estimate.

[VikkiM]

Hi James

I not sure if your post above is in response to Southwark Labour?s pledge to introduce free school meals in our primary schools?

If so, just to point out that our proposal is for for primary schools so your quick sums above will not be accurate.

I?d also be keen to know whether you think this is a good idea in principle? From the above post it sounds like you don?t. This is a real shame as the principles behind the policy are surely ones worthy of wide support.

The policy will help poorer families by removing the stigma and social barriers which continue to be attached to recipients of free school meals. There are 1,800 Southwark pupils who are already entitled to free school meals but do not take advantage of that entitlement. I think that?s a pretty shocking and sad statistic.

The policy will also save every family ?7.00 per week, per primary school child. A saving people on modest and middles incomes will appreciate in tough economic times.

Finally, a recent study by Leeds University showed that only 1% of packed lunches taken to school contain the nutritional content that a child needs. With high levels of childhood obesity here in Southwark there is a really strong case for free school meals as a policy that cuts across all boundaries of class and income.

My understanding is that Labour has fully costed this policy in conjunction with Southwark council officers. This means that, should we win back control of the council in May, we could deliver on this commitment without any suggestion that there would be less money for teachers, books etc. or any need to increase council tax. I can also confirm that the funding needed is substantially below the ?5million figure that you presumably calculated on the back on an envelope.

I?m not sure if Labour has tabled the amendment to the council budget yet but as soon as we do I?m very happy to share the full details on the forum. However I?ll happily reveal that some of the money to fund this and other Labour proposals will be a cut to the special responsibility allowances that councillors receive :-)

And because we have tabled this policy as an amendment to this coming year?s budget (which will be agreed tomorrow) we don?t even need a Labour council to deliver it ? the Lib Dems simply need to support our amendment tomorrow evening.

Victoria.

Peckham Rye Labour

[James Barber]

Hi Vikkim,

Welcome to East Dulwich.

Sorry I thought I'd made it clear I'd been asked to react on this subject via a PM.

If you'd like to see what your Labour colleagues have suggested - http://moderngov.southwarksites.com/Published/C00000132/M00002877/$$Supp2838dDocPackPublic.pdf

Your proposed funding for free school lunches works for one year only.

The money you'd raid and stop from being placed in contingency funds is to buffer Southwark Council and its tax payers from the funding requirements of so many regeneration projects running concurrently - Elephant&Castle, Canada Water, Aylesbury. I take the view that these regenerations are very important. Southwark Council reserves, with such a stark recession, need to be bigger.

20,000 Primary school free lunches a day for 190 school days a year is a lot of free lunches, 3.8M, and a huge long term commitment. This would be storing up a problem when we all know central govt whether Tory or Labour will slash the money they give to local councils.

The Labour alternative budget suggests 3.8M free school lunches will cost ?2.5M pa. 74p each.

Not sure how nutritious a 74p free lunch would be. Perhaps it would cost more than that. Perhaps not so many free lunches?

The alternative proposed budget doesn't include any capital costs for increasing sizes of existing school kitchens or the costs for building new kitchens for schools currently without. So the proposal in reality is probably for financial Year 11/12. In which case would you divert your proposed revenue spend to capital kitchen improvements?

As an aside you've also said you'd stop the revenue funding of Canada Water Library. It would be clearer to say you'd stop building this new library as that is what the revenue funding is currently contributing to.

[Loz]

VikkiM,

As I stated in another thread, I think this is a poor idea and a waste of money. Giving out freebies to those who can afford it is a stupid use of my money.

If this is what Labour (or any other party) is proposing it is a vote loser for me. Stop chucking money around.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Hey Loz - heard of Child Benefit?

[Loz]

Yep, and that should be means tested as well. David and Posh Beckham really need that extra cash.

[James Barber]

In 2006 we promised to finish moderning all 53 East Dulwich streets lighting.

Under Cllr Richard Thomas leadership 19 had been completed in 2004/05.

Since being elected in 2006 we've completed another 27 East Dulwich streets.

Last week another 4 were started - Heber, Rodwell, Silvester and Thompson Roads.

It's a long process as first the columns are installed. Then EDF Energy connects the columns to its electricity infrstructure. Then the heads get installed and commissioned. EDF Energy take around 8-12 weeks. One of the columns in Heber Road looks like it needs moving as it head will be in tree canopy. I've requested this after a helpful resident pointed this out.

Generally any problems with lighting example shining in your bedroom let me know. Usually straight forward to fix.

[James Barber]

Hi Steveo,

Apparently Southwark Life costs ?250,000 pa.

Hammersmith & Fulham take an interesting approach where they take commercial advertising and have reduced the net cost to ?5,000 pa. Others such as Lambeth produce it fortnightly which presumably costs a lot mmore than 10 issues a year.

Hope that answers your questions.