former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[Ant]

Hi James,

Are there any plans to resurface Landells Road? It's in poor condition generally, but the stretch between Goodrich Road and the junction with Lordship Lane is particularly terrible, and has been for many years. I remember there being an effort to fix this a few years back that didn't achieve anything (possibly the parking restrictions weren't enforced properly so people's cars were still in the way). Is it time for another go perhaps?

The pavements are also pretty rubbish, though I suspect fixing them at the same time would be too inconvenient.

[James Barber]

Hi Ant,

I've asked officers to see the complete list of all the 19km of principal and 329km of non principal road condition reports. We can then see where Landells, Pellatt, Landcroft, etc are relative to all other Southwark Roads.

[Ant]

Excellent - thanks.

[sophiesofa]

Hello James. I think this has been mentioned before but there's a thread (mugged in park by sainsburys) by someone who was beaten and mugged in the park by sainsburys. Is this part of your ward, if not who do I contact? Thanks

[James Barber]

Hi sophiesofa,

Francis Park is in South Camberwell ward. It was provided by Sainsburys are part of the Section 106 agreement - Sainsuburys are supposed to maintain it and I believe that includes locking it at night.

South Camberwell councillors are - Green Party Jenny Jones, Labour Party Peter John and Veronica Ward.

However, I'm interested as many East Dulwich residents access Sainsburys via this pocket park. Hence my involvement in the direct path replacing the muddy track - admitedly too narrow.

[sophiesofa]

I'll email sainsburys then and if I have no success there I'll ask the south camberwell councilors what can be done. Thanks.

[elliescott]

At the top of Barry Rd, library end, the 30mph sign that lights up when you drive past it has not worked for ages. Seeing as this is the only deterrent to speeders there is on Barry Rd can it be fixed? Or better still can there be some other form of speed reduction such as bumps to slow the traffic down. It's scary how fast cars drive down our road sometimes.

Thanks

[James Barber]

Hi elliescott,

Speed humps and bumps are not likely due to Barry Road serving a number of bus routes.

I'll try and check what house number this sign is outside and report this malfunctioned active speed sign so it can be fixed.

Agree some vehicles drive at excessive speeds.

Have you noticed any particular time of day this occurs?

[Mellors]

Re Dulwich Van Hire

James Barber Wrote:

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

> Hi Spartacus,

> Apologies for not posting a response.

> I've been told they are going to colocate with the

> garage place and be scaled back to 8 vans.

>

> I'll chase enforcement officers to double check

> their understanding. If your correct the

> propreitors have not been fully frank with

> officers.

James - this is correct, they are now operating in Barry's and the parking issue is still ongoing. This has been a problem for months now - any word from the enforcement officers please?

[intexasatthe moment]

James - I don't really have anything to add to my post

My enquiry was initially prompted by your remarks about Caroline Pidgeon securing a common admissions policy .

I agree ,we do now have a system that uses a common application form ,it's just the admissions criteria that vary so much.

With a child who went through secondary transfer prior to 2002 ,I don't recognise the situation you describe - yes ,individual application forms ,but state schools weren't all asking year 6 to take tests.

I note your remark that you don't approve of Academies in principle and that it's the Governments choice that this is the " only show in town ".

But didn't Lib Dems support the Academy movement until recently http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6008298 ?

Isn't it a bit disengenous to distance yourself from the fact that Southwark now have so many schools that control their admissions policies and are not accountable to parents or Southwark

I don't know what words I can use ( PM or not ) to make it clear that I am unhappy because you said that Caroline Pidgeon had secured a " common admissions policy " for Southwark Secondary Schools.

You ignore all my comments about the different admissions criteria now required by Southwark Secondary Schools - which in my book means that no commons admissions policy exists ,and start talking about school application forms.

To crown it all you try to shift the responsibilty for this situation by saying

I guess this is another downside to the Governments answer to secondary school places being Acadamies. And yes I am against them on principal but it is the 'only show in town'.

As far as I know ,Lib Dems supported the Academy movement until they did a U turn a few weeks ago.

This kind of exchange is pointless and is not you trying to be helpful ,it is you ignoring the question and trying to score a political point.

[ryedalema]

Hi James - just a small niggle to tell you about. The Council majorly overgritted our road this morning (Ryedale). All the cars are covered in it. A minor annoyance as we cleaned the car yesterday (but it's a beautiful day so I don't mind going out with the bucket and sponge) but if we are still on 'grit rations' I wouldn't have thought today was a high priority day - i.e. not that cold or icy!

All the best.

[James Barber]

Hi ryedalema,

I'm sorry about the overgritting you experienced. I haven't recently checked but suspect the salt/grit short rationing is over with little further propspect of snow in the SE.....

However, the weekend was bitterly cold - especially yesterday. Even spotted icy puddles. It was a lovely sunny but bitterly cold weekend.

[James Barber]

Hi intexasatthe moment,

Southwark needs new secondary level schools. Each school, apart from land costs, costs around ?30M to build. Southwark doesn't have the ?90-?120M as spare cash to build these schools. UIt can be rejigging various bits of land find space for the necessary news schools. The only way central government pays for new secondary school building is if you allow them to be Academies. So could the local Lib Dem led administration have dug its heels in and said no we don't wont locally unaccountable academies and are happy for Southwark kids to travel far and wide for find school places. No, we bit our tongues to ensure the best for our Southwark kids in these central government led circumstances.

Back to admissions criteria.

In 2002 every school you applied to requried a differnt application form at secondary level. These wer unified under Carolines direction. We paid for one test that all schools used the results of. Am I personally happy that Harris Academies have since opted out of that, of course not. Can we make Harris Academies join in no. But hopefully they eventually be persuaded.

[James Barber]

I've had an anonymous letter. Very rare. Shame really as wonder why they felt the need to fire in comments but not want a response. Little bit barbed about mush and brains, etc but compared to others this is fortunately very tame.

It starts by complaining about the number of cycle parking stands being installed. The stands have been installed where 'free' cycle parking has taken place. The idea is having something to lock bikes to will reduce theft and make life a little easier for those that cycle. It also directs cycle parking to locations more convenient for pedestrians.

Also, they complained that cycle parking is on the footway rather than the road. I agree in theory but having had a bike wiped out while parked on the pavement by a car mounting the pavement I can't see how to park bicycles on the road. All ideas welcome to resolve this.

Complained about removing guard railings. I'm proud of the changes to Walworth Road where its no longer two alleyways between shops and guard railings. Guard railings generally were put in place to ensure car drivers didn't have to worry about stray pedestrians and resulted in drivers going faster - common phrase for guard railing areas is 'sheep pens'. The whole culture of traffic planners in the past treating pedestrians as 'sheep' is wrong. Hence gradually guard railings are being removed. Clearly some exceptions.

Criticism of having a cycling officer but not having walking officers. Hmmm. All officers are trained in traffic and highway requirements. So in effect trained in vehicles and to undertake their role must be ambulatory ie. walk. But most do not and have not cycled. So to bring this into the mix has required a cycling officer. When all transport officers have good solid cycling experience we wont need a cycling officer.

Lastly suggestion that the cycling officer should'nt cycle in their own time.

[intexasatthe moment]

James - as far as I am aware Lib Dems supported central gov policy to create Academies.

I read your comment we bit our tongues to ensure the best for our Southwark kids in these central government led circumstances. as disengenous.

As far as school admissions are concerned - Southwark Secondaries do not have a common entrance policy ,they all control their own admissions criteria and they vary hugely.

A common entrance application form ( as negotiated by Caroline Pidgeon ) is not the same thing as as a common entrance policy.

[elliescott]

Thank you for answering so promptly. I haven't noticed a particular time that is worse for speeding. I understand it is not practical for humps on Barry rd. There is a zebra crossing towards the church end which has a large hump, maybe its worth considering one more of these a bit further down? This would be a deterrent to speeders who didn't wish to get their car bottomed out and would be useful to have for general crossing purposes.

Thanks again.

[James Barber]

Hi elliescott,

Zebra crossing are great in that people walking get to cross more or less when they need to and vehicels are not held up when no one crossing but the mere suggestion someone might cross normally reduces speeds around zebra crossings.

Could you PM exactly where on Barry Road staing house numbers - hence the request for PM.

I'll then take a look and come back to you.

[James Barber]

Suggestion that perhaps some cycle parking should be the road. I've been helpfully sent the attached.

Not sure it would suit Lordship Lane - what do people think?

If nothing else its made me smile.

[ruffers]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> Suggestion that perhaps some cycle parking should

> be the road. I've been helpfully sent the

> attached.

> Not sure it would suit Lordship Lane - what do

> people think?

> If nothing else its made me smile.

A very small smile, but a definite no.

[edf]

ruffers Wrote:

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

> James Barber Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Suggestion that perhaps some cycle parking

> should

> > be the road. I've been helpfully sent the

> > attached.

> > Not sure it would suit Lordship Lane - what do

> > people think?

> > If nothing else its made me smile.

>

> A very small smile, but a definite no.

It's a very good idea having them on the road but the design is a bit childish. You would also need a barrier on the road side to stop wheels sticking out into the road and cars hitting the wheels. It would also be good to have them on residential roads as well as just commerial streets, so that no matter where you travelling that to you would always know that you can store our bike safely.

[James Barber]

Next Monday 22 March the Crystal Palace Road resurfacing begins. It will be phased and the current angular humps will be replaced with sinusoidal ones.

Any concerns, problems or issues please do get in touch with me.

[intexasatthe moment]

Great news about the sinusoidal humps - tried these out in Camberwell Grove and they are a great improvement on usual type .

[ruffers]

edf Wrote:

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

>

> It's a very good idea having them on the road ...

Couldn't disagree more. Given how much of a problem parking cars is, and how easy it is to park bikes off road, how is it a good idea?

[edf]

ruffers Wrote:

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

> edf Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

>

> >

> > It's a very good idea having them on the road

> ...

>

> Couldn't disagree more. Given how much of a

> problem parking cars is, and how easy it is to

> park bikes off road, how is it a good idea?

Parking bikes on the pavement leads to the pavements being very narrow and makes it difficult and less friendly for pedestrians especially in areas when there are a large amount of buggies around like East Dulwich.

While saying that if we are choosing to encourage environmentally friend methods of transport we will need to supply safe parking, around the shops. The only place to this if you do not use the pavements is the road.

Bike parking on road can also provide the added benefit of allowing better visibility for pedestrians crossing the road by preventing large cars\van parking in inappropriate areas for example outside Somerfield where people obviously want to cross but is made difficult by heavy traffic and reduced visibility by the parked cars.

[James Barber]

Hi edf,

During the summer we should expect to see a proper pedestrian crossing of Lordship Lane where Sommerfields/coop shop is.