former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[expat]

'suprised' and 'weirdly' are IMHO loaded words.

Yes I think recycling food is a good idea, don't you?

[Magpie]

James - thank you for the response on the Gas mains. I think the comments back from Southern Gas are on the 4 way traffic signals by the Library cross roads - not the open hole at 306/08 Lordship Lane from which a smell of gas is pretty much constant, and which has been open for around 10 weeks.

Two weekly rubbish collection is an abdication of responsibility by the council and a health risk. It is a terrible idea.

[James Barber]

I think recyclnig food is good.

I think fortnightly bin collections can cause problems. I think it will increase the amount of fly tipping and I'm not sure many people would want

Equally the advice from WRAP (quango set up by Milliband) states:

"Our advice on implementing alternate weekly collections systems for household waste emphasises throughout that it is important that the public are fully involved and consulted by the local authority before any new service is introduced, and that the support of the public and councillors are obviously important when thinking of introducing a new service."

Have you been consulted?

I've been invited to a briefing telling me what will be happening. Not consultation as I know.

Where this has been successfully introduced by Lib Dems it's followed huge levels of participative consultation e.g. Cambridge.

[expat]

Does the council not get the money for wate collection from the goverment?

[Twirly]

Can I ask about the practicalities of the collection of waste food? As a flat dweller, I've got limited space in my kitchen to store waste food - particularly as we've had problems with mice in the past.

I've got a recycling bin in the cupboard with three compartments, one for glass/metal, one for plastic and one for general rubbish which at the moment includes food waste and any bits of packaging that can't be recycled. I don't have room in the kitchen for any other bins.

Would the waste food go in with the garden waste, or would a different bin be provided? (Personally, I don't know that we've got much room left for yet another bin outside the house as we've got 4 wheelie bins, 3 for general waste and one for garden waste and assorted recycling boxes already).

I don't have much of a problem with fortnightly rubbish collections personally, as once we've recycled our plastics, tins and bottles, two of us only produce about one black plastic sack of rubbish a week anyway. I'd have more of a problem with the composting of waste food from a practical point of view (despite thinking it a good idea in principle).

Can you provide more info on the practical implications please?

[James Barber]

Hi expat,

Central Government provides around 70% of the money that local councils such as Southwark spend. In calculating how much money to provide they take into account number of homes, population, number of freezing days and so one. So clearly these numbers affect how much money they provide for rubbish collections.

Hi Twirly,

I'm afraid I don't know. Currently my uncooked vegetable waste is composed in the garden.

My guess is that you'd be encouraged t put food waste in a recepticle or plastic bag for collection.

I guess that what's troubling me. The zero consultation that's taking place to talk through issues. Presumption appears to be that the trial booked for East Dulwich and Dulwich assumes everyone lives in houses with front and back gardens to locate more wheelie bins etc. Dulwich has fewer subdividdd properties due to Dulwich Estate ability to restrict this. East Dulwich has high proportion of subdivided properties. Not everyone can share wheelie bins with neighbours even from the same 'house'.

[expat]

>Central Government provides around 70% of the money that local councils such as Southwark spend

So if the coalition in an effort to save more money cut what they give the councils the councils have to find the moneyh somewhere and IIRC they are not allwed to raise the council tax...

[James Barber]

Hi expat,

The national government has so far said they'd like councils to not raise council taxes and will work with local councils by allowing them far more freedon and less ring fencing of the monies they receive so they can be more efficient. REal example Audit Commission going.

The following is the email received by councillors from Cllr Barrie Hargrove about the planned changes to recycling:

"I would like to welcome you to an all member drop in session for a new recycling pilot, which will run in the East Dulwich, The Lane, Nunhead, Peckham Rye, Surrey Docks and Village wards. The sessions will take place on 23 September, from 6pm at Tooley Street, SE1 2TZ, Room 519.

We?ll be running a series of drop in sessions at 6.15pm, 6.45pm and 7.15pm where we will be explaining details of the scheme, provide examples of the materials and answer any questions you have. Places for the sessions are limited to 20, so please confirm by reply to this email of your order of preference and we will confirm details prior to the 23 September. Further details of the pilot at www.southwark.gov.uk/foodwaste

In conjunction with our waste and recycling partner, Veolia, we will run a Organic (garden and food waste) recycling pilot for 10, 000 homes in the borough from October to March next year. This will not affect residents weekly collections of dry recyclables.

The recycling pilot will enable residents to recycle additional materials and will contribute to raising the boroughs recycling rate. This in turn will reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill.

"

If you follow that link it takes you to a page where at the very bottom it has a link titled 'background details of this scheme" if you follow that link and read very carefully it states rubbish collections will go fortnightly. The wording around this implies they'll be next to nothing left to collect. This is not what other authorities have found. It's sugar coating a controversial decision.

This type of burying decisions, obfuscation is an example of what gives politicians a bad name.

The whole fortnightly collections idea and decision for Southwark, trialled in East Dulwich, should involve proper public consultation and a robust decision making porocess.

[louisiana]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> Hi louisiana,

>

>

> Have I answered your questions?

Thanks James.

I don't rely on Grove Vale library myself, but am concerned for the future of libraries, and have as you will have noticed a particular interest in St Aidan's projects in the area.

Perhaps Southwark can impose a 'neighbourhood dislocation charge' on British Gas and others making our life a misery (see the Lordship Lane transport thread) to help pay for maintenance of such services. In these trying times we do need to be inventive! :-)

(And on this issue, does not B Gas have to give an 'end date' for roadworks as well as a start date? There doesn't seem to be one.)

[James Barber]

Hi louisiana,

A neighborhood dislocation charge. Oh how I wish. Great idea.

The good news is that replacing water and gas mains now should avoid such works in the future for the rest of our lifetimes. The reason they don't put end dates is in case they come across the unexpected. With records relating to gas works undertaken 80+ years ago I'd guess and blitz damage where changes weren't fully recorded it would be very hard to know exactly when you'd finish.

I work for a telecom company. One customer was held up as the simple trenching for 100m found 2m thick concrete under the road. Truly bizarre. I'm surprised not able to use archeological sub ground radar/sensing to get better idea of what likely to be found. Very low tech at present.

[Amelie]

There is too much electrical wiring and cabling under our pavements for ground penetrating radar to provide an accurate picture. Ask any any Planning/Street Scene officer.

[James Barber]

Hi Amelie,

Sure you're right but must be something more can be done. Ultrasound?

Just randomly guessing how long works will take seems a bit rubbish this day and age.

Any ideas?

[Miacis]

James

Apols if you have picked this up already but I couldn't see anything on a quick scan of the above.

I live at the top end of LL near the endless gas works. I am extremely concerned at the lack of pedestrian safety whilst the temp lights are in operation. The schools are back this week and this junction (barry road/Lordship Lane) is bad enough even with green men - I am terrified that there will be a major accident. At the moment there is no break at all when it is safe for pedestrians to cross - so people are just dashing across.

I have contacted the council but would ask that you add your voice. Even a 'green man' break or lollipop person equivalent would help. I know it would make the delays even worse but frankly there are lives at stake here. There was a child killed beside Peckham Rye when there were temp lights last year. We need to learn the lesson.

Thanks for any help you can give.

[Eddie M]

Would add my concern to that expressed by Miacis. Was crossing the road at this junction with my 2 children today (11 and 9) and it's really tricky. Because the traffic comes down LL on the 'wrong' side, I ended up having to grab my older one from the path of an oncoming car because he only looked the obvious way down the road and started to step out. It shook me up, particularly because he's out on his own more frequently now.

[tomsav]

Hi James, Three things about Landcroft Road:

1) Can I ask if there are any plans to resurface Landcroft Road? It took a hell of a battering over winter and is remains in a shocking state.

2) Also, there is a disabled parking bay on Landcroft between Jennings and Heber. It seems to be a throwback - it never has a car parked in it and the markings haven't been maintained for years. But there's still a sign there. Is it still needed? If not could it be removed, as parking on that stretch is at a premium lately (due in the main to one resident not being able to park within 6ft of another vehicle, and another operating a presumedly unofficial car repair business on the street and having half a dozen vans parked up, but you can do much about that!)

3) Finally if Landcroft can be refurbished, I would ask for the junctions to be looked at from a safety point of view. It's murder to pull onto/across Landcorft from side roads such as Goodrich due to fast-approaching cars and awful visibility. While I wouldn't want to see a single extra "sinusoidal" speed bump anywhere ever (god-forsaken suspension-destroying hippy-inspired things that they are) a raised road like at the junction of Barry/Goodrich would probably do the trick.

[expat]

>Central Government provides around 70%

So if the coalition cut the 70% with 25% it will affect services - I am glad we agree.

I followed the link you provided and the first item was:

Recycling pilot scheme

Recycling reduces the impact that our waste has on the environment. It also saves money by avoiding landfill costs. Southwark council is committed to doubling recycling in the borough by 2014. We are trying to make recycling as easy as possible so residents can recycle as many items as possible.

A six month pilot programme of improvements is being introduced in some areas Peckham, Dulwich and Rotherhithe beginning in October 2010.

My highlights in bold. I also checked my houehold waste which will be twice a week for now.

[James Barber]

Hi Miacis, Eddie M,

I'm also really worried that we have what appears to me a near repeat of the circumstances that resulted in the tragic death of a school girl at the junction of Peckham Rye/East Dulwich Road.

I've contacted the lead council officer and explained the similarities and will chase later today. With Southwark schools going back today this needs to be resolved asap.

[James Barber]

Hi expat,

Where fortnightly bins collections have been introduced they have faield to gain popular support without an extensive consultation which has usually resulted in subtle changes making the originally proposed schemes better. The advice from the ex.Labour government was exactly that. The expereince of Lib Dem councils is exactly that.

[James Barber]

Hi Tomsav,

Agree Landcroft Road is a pickle. I've reported many of the pot holes for repair and only patching has occurred.

The next round of road maintenance budget will decided on its size at February budget setting council. Previous years the Lib Dem allocated an amount for local ward councillors to decide - we decided on Pellatt Road, Landells Road and a bit of Goodrich. It costs roughly ?1,000 per metre of road and pavements to be renewed and we have budget of ?33,333. We plumped for only doing the roads which made the money go a lot further.

Southwark as a whole has a backlog of ?18M of highway renewals to bring every road up to decent standard. Largely the 8 years of Lib Dem led council we chipped away at that backlog but didn't seriously dent it.

Personally I'd imagine Landcroft next FY being a likely contender.

[James Barber]

Hi Miacis, Eddie M,

A colleague form Village ward - Cllr Robin Crookshank-Hilton spoke with Southern Gas a week ago who stated two weeks until they finished. Eitherway I'm hopeful they can be strongly encouraged to finish sooner.

[edanna]

Re rubbish collections, I can't imagine many people being in favour of fortnightly collections and I think the council should have consulted, even if it is just a pilot. Even with full recycling of food waste and all the other recyclables currently collected I think we will have an overflowing bin by 2 weeks, with potential problems with odour and vermin. If we have extra bin bags next to the wheelie bin will they be collected?

[James Barber]

Hi edanna,

Cambridge Council introduced such a scheme and spent a year counsulting and preparing people for it AND the final scheme was very different to that originally proposed and seems to have popular support.

The idea would be that if you're recycling you wouldn't need extra bin bags (which foxes in East Dulwich would love) so my understanding is that they would not be collected. My guess is officers might be helpful to begin with and get stricter over time.

I'm not sure what people in flats would do who already find even the smaller wheelie bins a problem.

[candj]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> The new Labour run Southwark Council is proposing

> to move to fortnightly rubbish collections and

> make the garden waste collections weekly and add

> food composting.

James - this would be such a bad idea. In our experience, there are only several times in the year when our brown bins are overflowing with garden waste - spring and autumn when we are clearing the garden and/or planting). Fortnightly garden waste collection is perfect for us and what looks like most of our road. However, I couldn't imagine rubbish collections being reduced to fortnightly as we are a family of 4 (almost 5) our bin is filled within a week so the timing works. Anything less would be a recipe for disaster. However, having said that, our small blue bins for glass and cans is certainly too small, but we wouldn't be able to fit a bigger bin in our small front garden.

In California we are given three bins for rubbish the same size as our green and brown bins here. One is black for rubbish that cannot be recycled, one is green for both garden waste and compostable food waste and the last one is blue for anything recyclable from glass bottles to paper and cans. Someone else on the receiving end sorts through and organises it further before sending to the recycling plant. This always seems like a good idea, but again I don't think our small Victorian front gardens would be able to have three large bins.

Best,

-C

[BrandNewGuy]

At the risk of sounding like a smug green, I can't understand how many people fill their wheelie bins every week. We're a family of four, with one 'homeworker', and only fill our bin at Christmas time (too much unrecyclable packaging and unwanted crap). Once we've done our paper/card, glass, metal and plastic recycling, there's hardly enough rubbish in an average week to fill half the wheelie bin. Occasionally we'll call the council to deal with a big item or two, but in terms of regular waste, I don't know what people are throwing away. Can it *all* be nappy sacks? ;-)

Agreed about the brown bin - absolutely no need for a weekly pick-up.

[candj]

To brandnewguy - in our case, we also have daily nanny, housekeeper and husband works from home a few days a week so after recycling we still manage to fill our bin (it's not overflowing, but it's full). Can't be nappy sacks because neither child is in nappies ::o