former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[James Barber]

Hi AllyCat,

Residents are required to keep their gardens from overspilling onto the public footpath/highway - ie. keep hedges and trees cut back. Happilly this also is excellent crime prevention advice - more open a front garden the more neighbours can keep an eye on things.

Rubbish bins and boxes should also be kept within the curtilage a home. Realistically this isn't piossible on all roads for all homes so some commonsense is needed. If a home could keep its bins in its grounds and isn't the council can insist - but hopefully a sensible conversation would precede this to point out they have the option of being more sociable.

Which road are you specifically talking about?

Can I help?

[AllyCat]

Hi James - I will PM you

AC

[apmuso]

Re: East Dulwich councillor - can we help?

Posted by: James Barber October 01, 09:02P

Hi apmuso,

Watch your letter box in the next 2-3 weeks on Thursday evenings.

Regards james

Hi James - any news re the above? I've been watching the letter box and, almost 8 weeks on, still nothing.

Parking every bit as bad as ever.

[James Barber]

Hi apmuso,

Apologies. I had imagined we'd have reached more homes by now.

When we've been out we've been rather to chatty.

PM me your address and I'll ensure your next.

[Bunny19]

Hi James, can you explain how the hell recycling is cost effective when it takes a wagon that has a driver and 3 collectors three quarters of an hour to pick up on Derwent Grove?

[James Barber]

Hi Bunny19,

Southwark is charged ?100 for every tonne that goes to landfill. It's called Landfill Tax.

I don't know how much these people collected in the 3/4 hour but suspect its cost effective compared to it going into normal rubbish.

What is coming is co mingled rubbish where all recycleable materials are seperated at the Integrated Waste Transfer Facility being built on the Old Kent Road. That speeds up collections as all goes into the truack ithout having to be sorted on the streets. We had hoped this would be universal by now but new deadline is November 2011.

If the food waste and fortnightly rubbish collection 'pilot' is successful - which it appears in the rounds it is so far - then you'll have that probably introduced at the same time next Autumn.

[James Barber]

All Southwark councillors have been issued the following bulletin:

"The weekend?s weather forecast predicts snow on Saturday/Sunday with the likelihood of heavier snow on Monday/Tuesday.

The longer term is predicting sub zero road surface temperatures for next week and into the following week.

Currently the council is fully stocked with salt and more supplies are due in mid December. We have recently increased our stock of salt bins by 100%, adding 54 more in particularly needed areas.

In addition 36 schools have their own supplies already in place but some schools are still waiting for supplies to be delivered but this is because they ordered late. [beggars question why Southwark council can't 'lend' them supplies]

Please note that we will have to focus our gritting on keeping key roads and pavements open, making sure access to essential services is maintained. In terms of gritting off road, an updated list has been prepared of vulnerable locations such as schools, transport hubs, medical facilities, elderly people's homes, and shopping centres and will be used by our cleaning service to prioritise deployment of gritting crews. [ street cleaners are used to clear pavements and grit pavements using hand propelled gritters].

TfL is responsible for gritting the roads and pavements along red routes. The council are contacting TfL to make sure they are fully prepared to deal with any snow in Southwark so we?re not left in the same position as last year, with very slippery pavements in red route areas and people having to walk in the roads.

There is information on the homepage of the council?s website about our preparation to deal with the snow that is forecast over the weekend and into next week.

"

I've attached the latest version of the Southwark's Winter Plan which came out on the 18 November.

[James Barber]

I've had complaints about the Melbourne Grove Medical Practice burglar alarm going of every night in the VERY early morning. I've contacted them and asked what is being done to stop this anti social behaviour.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

James, an observation about icy roads:

the raised red paviours by the school crossing seem to be causing an inordinate amount of bother for cars. Tarmac seems to allow grip ok.

Perhaps these areas in the district could have priority gritting?

[James Barber]

Hi Peckhamgatecrasher,

I'll ask about great priority.

I'm finding it more than frustrating - last winter we bought 80 hand propelled gritting machines(

).

This year you can't see them anywhere and they are listed in ther Winter Service Plan as one of the key mechanisms for getting and keeping our streets cleared of ice and snow.

Have you seen one of these gritting machines in East Dulwich?

[Penguin68]

James - a good question has been asked in another thread about boundaries - the Southwark/ Lewisham boundary around Forest Hill etc. is both, well, by definition, hilly, and appears to be missed out by anyone - or at least buses etc. seem to have inordinate problems around there- so maybe this area needs double dosing. The service plan talks about roads and routes, but doesn't seem to identify topology (at least, if it does, I've missed it). The South end boundaries of Southwark sit in some of the hilliest part of SE London, indeed of London - you would think hills (particularly with bus routes - like Underhill by the cemetery) - might get a priority gritting, but they seem to be treated like any other flat section of road. If the plan is to be re-issued perhaps you could get them to mark it up by topology.

[James Barber]

Hi Penguin68,

I have a copy of the main Southwark gritting routes. I would post a copy hear but its 900Kb and wont fit.

It clearly shows that Forest Road Hill should be gritted all the way (by Southwark) to slightly south of Honor Oak railway station - slightly across the border with Lewisham. In fact all the main hilly roads in the south of the Southwark are included in the plan to be gritted.

If you can see it hasn't been then complain to [email protected] and copy me so I can find out why.

What's also troubling me is where are the 80 human powered gritter trolleys - I've not seen any, have you?

Southwark has sufficient for ALL pavements to be gritted. Not much point having so much salt stocks if it doesn't get used.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I haven't seen a gritter trolley, but when I came back from dog walk, someone/council?? had spread sand over the section I mentioned earlier which is a huge help.

[Michael Palaeologus]

I drove down that road this morning. I saw sand being shovelled out of the back of a white van. Couldnt tell whether it was a Council contractor or good citizen.

[James Barber]

Sand seems odd. Southwark has over 1,000 tonnes of grit/salt mix with more on orders for delivery in two weeks time.

[AllyCat]

I saw a council worker pushing one of those gritting trolleys down Dog Kennel Hill on Tuesday morning - it didn't seem to be leaving a great deal of grit in its wake though.

[Penguin68]

James

Thanks for your response - all the main routes seem good now - there was clearly a problem yesterday for buses in Forest Hill Road and even yesterday evening the 'turning circle' by Wood Vale was still pretty treacherous. I haven't seen the hand gritters, but I must say I haven't been driving around a lot to find them - or walking as the side roads and pavements are still bad, and now it's freezing they are worse.

[Chick]

Why aren?t the side streets gritted? My route to the Clockhouse is lethal.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Not even the main pavements (East Dulwich Road by Tescos) have been gritted (or at least hadn't by lunchtime).

The only official gritting action I've seen was in Strakers Rd Car park by the cafe.

[Chick]

And coming back from the Clcokhouse is even more treacherous.

[Ko]

please can the area outside dulwich medical centre be gritted? its essential to be able to get to the doctors if you are unwell and last year it wasn't gritted and was very slippery. thanks

[Michael Palaeologus]

It is definately sand, I have been passed again. In the absence of the Council somebody has taken the initiative.

The roads and pavements round there are covered in black ice. Apart from the sandy bits.

[James Barber]

I'll ask who Southwark council doesn't appear to be clearing side roads. Last year I spoken with street cleaners beavering away in Derwent Grove and on Crystal Palace Road. Non to be seen.

Hi Allycat, Good to know that Dog Kennel Hill pavements were gritted - imagine such hills if they weren't.

[Penguin68]

James - on the sticky thread at the top they've just reported buses slipping down Dog Kennel Hill - I noted on another post that although I saw a gritter in Underhill last night (19.45 approx) it hardly appeared to be gritting at all, it's back plate was spinning but only the occasional grain appeared to be being spread. We all knew last night was going to be bad; have we run out of grit/ salt already? (I know you will say 'no' to that). Last year's snow was a surprise - this year's seems to be just as much a surprise.

[fish]

Why hasn't Barry Road been gritted? It's not very safe to drive and it doesn't look as if the buses are running down that road.