former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[James Barber]

Hi Penguin68,

We can't of run out of grit as 1,000 tonnes was reported in stores with deliveries for mid December already booked.

I'll ask about this example and the obvious implications of being sparse with the grit.

My sense is that grit is being rationed already but if you don't get it down early it causes black ice etc.

Hi fish,

Barry Road is one of the key roads that gets gritted. Last night several inches of snow so perhaps it needs sufficient traffic for the salt to get to work. Saying that it doesn't appear that much salt and grit is being used.

Again I'll ask officers.

NB. Last winter councillors had daily snow updates. This winter we've had one issued twice. So information is proving harder to obtain this time round.

[James Barber]

I've been double assured that Southwark is sticking to its gritting plan and that Barry Road and all other resilience roads were gritting last night and this morning. That until these resilience roads are cleared they wont start on side roads. That salt/grit stocks are high with sufficient to grit all resilience roads 4 times a day for 12 days before running out. Not sure that earlier in the week when first snow arrived side roads done once resileincy roads done but hopefully they will be gonig forward.

Pavements are treachorous so try to avoid going far unless you need to.

TfL and Southwark are apparently in regular contact about any problems buses are having on Southwark roads.

I've also been assured that every day winter planning meeting being held at noon and all councillors will be updated with what's happening following those meetings.

[tommy]

Hello - not your area (Elephant and Castle) but any advice on who I can contact if there has been no heating for nearly a week for a block of flats and the landlord / letting agency hasn't done anything about it? There are elderly and a disabled person amongst the residents who are using electric heaters in the meantime.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

tommy - try this council website:

find your councillor

[James Barber]

Hi tommy,

If you get stuck please call or email me direct.

With the current weather it must be really dangerous to be without heating.

[Applespider]

Thanks James and since buses were getting to LL this morning at least some of the grit has done its job.

I haven't seen any of the trolley gritters or any evidence of them. Do they have a similar priority ranking? If so, are the paths to bus stops on the main roads a priority? And again, pavements on hills would be good!

[Michael Palaeologus]

Given that the buses our only means of transport a safe way of walking to the bus stops is essential.

Not much point in buying tonnes of salt and grit of it doesnt stop people from breaking their necks on the sheet ice that is covering the paths and roads that run infront of most of our houses and flats.

[louisiana]

Hi James

What's the policy on re-filling the grit bins? We gritted one part of our pavement (steep hill) on Wednesday, ran out of grit, I called the council to get it refilled, they thought this might happen on Wed night or Thurs daytime, but it was still empty last night (Thurs night).

It's difficult for people to help clearing if there's no grit - on this steep hill shovelling just ends up creating a sheet of ice (this is a high-frost road).

[Chick]

Why aren?t the council gritting the side roads? Oakhurst, Kelmore Grove and the Gardens are completely frozen. It costs money to grit roads but that has to be weighed against the cost of all those people in A&E with broken wrists.

[James Barber]

Hi lousiana,

I would expect grit bins to be refilled. I'm chasing up three empty grit bins but if you spot any report its empty and tel me so I can also chase.

Hi Applespider, Michael Palaeologus, Chick,

Indeed after so many days you'd have thought side roads and pavements would have been gritted by now.

Those 80 hand gritting machine things - bought precisely to grit side road pavements and roads - seem to have vanished.

I'll ask where they've been in East Dulwich.

[Gavin]

Hi James,

I wonder if you can shed some light on Southwark's position in respect of grit bins, not least to understand why there are only 106 for the whole borough (even if that is double previous years)? The majority are located on resilience network routes, which are already the focus for gritting lorries, leaving residents on (particularly hilly) side roads with few options.

The map (for anyone interested) is here: http://maps.southwark.gov.uk/connect/southwark.jsp?mapcfg=Winter_maintenance&tooltip=WM_tip

Personally I would be very happy to muck in, but my nearest grit bin is at least a couple of hundred metres away, which is too far to be of practical value.

Cheers,

Gavin

[James Barber]

Southwark Councils experience of grit/salt bins is that most winters they're not needed - so the one's it has are usually vandalished, littered into or set alight. Some all three. Last winter and this winter they've seen whole grit bins stolen - especially when full of grit.

Last winter to get round this 1 tonne sacks of grit were dropped of across Southwark so the street cleaners who should ALL be working on clearing streets of snow and ice had grit/salt to deploy on side roads and pavements. Southwark had a large number of street cleaners (from memory its 500 or 600) so plenty of people to spread salt/grit around.

[Carrie]

On the last 3 mornings at about 9am I have seen the hand gritting machines on the back of Southwark cleaning lorries parked at the end of Northcross Road - not actually seen any in use and this morning saw the street cleaner distributing grit on the pavement of Northcross Road from a bag rather than one of the shiny yellow gritting machines that were parked just up the road from him!

[James Barber]

Just received councillor update.

Rubbish and recycling services suspended yesterday and today.

Only one day centre is open - not told which one.

Southwark salt stocks now down at 400 tonnes but with restocking not expected until mid December. Sticking solely to major priority roads 40 tonnes of salt being used a day. The winter plan says to do side streets when main roads cleared but now being told solely main priority roads will be salted. So clearly concern that the administration will run out of salt before restocking. So no chance now of side roads being done. Last winter we used 160 tonnes a day as a minimum.

Overnight temperatures down to -7 degrees C expected with more gritting tonight and tomorrow morning. BUT on Sunday it is expected the road temperature will rise above zero so no gritting expected on Sunday.

[louisiana]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> Hi lousiana,

> I would expect grit bins to be refilled. I'm

> chasing up three empty grit bins but if you spot

> any report its empty and tel me so I can also

> chase.

>

Hi James

The bin at junction of LL and Mount Adon Park is empty, and has been since Wed (when it was reported). This is at foot of very steep hill, and lack of grit means we cannot do anything about the cars sliding down hill into LL (and oncoming traffic) in a completely uncontrolled fashion. Apart from pavements on the road itself. The gritter lorry has been around in last 24 hrs, but has failed to address the big issue at the foot of this hill.

This bin is within College, by 20 feet (20 feet from Village ward, 40-50 feet from East Dulwich ward).

[James Barber]

Hi Louisiana,

I've reported that empty salt bin.

I've also reported the following empty salt bins - Goodrich School corner of Goodrich and Dunstans Road, corner of Dusntan's road with Forest Hill Road, and corner of Barry Road with Upland Road.

If anyone spots other empty salt bins I'll also TRY getting them refilled. It does appear that salt in Southwakr is already running low.

[James Barber]

A thread had popped up suggesting Lib Dem councillor has recieved special treatment from council employees.

I can assure everyone the only snow and ice cleared outside my home has been by me. The only salt used outside my home is from 3kg dishwasher salt packs bought by me in local shops.

[Loz]

The thread in question referred to the councillor as female, so I didn't ever think they meant you!

[tommy]

tommy Wrote:

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

> Hello - not your area (Elephant and Castle) but

> any advice on who I can contact if there has been

> no heating for nearly a week for a block of flats

> and the landlord / letting agency hasn't done

> anything about it? There are elderly and a

> disabled person amongst the residents who are

> using electric heaters in the meantime.

Thanks all for the suggestions - heating on after about a week of chasing

[cate]

Will rubbish and recycling be picked up before next week?

[Tarot]

Hi James, is there any sort of council aid going on for the elderly and infirm. The councils could look at their list of tenants who may need aid. Then at times like this they could use those little tractor trucks to see them,and make

sure everything is in order. Cost money but Im sure funds like help the aged would see an increase in donations.

This should be a permanent fixture.with a list drawn up in each borough. It would be a lot cheaper than hospitals full

and ambulances called out. What do you think. Say Aye:))

[sophiesofa]

cate Wrote:

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

> Will rubbish and recycling be picked up before

> next week?

Mine was collected this morning instead of Friday so I think they're trying to catch up. Very wonderful of them.

[James Barber]

We were all very lucky that Friday and Saturday nights were so mild in the end and some rain to clear much snow.

The implimentation this year of Southwark Winter Service Plan seems problematic. It's meant to be that gritting moves from the resilience roads to others roads but this didn't seem to happen this time round with salt rationed to 40 tonnes a day but needs to be used at 160 tonnes a day to remove snow and ice from side roads.

Street cleaners were told to go litter picking in the snow as without salt being released for side roads and pavements Southwark managers were concerned clearing the snow might result in ice [if not cleared thoroughly enough]. Fear of litigation.

Friday afternoon rubbish and recycling collections started up again with significant catching up over the weekend.

[Michael Palaeologus]

So, if we get another similar period of weather, will the same happen? The plan didnt work, change the plan.

In an extended period of bad weather it is important to clear the side roads and pavements.

[James Barber]

Hi Michael,

I will lobby for the plan to be adhered to i.e. side roads done once the main roads done.

If anyone has specific stories I can add to a narrative about how painful the lack of gritting of side roads that would help the case.