former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[James Barber]

Hi BrandNewGuy,

Friday's SLP Pulse section back page definately talked about Dulwich Leisure Centre and a weekend of free use by using the Fusion token they'd printed.

The next edition of SLP comes out tomorrow so you still have today to buy Friday's version.

[corley]

hi james

can you help? can you tell me if my disabled husband will be losing yet another service called the southwark outreach service. they are a wonderful service which help the disabled in the area get out of the house with an outing once a fortnight and a physio gym service. he has already been sent a letter saying the bus will be taken away from them ,s0 my husband will then have to be taken by bus or taxi in his wheelchair to the gym.and if there is no bus then outreach will not be able to take them on thier fortnightly days out. I am grahams full time carer and have an 8 year old too. I get no time to myself, the pay is crap, cant afford any holidays, would love to go out to work, my husband hardly goes out except for his outreach trips, those services are vital for us. not a worry for george osbourne relaxing on his ?11,000 skiing holiday.and it gets better those in power want to hit the dla as well. whats going on ?

[James Barber]

Hi corley,

I don't know of the top of my head about the Southwark Outreach Service but will find out. I suspect this will take a few days to find out.

IF you could email me or PM your husbands name and address that would speed up finding out.

George Osbourne is a fabulously wealthy man - I suspect we'd all like to inherit such wealth.

I'll also find out about DLA - I could tailor the response to your case with more details but will provide general feedback unless you send me further info. Hope this is all ok.

Regards james.

[Crumpie]

Hi James - in regards to your question above about sorted recycling going into a green dustbin, it has happened a number of times at the Plough end of Lordship Lane, including last week. Our recycling is always sorted, and on the last occassion because the green dustbin was full, they didn't actually take all of our recycling but left a good amount in the blue box. Unfortunately at the time we were on our way to work and didn't realise what was going on until too late. Seems rather counterproductive! Hope this issue can be sorted. Thanks very much.

[James Barber]

Hi Crumpie,

Could you please PM or even better email me your address so I can help officers pin down which crew is responsible.

Many thanks in advance.

Regards james.

[apmuso]

HI James

Further to various posts regarding residents' parking on the north side of Melbourne Grove, can you let me know whatever happened to the visit/information you promised? Still an absolute nightmare to get a space anywhere near the house and with two small children and/or a Sainsburys shop to unload, it can sometimes be particularly problematic. Is East Dulwich the only station locally where there aren't any parking restrictions to try and protect residents' rights to park near their homes?

Hope to hear from you soon.

[James Barber]

hi apmuso,

Sorry. Time overtaken by Northcross Markets fiasco of a public consultation by council officers and now similar for Grove Vale proposed changes. The latter has recevied 11 responses with East Dulwuch councillors being ignored by officers. Proposals to spend circa ?100,000 on traffic calming on Tintagel Crescent - the proposed waste is truly incredible.

So I need to get these sorted before turning back to the traffic issue. Again sorry.

[James Barber]

24 November I highlighted broken street lights on crebor, Frierns, etc.

I've just heard that the Crebor one's will have EDF energy working next week to connect and fix them.

I'm sorry its taken quite so long for this happen - certainly not from wanting by me or the relevant council officers.

[James Barber]

Earlier this week I was amazed and delighted to be told I've been short listed for an award of online councillor of the year.

I'm sure it wasn't for my scintillating blogging or tweeting. I suspect its for all the work with East Dulwich residents via this forum.

Thank you.

[marcos]

Can you tell me why Dunstans Road is being continuosly dug up?

Thousand were spent on resurfacing, but currently there are two large holes, I believe for Thames water.

I thought there was meant to be coordination with utilities?

[Siduhe]

marcos, have a look here. Been discussed at length and a very poor approach by Thames Water imho...

[James Barber]

Thanks, Siduhe.

Indeed marcos. If you need anymore info please do contact me - it is ridiculous that Thames Water didn't digup Dunstans Road before it was completely rebuild. They have promised to resurface whole sides of the road to counteract the damage they're doing.

[Al&Em]

U-Turn from Lordship Lane northbound to access Wood Vale:

Hi James,

A new no u-turn sign has appeared in the last week or two just down the hill from the Horniman, effectively banning u-turns to access Wood Vale when driving from Forest Hill towards East Dulwich. Up to now there has been a gap in the central reservation and a permitted, albeit often honked at, u-turn.

With Melford Road having been made one way the only route that you can do this via is to go all the way to Overhill Road - do you know why this u-turn ban was put in? It was a very popular maneouvre as far as I could tell, and the length you now have to drive to get to the same place seems excessive. Grateful for any background you can provide.

Thanks,

Al

[James Barber]

Hi Al&Em,

This U turn ban will have been placed on this Transport for London road for either or both of the following reasons - safety, capacity.

U turns across such a busy road are more likely to cause a crash.

Slowing for people U turing from both sides will slow other traffic and reduce the overall capacity.

I'll contact Southwark's traffic department to ask if they know the full official reasoning from TfL.

[Siduhe]

James, if you are in touch with the traffic department, can you ask (in respect of that same stretch of road as Al&Em mentions), if there has been some recent re-phasing of the traffic lights on that stretch?

Approximately from the Harvester going towards Forest Hill. Traffic has been really bad for about two weeks and for no obvious reason as once you get past the Tesco garage, the road is clear (this was before they started digging up the junction where the Harvester is).

It's made driving in and out of Wood Vale, Melford Road, Overhill and Underhill Roads quite tricky even outside of peak times as the road has been solid and people aren't especially inclined to let you out. Just wondered if it was connected to the appearance of the new sign.

[James Barber]

Hi Al&Em,

I've had it confirmed that TfL has banned that U turn on safety grounds as other traffic while undertaking vehicles making that manuerve would mount the pavement.

[James Barber]

Hi Siduhe,

The response from Transport for London is that the lights have not been changed.

But the chap who would have changed them if they had been changed has just left TfL.

I'm sorry I don't know what to make of this information with this caveat.

However, a lot of works are taking place in Peckham Rye area so it might be causing this I guess.

[Coccinelle]

Hi James,

I have also raised this issue before, as everytime buses and trucks go past my house the building vibrates quite a lot, actually causing cracks to appear on the wals and ceilings, but I had it from you that Barry Road was not on the priority list to be resurfaced and that the council had no money in the budget for this work to be done. Has this situation now changed, seen as you said that you can help? The whole road is in a really bad condition and I find that it does need to be a priority on the list to be resurfaced very soon.

Thank you.

[James Barber]

I've been asked if the Goose Green rounabout is being reduced in size.

I'm assured it isn't. Some of the bricks have been dislodged and have not yet been fully rebuild into place as one of the roads entrances will be slightly realigned to reduce number of vehicles hitting the roundabout.

[James Barber]

Hi apmuso,

I've met with council officers who are going to undertaken an assessment of parking pressure and baseine occupancy survey to assess whether Melbourne Grvoe (Grove Vale-EDG), Derwent, Elsie, Tintagel, Zeonoria.Oxanian, Grove Vale, East Dulwich Road (grove Vale to Adys Road), Ondine, Copleston (Grove Vale-Oxenford St), St Francis suffers from commuter parking and excessive demand as a result.

So on a Thurs, Sat and Sun between now and 31 March you'll see several people going around noting the last 3 characters of number plates every hour starting at 6am until and including 7pm. This is all correlated and analysed to work out what pressures exist.

IF anyone on another street wants to talk through the methodology and would like to emulate this on their street such as Chesterfield, Matham I'd be delighted to help them.

To support this our next survey will include a question about this issue from the East Dulwich Lib Dem councillors.

[Carrie]

Hi James

Can you also check that Oglander Road (Grove Vale to Oxenford Street) is to be included in the list of roads surveyed.

Thanks

[PeckhamRose]

Could you explain why Southwark Council are putting up garage rents by fifty percent?

I expect many will simply stop renting them. Is that their plan, do you think?

[SeanMacGabhann]

I suspect the likelier answer is that having it's budget slashed means the council need to raise cash in other ways. I doubt the garages will be vacated (or vacant for long)

[nannyjuice]

In response too GIMME, I am still waiting to hear from Mr Barber since last summer. My issues are on-going.

I have empathy that the work load can become overwhelming, but,these are people's live's and burden's that we can't

resolve without intervention.

When you look for support from sourses that are thier too respond and they are not forthcoming.

WHERE'S THE HOPE ?

DISILUSSIONED LILY

[James Barber]

Hi Carrie,

I should explain that the meeting included Cllr Veronica Ward for South Camberwell which includes Oglander Road.

I'm afraid the budget doesn't stretch to Oglander as well and no one on Oglander has ever contacted council officers to ask for controlled parking - they make a log of all ideas nad requests. Sorry.

Hi PeckhamRose,

Sure you appreciated council garages are within the Housing Revenue Account. So any revenue raised is ring fenced for council housing. Council housing rents have strong direction from central government. Garage rents do not so easy way to raise cash. My political hunch is they have this huge step increase now and not increase for following three years and most users will forget for 2014 local elections.

Their had been a proposal to charge garage rents based on demand. When this was taken from memory 18months ago to tenants council they made their displeasure very clear.

50% garage rent rise. Yes, its clearly meant to raise money. Regretabbly Labour won in May and get to decide such things. The land such garages sit on is hugely valuable but for most areas these garages are popular but increasingly with people who don;t live in the associated council housing. These increases I under stand also apply to pram sheds used for storing bicycles etc.

Hi nannyjuice,

Mortified if I've let you down. Sorry.

IF you can email me direct as I don't have any pending emails with the first name Lily and no pending PM's.