I’ve been banging my head against the Labour administrations brick wall since Autumn 2010 about the changes they’d proposed for Grove Vale – needlessly expensive speed tables and lack of clarity about parking.

A local 800 signature petition was taken to the Labour cabinet and the petition organisers reported to me they felt snubbed by the Cabinet member accountable for transport Cllr Barrie Hargrove.

Clearly this feeling has finally penetrated Southwark Labour party as the recent meeting with traders on the 2nd the council leader attended and agreed to all the traders concerns.

So why did we have to go through such heartache and pain and wasted council resources?

Three reasons from where I sit.

1. Cllrs Peter John and Verinocia Ward in South Camberwell are not interested in such schemes leaving it to officers.

2. Said councillors and Cllr Barrie Hargrove ignored concerns from me representing the East Dulwich councillors.

3. That although Cllr Stephen Govier in South Camberwell is interested in such issues and reiterated my concerns having been turfed out of the Labour party anything he says cllr Peter John and co seem to want ot do the opposite.

Problably more fundamentally we also seem to have a constitutional gap in that such big schemes are not presented to Community Councils for local perspectives and input – the cabinet member has carte blanche andwe get the sort of pickles that Grove Vale proved to be. I wonder how many rubbish decisions are being taken as a result of bypassing community councils?