Adult education in East Dulwich

The Southwark Council adult education team run a lot of adult education from five locations in Southwark. They’ve just added a sixth location with some drawing classes at Grove Vale library, East Dulwich.

When the new Grove Vale library is completed by developers during 2010 we should have a facility that could host a lot more adult education in East Dulwich. 

Over many decades many people that received a state education in Southwark (and elsewhere) had a poor deal. Post school education is critical to help residents make up for this and have the best possible life chances. Without a wonderful mother who supported my waivering educational achievements as a teenager and without business sponsorship for Open University and other courses my life chances would have been diminished.

So how do we find the resources to expand adult education to fill this huge chasm?

Daft nuclear power

The Government has announced plans for a new generation of Nuclear reactors. How bizarre when everyone knows the most efficient and safest way to reduce green house gases and fuel poverty is via insulation, energy efficiency and renewable energy generation.

Insulation – not all homes have loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, draft proofing….

Energy efficiency – we don’t yet have local combined heat and power, we haven’t banned old style light bulbs…

Renewable energy generation – virtually no one has solar water heating….

The government is currently drastically increasing its provisions for decommissioning past nuclear power plants to above £75bn or £1,200 for every person in the UK. The problems will be around for the next 250,000 years and we’ll have to look after highly radioactive material into the future longer than humanity has existed on earth. That’s quite a crystal ball to be sure this will be safe effectively for ever.

What is particularly sad is nuclear power generation will take 15-25 years to make happen. Whereas if we chose within 5 years all homes and businesses could be properly insulated saving more energy that all the current nuclear power station will ever produce. Within 10 years we could have combined heat and power pretty universally in place if a government made a political decision for this to happen. We could ban old style light bulbs within a year. If government chose it could create the conditions for solar hot water to become the norm within 5 years.

So where is the leadership to really transform our nations green credentials – certainly not with New Labour.

The Liberal Democrats want a Green Britain – we are the only party to produce costed plans to make Britain carbon neutral by 2050 without resorting to Nuclear Power. We want Britain to become a world leader in renewable energy and we will continue to fight Mr Brown’s daft and expensive nuclear plans every step of the way.

Southwark drink driving

Drink driving is up in Southwark by 14%. This compares to London-wde figures where charges for a positive breath test have gone down by 10%. How very disappointing and life threatening.

Several years ago the Traffic Police service in south London was decimated.  Perhaps this is one of the results. All the research shows that Traffic Police patrols are one of the two most effective means to reduce average traffic speeds to the speed limit – the other being average speed cameras.

Four percent

This year 52% of secondary school place applicants have been successful in getting their first choice – 4% up on last year.
This still leaves so many disappointed people.
It will take years to get the three extra secondary schools we need in Southwark. Southwark schools are rapidly improving but it will take several more years before on average we meet the national average as a local authority.

This will never happen soon enough.
The Liberal Democrats started running Southwark Council in 2002. Every year since 2002 education results have been recorded as improving. How annoying that they had become so bad prior to 2002.

How angry does this make you feel?

Free loft and cavity wall insulation

I read an article about British Gas providing free loft and cavity wall insulation for any home with some over 70 years old or on benefits.

I suggest my 71 year old mother try calling the British Gas number 0845 605 2535 (quoting code JOU?). A fortnight later a surveyor turned up on the agreed half day. A further fortnight later the cavity wall insulation was installed and earlier this week the loft insulation.

She has already felt the difference. What a marvellous scheme and smoothly working system.

If you know someone over 70 years old or on benefits do suggest they give it a try as well.

Leasehold Reform

Tomorrow Simon Hughes MP has a second reading of his proposed Leaseholder Reform 2008 bill. If it enters the statute book is will give leaseholders much more say over what happens to their property and governance over the charges they experience. It also would give councils the power to have sinking funds to pay for major repairs. Currently council leaseholders get massive bills to fix major repairs. A sinking fund would ensure that a pot of money was collected over time from leaseholders to be ready to pay for such major works.

Fingers crossed this bill is successful and goes onto the next stage. It would truely make the lives of Southwark council’s 10,000 leaseholders better and all other leaseholders.

Post Office closure announcement

I understand that the Labour Government Post Office closures programme has been announced today.

In East Dulwich it is proposed to close the Melbourne Grove post office. This really is vandalism by the Labour government of a local community resource. Secondary shopping parades all over london will be badly affected with post office closures. In a time when we need people to walk and cycle to local services to reduce CO2 emissions the Labour government seems predicated to creating car journeys. Truely bonkers.

East Dulwich parking survey

The three local East Dulwich Liberal Democrat councillors had a big turnout of helpers on Sunday to personally call on home and deliver a parking survey to residents near to East Dulwich railway station and around Lordship Lane.

Over the last three years cllr Richard Thomas, Jonathan Mitchell and myself have had many people complaining how hard it is to park on their street. Hence the survey.

In several weeks time we should have the survey results.

Watch this space….

Council budgets

This week the council executive of eight Lib Dem and two Tory executive councillors finalised budget recommendations for the next three years.  Considerable debate has taken place and several months of hard work by council officers and coalition councillors to reach this point.

The council leader Cllr Nick Stanton has done an exemplary job in keeping all the coalition councillors informed and involved.

It’s worth reminding ourselves that 70% of council revenues are provided by central government. That the Labour government has decided to use 2004 population figures and not more recent figures. As the population is dramatically rising in London and South East, 2004 population fugures results in less money for Southwark but benefits Labour heartlands up the M1. Councils with signifcant deprivation (Southwark is the 20th most deprived council in UK) are getting real term cuts from the Labour government for the next three years as opposed to councils such as Rotherham (the 50th most deprived) which is seeing dramatic real terms increased.

Considerable savings will be made by centralising many council offices into a new office on Tooley street. God knows where we’d be if this wasn’t already in progress.

Social care is being consulted on to stop providing care for those with moderate needs. Community Warden services will have fewer wardens and manager. Meals on wheels where Southwark is the cheapest in London will see price increases. Livesey childrens museum will close. A review of all three historic town halls will take place. Some council funded events will see cuts or no more funding. A whole host of other cuts will be made.

No one likes or wants cuts. Considering the dreadful hand of cards dealt by the government I think the residents of Southwark have had the best possible result.

Caffe Naff

Just over two years ago Caffe Nero opened a cafe on Lordship Lane. The premises had previously been a very busy electrical retailer with planning consent as a shop (A1). To sell food and drink for consumption on the premises requires A3 consent. Caffe Nero opened its cafe without obtaining change of use planning consent from A1 to A3/A1. Council officers saught enforcement. Caffe Nero then applied for planning permission. The Planning Application came early 2007 before the dulwich community Council Planning Committee.

Personally, I had expected to approve the planning applciation as per officers recommendation. On the night Caffe Nero and its agents decided not to attend the planning committee. I’ve never seen this happen before or since as questions of the applicant always come up at planning committees. Officers gave oral evidence that Lordship Lane would, if the planning application were approved, have less than 50% shops – contrary to council policy as a high street rapidly declines once shops fall beneath a critical mass. We also heard evidence from neighbouring residents how Caffe Nero airconditioning condensing units were very noisy, going on/off 24/7 immediately outside bedroom windows and Caffe Nero were unresponsive to fix the problem.

On this basis, and with a heavy heart, that the eight committee members unanamously refused planning permission contrary to officer recommendations. The committee had three councillors whose regular jobs are as barristers – so we were meticulous exploring all the evidence presented.

Officers then issued two enforcement notices. One about the illegal A3 use and a second about the anti social noise. Caffe Nero then appealed the planning permission refusal. This formally delayed the two enforcement notices.

After a considerable period finally on Tuesday 24 January a Planning Inspector heard the Caffe Nero appeal. Caffe Nero team of seven kept suggesting that residents and council officers were imagining the noise disturbance and must be mistaken.

Sometime between now and the end of February we’re due to hear the planning inspectors decision.