Think again!

Southwarn News editorial 26 June 2014…

“Only in politics could you have someone take up a new position, only to pronounce that it was pretty much a waste of time.

And the comments by the new chair of the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) are so far off the mark you have to wonder how or why he was handed the job in the first place.

For many years, council assembly was a proper debating chamber, where the key issues of the day were hammered out in front of the public and the press. This was then effectively neutered when the Lib Dem/Tory coalition moved decision making to Cabinet meetings.

You can argue that this led to less theatre, more proper decision-making but what it also did was remove the element of debate.

As such, the role of chair of the SOC became of paramount importance – and this paper argued consistently that it should always be occupied by a member of the opposition.

We argues this when there was no overall control of the council – how much more important is it when one party now enjoys a huge majority?

Cllr Gavin Edwards rightly declares that the public doesn’t care. That’s a problem he and his political colleagues should be addressing But he then goes on to suggest that ‘[people weren’t missing much’. That is only true if it doesn’t matter to them what decisions are made about their children’s education, the homes they will live in, the services and benefits they rely on and all that a local council does.

Cllr Edwards should at least be promising to hold his party to account in his new role – rather than rubbishing it. But in truth, the body that scrutinises these massively important decisions should not be controlled by a member of the party that is making them. The administration badly needs to think again.“

NB. The change to a cabinet

New Powers To Control Betting Shops

Communities across the country have understandably been concerned and annoyed at the proliferation of betting shops since Tessa Jowell MP reversed the burden of proof required to open new betting shops. Instead of betting shops having to prove they wouldn’t cause harm communities had to prove they would cause harm to shop them. The flood gates opened.

So Lib Dem ministers have worked to give new powers to councils to halt this terrible trend. Sadly their isn’t enough parliamentary time for a new gaming act so instead planning rules have been changed.

Betting shops fall in the same planning category as a bank or estate agent and can open without the need for a planning application hen a premises becomes vacant. The new rules mean that councils will have the power to scrutinise and refuse such betting shops where they have grounds to do so. Hurray!

Do you think we have too many betting shops?

Jimmy Savile Tragic Southwark Involvement

The Secretary of State for the Department for Education has received information that children at 21 children’s homes and schools may have been abused by Jimmy Savile. He has initiated work to have these cliams investigated thoroughly.

Child abuse scars peoples whole lives. I dont think it’s something that truly goes away from people. They just learn to manage and hide their feelings. It can lead to self harm and suicide and feelings of self-loathing. Truly awful thing to happen to anyone.

Southwark Council had a children’s home called the Hollies in Sidcup between 1965 and 1989 ans this is one of the 21 to be investigated.

If you were at the Hollies and experienced anything untoward please call the NSPCC on 0808 800 500 or email help@nspcc.org.uk for help and advice. It’s crucial lessons are learnt from the disaster that Jimmy Savile has been found to have been.

Fingers crossed the investigation by Southwark will quickly reach a thorough conclusion for all the now adults who could have been affected.

21st Century Magna Carta

2015 will mark 800 years since the Magna Carta was signed forcing King John   to guarantee certain rights and freedoms.

This historic document and what it represents is admired around the world as a symbol of liberty – the first occasion the people of England were granted rights against an absolute king. Unlock Democracy are conducting a survey of what changes think should be done now to protect and improve our democracy:

TAKE PART IN OUR SURVEY

This is a national conversation to gather people’s views on what a 21st century Magna Carta should look like – and what kind of rights and freedoms we should be focusing on for the future.

What would you prioritise and change?

When should children start school?

Around the world almost universally children start school much later than the age of 4. In the UK it is 4.

Why 4? 4 is not based on any research.

 130 UK early year education experts have called for informal, play-based preschool activities to continue to the age of 7 and only at 7 start formal schooling.

The evidence from Scandinavian countries is that this approach leads to more confident children and better educational experiences and better results for the children concerned. Scandinavia has more patents, PhD’s etc per head of population even that the UK. We’ve even had UK sponsored Dept of Education research supporting more play-based schooling.

 So why the push to lower the start of formal schooling in the UK from the Secretary of Sate and UK Office for Standards?

 My concern is that formal schooling results in more introverted conservative children. That the push for earlier formal schooling is not about better schooling for children but about creating more regimented children with conservative outlooks.

Versus the more liberal scandinavian approach.

Having a Teenage Youth

Almost universally our teenagers have an online social media presence. But online youthful development never fades. Youthful exuberence, indiscretions, gossip lives on forever.

How can teenagers be teenagers online without potentially ruining their future chances of work and success?

California has enacted a bill SB-568 which starts to give redress and balance for teenagers. It’s their version of “the right to be forgotten” concept. In California they’ve given some limited rights for people under 18 to delete presonal information that they as registered users posted online or via mobile apps.

The Europena Union is considering applying this “right to be forgotten”.

Do you think people should be able to edit their online presence?

 

Black History Month – Great War Pilot

I’ve not found many events in Southwark I wanted to or could attend.

One exhibition that did catch my eye was at the RAF Museum in Hendon – ‘Pilots of the Caribbean: Volunteers of African Heritage in the Royal Air Force’.

I had imagined more great storys related to WWII. But what really caught my imagination was WWI pilot William Robinson Clarke.

But the curators were clear that they’re looking for more material about black RAF personnel and their families. If you have any such material or know someone who may contact them at rsearch@rafmuseum.org or call them on 020 8358 4873.

20mph Police Enforcement

The Association of Chief Police Officers have just released new guidance about speeding.

It now includes enforcement of 20mph with new speed awareness courses being ready from November. The recommendaitons include sending errant drivers to speed awareness courses. Previously the Police counldn’t for 20mph speeding!

This change follows pressure from Lib dem Transport Minister Norman Baker.

Due to technology limitations this actually means people travelling 24->31mph, allowing for +10% +2mph for car speed display errors.

This is great news and should see fewer crashes and less severe injuries on our roads.

 

Lordship Lane Council Scam

I’m shocked at the revelation that Southwark Council is fleasing Dulwich residents and visitors.

Southwark only enforce bus lane restrictions by issuing tickets to drivers wrongly in bus lanes at restricted time at five location. One of those locations is Lordship Lane.

for the last complete year of stats 2011/12 Southwark Council issued 1,176 bus lanes tickets of which 978 were for Lordship Lane alone. This cost £60,142 to residents.

Why is Southwark Labour picking on Dulwich drivers?

Do you also think this is outrageous?

Well done Southwark News for revealing this.

 

Illegal Parking Permit

Today the High Court has decided ina a case broguht by Brent residents to block the raising of parking permit costs from £40 to £100 a year – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23406427

Justice Lang rules that Barnet Council acted unalwfully to use parking permits to generate more money for other purposes such as road maintenace. Barnet Council plans to appeal. But I get the sense that they’ll fail. If they win an appeal it owuld mean paring permits could be used for revenue raising puproses which would go beyond the 1984 act allowing parking permits to be charged for.

This potentially has a huge impact on Southwark which only 18months ago increase fees from £99.30 to £125.

It seems clear that parking permit charges can only cover the costs of providing them. Which with online applciations etc must be very much lower than the fees charged.