Right to Contest – Dulwich Hospital

 The NHS could be forced to hand over part of the Dulwich Hospital site for a new secondary school after a local councillor formally referred the matter to Government Ministers.

A decision on its future will now be made by a panel comprising of Treasury Ministers and the Cabinet Office after I invoked new ‘Right to Contest’ powers to push the NHS, which owns the land, into selling it on. WS Dulwich Hospital 131216_Right_to_Contest_application_form_final

Despite the site being 27,000m² – the size of around four football pitches – currently less than a tenth of the space is being used.

I submitted the application earlier this month (5 February). I want to see at least half of the spare land used for a new secondary school to help plug the shortfall of permanent school places in the area. Land would also be available for the health centre already being planned on the site.

I believe this to be one of the very first applications of its kind in the country, after the new powers were introduced by the Government to free up public land and help boost economic growth. Launching the scheme in late January, Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander MP said the Government “should not act as some kind of compulsive hoarder of land and property” that could be better used for other purposes.

My application will now go forward for review by the Government panel, which will also see input from the NHS and the Department of Communities and Local Government before a decision is made.

It is amazing that after 20 years of false starts the Dulwich Hospital site is still in limbo. It is a criminal shame that so much land stands idle and under utilised for decades, especially when money is tight.

Dulwich desperately needs a new local secondary school – not children being bussed far and wide as Labour propose. That’s why we have submitted an application using new Right to Contest rules on the use of public land, which were introduced by Liberal Democrat Ministers in government.

We are on the side of local parents who want to see a new and much-needed secondary school in the area, and an end to Dulwich Hospital being left as an empty wasteland….

Dulwich Hospital cleared site

No Notice – Barry Road Resurfacing

Local councillors have just received at 16.22 today notice that council officers plan to resurface Barry Road starting on Monday 24-27 February 8am-4pm.

If you live on Barry Road and park a vehicle on Barry Road you will need to park it elsewhere. If you live nearby expect lots of Barry Road residents to park on your street!

See attached draft letter to be delivered over the weekend. After seeking clarity we now know that Barry Road will be resurfaced from its junction with Lordship to junction with Upland Road.  You could not make this up!

Barry Road letters

Council Crashes

Southwark Council officials have recently been suggesting that council vehicles crashing into cyclists 13 time in 1.2million miles driven by staff, who are professional drivers, is ok or even good.

This sounded really odd to me. So after a tiny bit of digging this is what I’ve found.

All car mileage in 2010 was 290billion miles covered by 28.7million cars. That ALL crashes of any severity of injury equalled 209,000 in 2010. Therefore for normal non professional car drivers a total crash rate of 1 crash for every 1.16million miles driven.

Clearly the council spokesperson is at best talking rubbish. If they have crashsed so frequently then clearly something seriously wrong.

The other tail end of the story was the council getting their truck drivers to get Certificate of Professional competence. This is a legal requirement! I should bloody well hope so.

Have you ever been crashed into by Southwark Council staff?

Steveley Close Damp

The things I do/find as a Southwark Councillor!

This morning commuting from East Dulwich into London Bridge I spotted a down drain pipe on Staveley Close council properties when my train stopped at Queens Road Peckham station. It was hard not to while pressed up against the door window.

It’s clear lots of mold and damp are present on 1st and ground floors around one broken down pip – this could be seen clearly from Station Passage or indeed passing trains. It looks like its been growing for many many months. Appalled that so many council officials commuting in and out of Southwark Council HQ at Tooley Street must have ignored this problem.

Using Google maps and Streetview I’m sure 37-42 Staveley Close are the properties involved so I’ve reported the matter. Hopefully it won’t take long to fix – it looks an easy job even for a DIY disaster like me.

Community Asset

I was very grateful that the Dulwich Society agreed to apply for East Dulwich Police station to be listed as a Community asset under thE Localism Act. This listing owuld give us more influence in what happens with the site.

Sadly Southwark Council refused this application stating the localism Act could not be used.

Weirdly three other councils around England have listed police station using this act:
• Waverley council: Haslemere police station was listed in 2013 
http://www.surrey-pcc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/036_2013_Estates-Disposals.pdf

• East Hampshire council: Petersfield police station was listed in September 2013 
         http://www.petersfieldpost.co.uk/news/police-station-listed-as-a-community-asset-1-5535463

• Calderdale council: Hebden Bridge police station was listed in October 2013 
         http://www.hebdenbridgetimes.co.uk/news/local/sucesss-in-bid-to-see-old-police-station-listed-as-an-asset-of-community-value-1-6137306

I would suggest Southwark is unlikelyto know better than three other councils.

So I’ve started the process of appealing. It’s a really important principle.

Site found – East Dulwich Harris Free School

Great news that a permanent site for the East Dulwich Harirs free primary Scohol has been found.

East Dulwich councillors initiated this cmapaign in late 2012 when we realised Southwark ocuncil’s plans were inadequate to solve the looming primary school reception place crisis.

The new permanent site will be the former East Dulwich Police station. The school will open there September 2015. But it will open on a temporary site tihs September 2014. Very exciting.

Thanks you to all the parents who have lent us their support to make this possible and happen. For the Harris Federation who have acted brilliantly throughout. And all the supporters who have helped make this site possible – it has been a very bumpy, stressful ride.

cllr outside new primary scholl site

East dulwich Lib Dem councillors where the new school will go.

Local Indie Shop Map

Some local residents have put together a marvellous map of local independent shops.

Please see attached. Indie Shop Map

WELL DONE EMMA PALLANT for the lovely artwork and MADELIENE WORRALL for conceiving of the idea and making it happen.

I helped find the money and guranteed it so they could print before Christmas. I’ve already been asking them about the next version…

What have we missed?

 

Burgess Park CPO

Around two years ago I highlighted to the Cabinet member at Southwark Council that property adjacent to Burgess Park was up for sale. Key property that would really help improve the Southampton Way boundary and area. Cllr Barrie Hargrove was interested.

 I’m delighted that the council cabinet committee agreed this week to potentially seek Compulsory Purchase Orders to make this idea a reality.

Burgess Park was conceived during WWII to make the area much more green and pleasant. Huge number of homes and many businesses to make this happen. Some were my family. So I’m keen that in my lifetime this great project is properly finished.

What improvements do you think would help bring Burgess Park onto a par with London’s Royal Parks

Moth Drone Surveys

Southwark Council has a very large property estate. It regularly buys in surveys.

Sometimes this can be really expensive with scaffolding installed to give safe external survey access or abseiling engineers. This is hugely expensive.

Wouldn’t it be useful to have a high definition camera up close so a surveyor doesn’t need scaffolding and to get much quicker results.

Such a system has been created and is being used – month drone.

And talking to a survey supplier I’ve used professionally the system is already in use in the UK.

I’ve suggested this method to the Cabinet Member for Housing at Southwark. He told me not to hold my breath.

ED Changes for 2014/15

Every year local ward councillors get to decide how to spend some devolved Cleaner, Greener, Safer budget. The scheme started when Lib Dems first led the council in 2002 with only one year when it didn’t operate when the Labour administration wanted to use the money on pet Olympic projects.

I’m particularly excited by the prospect of improving the junction of North Cross Road with Lordship Lane. It’s one of our crash hot spots, doesn’t work well when closed for the street market on Saturdays. The Bike hangars will be a great experiment to see if they can work locally in East Dulwich – fingers crossed. And lastly trialling the Dulwich Hospital phlebotomy service on Saturdays. IT should really make it much easier for people to have blood tests outside of normal work hours and provide a real alternative to being at the hospital before 7am weekdays.

This year East Dulwich councillors have decided to allocate the following:

CGS capital:

–          ED Crime Prevention fund £10,000

–          ED street trees £10,000

–          Lordship Lane secure derelict property £4,500

–          Chesterfield £6,000 for upgrading street lighting to white light, £4,000 for pavement tree pit upgrading.

–          Bike hangars – fund 2 to be decided where most popular by residents £10,000

–          East Dulwich Community Centre (EDCC) children garden area materials £524

–          Bassano Street gating £2,000

–          Dawson Heights tree planting £1,000

–          Upgrade junction of NCR/LL £50,000

–          ED public Automated Emergency Defibrillators £5,000

–          Historic photos project £4,500

Total £112,524

 

CGS revenue:

–          Give and take EDCC events £1,500

–          Goose Green nursery improvements £1,400

–          EDCC gardening £700

–          WW2 plaques across Dulwich £667

–          Street cleaning machine extra half-time employee £11,605

–          Saturday Dulwich Hospital blood testing trial x 26 weeks (as per separate email) £20,000

Total £35,872