Green Coverage

Some considerable time ago Lib Dems in Southwark ensured that the Southwark Plan encouraged developers to include green roofs and green walls into their plans. They’re even mentioned on the checklist for major developments but pigeon holed into Landscaping.

Paris green wall

Green walls and roofs can be amazing. Green walls for example can reduce daily temperature fluctuations of external walls by 50%by shading walls and insulating them. With ever hotter temperatures this is booming really significant reducing the need for air conditioning and where needed the amount of energy they consume. If deciduous climbers are chosen then they can also reduce wind chill of external walls by 75% which in turn reduces winter cooling by 25%. They also capture dust making air cleaner but also can house wildlife.

 

So why have we not seen a real surge in green walls and roofs across new Southwark buildings?

 

Metal Theft Plummets

Just over three years ago I urged people to sign a petition supporting a bill to licence all Scrap Metal Dealers. Thank you to those who helped push for this change.

The Act was passed with support from the government and came into force October 2013. All scrap metal dealers had to obtain a licence from local council to trade. Near 8,000 have been issued across England & Wales.

Already a dramatic reduction in metal thefts down from 59,788 2012/13 to 40,680 in 2013/14. As the new system settles down I expect the level of theft to decline further. WELL DONE to those who made it possible.

If you have metal that could be stolen – please do also consider property marking it. Either SelectaDNA or Smartwater. Please do make it even harder for thieves.

Bike Hangers Coming To East Dulwich

2013/14 several East Dulwich residents applied for Cleaner, greener, Safer Capital funding for secure Bike Hangers cycle parking in East Dulwich. An initiative pushed by Southwark Cyclists and one I whole heartedly support. Each hanger can store up to 6 adult bicycles taking the space of less than one car space. Ideal for streets with flats and people have little or no space to park a bicycle securely.

Bikehanger

 

 

 

 

 

Several were approved for funding – 30 Heber Road, 24 Matham Grove, 50 Ulverscroft Road.

Shortly residents are going to be consulted about them being deployed outside the homes of the applicants. I’ve asked that the Matham Grove one be moved from being proposed outside no.24 when the applicant lives at no.26. But apart from that I hope residents will fully support this cycle parking.

What do you think – for or against please let me know cllrjamesbarber@gmail.com and the relevant officer chris.durban@southwark.gov.uk ?

Would you like one outside your home to making owning and riding your bicycle easier?

 

 

 

Kick In The Teeth For Food Recycling

Southwark Labour have decided to curtail food waste collections by no longer providing free biodegradeable bags to residents.

They say that normal carrier bags can be used or bio bags can be bought from supermarkets or that residents can wrap food waste in sheets of newspaper.

These may be true but what what will happen is food waste collections will plummet.

If Southwark Council don’t take food waste collections seriously why should residents.

But generally Southwark Labour have failed to hit their own recycling target by 2014 of 44% by a whopping unrecyclable 10% (they reached 34%). They are going to fail to hit government and EU targets of 50%. And these new steps to put people off food recycling will only make matters worse.

Come on Labour pull your recycling socks up.

Southwark Council 1/3 Residents Unhappy

One in every three Southwark Council tenants and leaseholders is dissatisfied with the housing service they receive from the borough – with no improvement since last year. Overall satisfaction with the landlord services the Council provides is just 65%. Ouch.

Only 61% of Southwark tenants and leaseholders are happy with the overall quality of their homes, while one in three believes that they do not get value for money from their rent or service charge. 35% of residents are not satisfied with the repairs and maintenance service with over 3,000 complaints up to November 2014 about the service.

The Council’s latest housing complaints figures are staggeringly bad. Complaints are up in nearly every part of the borough and overall they have more than doubled in the time since Labour took control of the council – and these figures are not even for the whole year yet.

Even the Labour Cabinet councillor admits that the housing repairs contractors are not up to scratch and that the Council’s major works programme has upset a lot of tenants and leaseholders. It’s clear they are having problems managing existing council homes.

Southwark New Parking Standard Chaos

Southwark Council have changed it’s planning rules around car and bicycle parking for new developments. The overall aim is to ensure better provision for cyclists and more sensible car parking levels.

All the speel within the documentation talks about more cycle parking and sensible car parking levels.

But then when you look at the details it clearly is worse in a number of places – while still saying it’s better. Not newspeak and parkingspeak

Come on Southwark correct these whoppers:

B1 offices cycle parking – described as “Double the number of spaces compared to FALP and increased provision compared to existing policy” short term cycle parking currently 1 space per 250m2. FALP stated as 1 per 500m2. New Southwark proposed 1 per 500m2.
So its now x2 worse than current parking levels.

B1 light industrial – this is x4 worse than current parking levels.

B2-B8 is x2 worse than current parking levels.

Do we think the following makes sense whatever FALP says:
D1 university/colleges long-term 1 space per 20 students. This expects 5% of students to cycle. But Southwarks short-term cycling targets are higher than this. In fact current rates of cycling are higher than this.
I would have thought D1 other was a more applicable standard?

Amazed at the new residential car parking standards for lower PTAL areas. Min of 1.5 car parking spaces. And no mention of spaces reserved for car club spaces.
Which areas are PTAL1, 2 and 3 ?
The description is the new Southwark standards are tougher than FALP but for PTAL 1 FALP says up to 2 spaces, whereas Southwark says min 1.5 to max of 2. Clearly worse than FALP.
Why haven’t we adopted FALP?

Dulwich Medical Centre

I’ve taken the unprecedented step of contacting NHS England to complain about the Dulwich Medical Centre.

I have had a number of patients highlight how impossible it is to get appointments at this GP practice. This has been the situation for more than two years. The practice have tried a number of appointment systems and non have solved the problem. They simply don’t have the capacity to cope with their patient lists.
I fear that sick patients are not being seen in a timely manner with the obvious risks their conditions will get much worse.

Urgently they need to stop taking on new patients until such time they give a reasonable and safe service to their current patients.

I have asked NHS England to tell me what steps will be taken to rescue this GP practice and when?

If you wish to complain or praise this or any other GP practice then please email england.contactus@nhs.net and cc me on cllrjamesbarber@gmail.com

Funding Your Great New Idea

Southwark council have launched a new funding programme, called the Neighbourhoods Fund which combines the Community Council Fund and the Cleaner Greener Safer Revenue fund into one application process.

The Neighbourhoods Fund allows ward councillor to make decisions locally on neighbourhood priorities and provide the means of getting good ideas off the ground.

If you have as great idea for making East Dulwich better please do make an application.

Please note the fund will close at 12 noon on Monday 16 February 2015

If you need any help or sounding board for your great idea – please get in touch I helped many applicants in the past.

New East Dulwich Cinema

I’m sure almost all East Dulwich residents are aware that a new cinema is being constructed on Lordship Lane – the East Dulwich Picturehouse Cinema – at number 116A Lordship Lane.

It is now proposed to open in March.

A key aspect will be how this cinema will operate. Today I was notified that their proposed Cinema Management Plan has been submitted to Southwark Council planners – it is a planning condition that this plan is agreed with Southwark Council officers.

I’m really keen that local residents have an opportunity to look at this plan and tell council officer Michael Glasgow (michael.glasgow@southwark.gov.uk) and fellow East Dulwich Cllr Rosie Shimell (rosie.shimell@southwark.gov.uk) and myself whether you think this plan is fit for purpose – has it missed anything?

Rosie and I look forward to hearing from you.

Dulwich Hospital Spare Land RELEASED

A year ago I submitted a Right to Contest the spare land at the Dulwich Hospital site. This right was created by Lib Dems in the coalition government.

Please see the letter from the Rt Hon Francis Maude MP – Minister for the Cabinet Office – NMP625917

I’m delighted at last to report that as a direct result of my request the spare land has now been added to the Register of Surplus Public Land. This is a key pre requisite for any new use such as new schools.

NHS property have held back 11,300m3 of the 28,300m2 for the new health centre. So I will check whether more than the 17,000m2 can be released at this point. In public meeting they’ve said they’ll only need 7,000-9,000m2 for the new health centre. I suspect they’re being ultra cautious.

Patience is a virtue I have little of but I’m delighted that all the chasing by myself and Lib Dem colleagues at all levels of local, regional and national government and the support of the Cabinet Office has been successful.

This prepares the ground for the Educational Finance Agency to tell us its decision of whether they’ve selected either The Charter School or Haberdashers’ Aske’s Federation to open a new secondary school for us and have a site to house it in.