More and Bigger libraries?

The Museum Libraries Archives Council released a report June 2008 stating how much library space they’d calculated areas needed per thousand population. I came across this report and have calculated their recommendations on Southwark. It is quite a shock.

They recommend 25 to 35m2 per thousandpeople. Assuming an average of 30m2 then Southwark even with the new Canada Water library has4,914m2 public space in libraries suitable for a population of only 201,713. But Southwark’s population is reported to be around 315,000.

So we need more library space. Roughly 3,400m2. But clearly this doesn’t reflect library opening hours and where the space should be and what population growth will do to our population of residents. We also need to reflect on the impact of people working and studying but no living in Southwark. Library service dimensioning.

I’ll be doing this maths over the next few weeks – but as a minimum we need the space of an extra two Canada Water libraries spread across Southwark.

Library closing

I was really saddened to be told that the council is reducing library opening hours and closing them earlier at Brandon, East Street, Nunhead and Grove Vale libraries.

Libraries are a key resource not just for borrowing books, CD’s, etc but also for those needing to study or search for work using all the local and national newspapers and computer resources.

For local Grove Vale library the hours will reduce from 33 hours a week to 27. The headline is this is part of a £398,000 yearly saving. But they could achieve the cuts without reducing library hours.

Instead of employing three people to cover each Libraries opening, two could be employed and a very part time person to cover lunch breaks. Or even better would be to devolve the library spending to each Library manager and let them decide how to make the savings while maximising services. This would make middle management savings. This would also enable the closure of the libraries hidden secret 13th non public library on Wilson’s Road which houses 25,000 books and a central book buying function and distribution system.

The libraries budget is also not helped by the libraries team still having the old ex.Peckham library and adjoining office in the ground floor of a block of council housing to maintain.

Other savings could be made by not having a separate lift maintenance contract for Peckham Library, Canada Water library and Dulwich Library but piggy backing on the Council Housing massive lift contract – around £50,000 saving.

I’m sure with a deeper dive significant other savings could be made. I’ve made lots of these suggestions to the councillor in charge. Hopefully they will adopted at least a few of these and keep our libraries open.

The Charter School

I was shocked to read the admissions adjudicators report about The Charter School admissions. The report is shocking. Amazingly Southwark Council supported the school submission to the adjudicator despite the council leader being a ward councillor for the most negatively affected area.

BUT I’m pleased to see the school has now acted quickly to accept the reports findings about the schools admissions administration hadn’t reflected the actual policy and this is corrected. This will change who goes to this school – probably at the margins – but only time will tell what impact this has. People will buy and sell houses to be closer to outstanding schools so really hard to tell what the long term impact will be.

But the good news the school now accepts safe walking distance using routes that local Police officers has confirmed are safe rather than mapping that effectively was driving routes only.

Well done to all the residents who made this happen.

Cyclists don’t count

Southwark Council have had a traffic counter installed on Camberwell Road near a bike shop. It been carefully installed to not count people cycling in the cycle lane. But not so carefully installed to allow all cyclists to cycle past safely – you can see the tubes are across the road surface and proud by several inches near the kerb and are a side way slip hazard just inside the cycle lane.

Anyway else spotted such hazards? Irony is this has occurred the same week the council leader has committed Southwark to The Times cycle manifesto which includes recording cyclists and making the roads safer for them.

Cycling covenant

I’m delighted to see that The Times newspaper has today launched a campaign for a new Cycling Covenant. But saddened to see that one of their colleagues and friends grave cycle injuries were requried to inspire them.

They propose:
1. Trucks entering cities by law must have sensors, audibles alarms, extra mirrors and side bars/guards to stop cycling being thrown under them.
2. The 500 most dangerous junctions must be identified, redesigned or fitted with priority traffic lights for cyclists and Trixi mirrors allowing lorry drivers to see cyclists.
3. A national audit of cyclists to keep track of making cycling safer and more popular.
4. The Highways Agency should earmark 2% of its budget for next generation cycle routes providing £100million a year towards world-class cycling infrastructure. Each year cities being graded on the quality of cycling provision.
5. The training of cyclings and drivers must improve and cycle safety should become a core part of the driving test.
6. The default speed limit in residential areas where there are no cycle lanes should become 20mph.
7. Businesses should be invited to sponsor cycle ways and cycling super-highways.
8. Every city even those without an elected mayor should appoint a cycling commissioner to push home reforms.

These proposals if implemented well would see a step change for the better at making cycling safer and more attractive. Only number 8 seems to mis the mark – setting targets for local authorities instead would achieve more than a commissioner.

More people safely cycling would see a fitter, heathier nation spending money more locally. Huge opportunities for regeneration and community growth.

But will the coalition government listen.

But many of these we could implement here in Southwark…

Hidden Post Offices

Southwark has lost a lot of Post Offices and sub Post Offices under the last Labour Government – 19 in total! So I was delighted to hear that Lib Dems in the coalition government have secured a £1.34bn fund to rebuild and support the remaining network. Some may get to reopen.

But they still face issues. Locally we have unkown sometimes hidden sub Post Offices. The one on Crossthwaite Avenue SE5 is a great example. Southwark Council want to increase its rent by 93%. The council has also refused to allow any signage from the nearest busier road to point potential shoppers to the small parade of shops. We don’t just need fare rents but also some promotion they exist.

To find your nearest post office please use this LINK – you might find a welcome surprise of a sub Post Office you didn’t realise was there.

I’ve suggested to the council leader Cllr Peter John that he ensure council officers make a simple sign pointing to the Crossthwaite Avenue sub Post Office in his ward. I’ve suggested a future Southwark Life resident magazine feature such hidde gems. He has confirmed that he’s going to visit this small business with south Councils head of property. Hopefully some sense about rents will prevail.

In East Dulwich we also have a largely unknown sub Post Office at 369 Lordship Lane. I never understand why we have such queues at the 76 Lordship Lane Post Office when we have this sub Post Office nearby with no queues.

These sub Post Offices could also help provide access to many council services generating income for them and better access to service for residents – parking permits, council tax payments, council rent payments, etc.

21 school disruption

Every election day 21 schools are used as Polling Stations in Southwark. Southwark Council has just reviewed all its Polling Stations and has decided that it still wants to use those 21 schools.

This is a real missed opportunity. Hosting a Polling day sounds easy but talking to some teachers it really disrupts not just the day but the whole academic week. That can’t be good for those children’s education. And we have elections nearly every year what with local, London, UK, Europe elections as well as last years AV referendum.

Of the 21 schools two are special schools, one is on special measures, six are satisfactory and about to receive a lot of extra focus and reclassified as “requires improvement”:

Southwark school polling stations

In my own ward Heber School is used – a good school with last value added score of 99.7 – is arguably doing OK hosting Polling days but does it really help and add to the childrens education? Clearly not added to which it also disrupts parents childcare plans.

I’ve looked at many of these schools and alternative polling stations appear readily available.

Come on Southwark stop disrupting our children’s education.

Primary School places

Early last week the deadline for reception class applications passed. A difficult set of choices that always stresses out parents – it certainly stressed me.

The pressure is even higher at the moment with so many extra, until recently, unforecast extra children chasing the available places. Southwark Council has arranged extra bulge places:

  • Albion, Bellenden, Bessemer Grange and Ivydale will all take an additional 30 reception pupils
  • Charles Dickens, Grange, and Robert Browning will each take an additional 15 reception pupils

These extra 195 places will help. They have made it even more complicated for parents trying to choose a school.

Past forecasts predicted that the bulge in pupil numbers would start to diminish around 2014/2015. The latest forecast I obtained in a response to a council assembly question I wrote (submitted via the Dulwich Community Council) is that in the Dulwich area we permanently need another 60-75 school places from 2014/2015. A new primary school.

We think a new school on the vacant part of the Dulwich Hospital site is the best option. Do you agree?

If you do or don’t agree with us please complete  our survey.

Dulwich Hospital – the future

Liberal Democrat Vision for Dulwich Hospital site

Local Liberal Democrat councillors deeply regret the running down and the loss of services at our hospital in East Dulwich. We want to keep our Hospital not lose it.

We congratulate local residents who have fought a long running campaign to protect health services being delivered from this site. Given the current position of the site we believe it is important for the community and local elected representatives to be clear about the long term aspirations for the area taking into account the new economic realities.

We have, therefore, set out below our initial views following our many conversations with local residents. We are keen to hear more from local people about what they think and what they would like to see on the site and will be specifically asking residents about these proposals. We appreciate the need for any plans to be financially viable, but also recognise that the site is of such local importance that community uses must also be valued most highly.

Taking into account Southwark’s policy for 35% social housing and Section 106 SPD and the expected developer contributions we propose the following:

Western section

We appreciate that the site will need residential units for it to be financially viable for a developer and, therefore, suggest the western part of the site for this purpose. Developers would, of course, have to go through the planning process which would ensure that development is appropriate in terms of design and density. We want a development of the highest possible green credentials to enhance and inspire East Dulwich. We would want to see a high quality development which also provided affordable homes and a financial contribution to the community (to be used in the eastern section).

Eastern and northern sections

As well as a financial contribution from the western side we would also need to find uses which were as economically sustainable as possible while still bringing positive benefits to the community. In this area we would therefore like to see:

– Housing for retired people

We want Southwark to show leadership in providing a high quality ‘retirement village’ development. These would be for a mix of income levels and have different levels of adaptation for varying needs as people become older. They would provide income in ground rent, which would help the rest of the eastern area with developing other community uses. As with the housing development on the western side, the development should have the highest green credentials. A vibrant place for older people in this area would also help to free up larger council properties on nearby estates for families.

  – Primary School

We strongly believe that a primary school should be considered. Local parents tell us that a new primary school will be needed in future and building around 200 new homes will only increase such a need. Although this is not needed right now, pupil projections are clear that we need to be thinking about this possibility over the next few years. We would, therefore, take this opportunity to plan ahead and to consider building a new community primary school here (at the other end of the eastern section from the retirement village.). We would look at a number of sources for the funding of a new primary school.

– A new Medical Centre.

Our vision for a medical centre would for a clinic which offers a GP surgery plus. It could also include blood tests, potentially a pharmacy (although a local one on Melbourne Grove exists) and other medical services. This would be in keeping with the history of the hospital and could be flexible according to local needs and whether local GPs wanted to move in. It would also tie in perfectly with the retirement village and could specialise in services for pensioners.

– Sports, gardening facilities and indoor community space.

The potential opportunities for sharing space with new residents, existing residents and a potential school are vast. This has been done in other parts of the borough and would mean that there could be provision for sports facilities (indoor and/or outdoor), a shared community hall (for use by residents when the school does not need it), and some form of allotments or walled garden.

The Chateau

This building should be kept for community uses into perpetuity as a standalone charity unless the school is able to provide all the necessary shared facilities. It could also have some rented office space and possibly a nursery to bring in revenue. A similar project at Cambridge House is proving to be very successful. The council could even rent office space from here if it needed to. And SELDOC could be based in this building.

The Chateau should also provide space for the Dulwich Helpline and this should be confirmed with them as soon as possible so that they know they have a secure home. If there are other local voluntary sector organisations who need a base then this would also be a good location for them.

Environment

This whole development could and should be carbon neutral. We would create an East Dulwich Zero Emissions Development along the lines of Liberal Democrat London Borough of Sutton’s Beddington Zero Emission Development BedZED (http://www.bioregional.com/what-we-do/our-work/bedzed).

Following the Zero Emissions principles for development would maximise the space used for new homes and retirement homes while minimising the impacts on the local area from cars, energy and water use. This site is less than 5 mins walk from a local station and 5 busy bus routes and there are fantastic opportunities to lead the way in radical environmentally friendly ideas as part of this process.

Conclusion

We are realistic that there will have to be private housing developed on the site to make our other suggestions viable. However, with council commitment and funding as well as the private sources of income we have a fantastic chance to pursue a vision which provides homes, education, leisure and health in a sustainable and exciting way. If you have any comments, suggestions or ideas that you would like to share with us, please send them to info@southwark-libdems.org.uk or complete our survey.

Council error in your favour collect £500

From April 2011 Labour led Southwark Council increased council garage fees by a whopping 50% to £18.62 per week per garage. Ouch.

Well for 1,000 garage renters this has proven no problem. They were moved wrongly to the concessionary rate of £5 per week saving so far over £500 each.

This has only just come to light after a number of residents, scared at running up huge back bills, complained and raised the alarm. Whoever you are thank you. 

The Labour cabinet member has made it clear they wont be collecting any back rent owed and put the 1,000 mistakes down to “human error”. That’s an awful lot of errors.

Council finances run like a game of monopoly. So that means the £676,000 loss now has to be found.