Wedding rip-off?

Wedding and civil parntership fees up by 27% from 21 October in Labour led Southwark council for non statutory fees.   27%!

This during the week the Labour council leader proclaimed his adherence to traditional values. So why is he effectively taxing weddings so much more?

The council report studiously avoids stating percent increases. It also doesn’t include all London authorities in its comparisons. It does state that they should charge sufficient fees to cover costs “The cost of service provision has therefore also been a consideration in arriving at the proposed fees” and adhere to the Medium Term Resource Strategy (MTRS) 2010/11 – 2012/13.

So why have Southwark increased its fees by this amount when 90%+ of its registry staff costs are salaries, Local Government has a pay freeze and the service is meant to be self funding?

Labour Southwark are penalising people for falling in love. Rather than saying “I do” couples will be saying “I’m sorry but I can’t afford it.” It is a heartless move from a mean spirited Labour Council who would rather squirrel away millions in their reserves than help people celebrate the happiest day of their lives

The statutory minimum fee will still be £40 but if you want to use the Garden Room for the ceremony you’ll be charged  an extra £180 up from £140 or 29% increase. If you want to have the ceremony at another approved premise elsewhere then the new cheapest wedding fee will be £335 (up 27%)  versus £160 in Wandsworth and £70-£125 for the equivalent of Southwark’s Garden Room in Kingston-upon-Thames or £270 for an approved premise wedding fee.

What’s so weird is the Approved Premises fees just cover a few hours times of a Registrar or assistant Registrar. Hence why more efficient boroughs can charge so much less.

It seems clear that the law should be changed so any Registrar can lead the service at any Approved Premise. This would create real competition between Registrars and ensure couples who want to demonstrate the commitment and love they feel are not being ripped of in Southwark going forward.

Olympic Parking Fine Excess

London won the Olympics 2012. I was delighted. WOW!

But the plans for this and sponsorship make it clear that this won’t really be the London we all know and love Olympics but some emasculated parody of London.

The Olympic Delivery Authority is now asking London councils to impose draconian parking fines during the London Olympic 2012 games across London. So far Greenwich council is suggesting £500-£1000 parking fines and so far Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets support higher parking fines with most London councils yet to respond. I just think this sets the wrong tone.

I hope London Lib Dems will be holding out to minimise not maximise the disruption to London and Londoners.

The proposal for draconian parking penalties, wheel clamping, much more removal of vehicles, storage charges and disposal of vehicles fees should be an anathema to us all.

Londoners should not be cowed by the threat of heavy Olympic fines. London households are already hugely subsidising the games.

So no, we should not accept these increased charges. Frankly we should be telling the ODA to spend more time making the Olympics  friendly to London and Londoners generating sufficient good will so Londoners want to help make it happen. I really fear a nasty Olympic backlash and these proposals make that more likely.

Compulsory Food Ratings

I have a passionate interest in environmental health from a close family experience.

The Food Safety Agency working with local councils have a scheme for giving ratings to all food establishments – based on hygienece, cleanliness, process, training. You can see their ‘Scores on the Doors’ on line and Android and Apple apps.  The ratings go:

0   –  Urgent improvement necessary (8)
1   –  Major improvement necessary (48)
2   –  Improvement necessary (26)
3   –  Generally satisfactory (34)
4   –  Good (81)
5   –  Very good (35)

Amazingly businesses don’t have to display their scores in a visible place or schools having to tell parents. In Wales the devolved government is planning to make is compulsory.  Frankly it should be UK law.

Frankly all food establishments should be able to reach a score of 5. In the SE22 East Dulwich area we have 232 rated food places, 35 with 5*, 81 with 4*, 34 with 3*, 26 with 2*, 48 with 1* and 8 with 0*’s. Some really low scoring places are local schools!

Until all food establishments have to display their scores they don’t have to try very hard to keep the public safe.

Do you think all scores should have to be displayed?

Getting food safety wrong can be fatal and cause lasting life changing health issues.

Dulwich Helpline

Yesterday was the Dulwich HelplineAGM at held the Dulwich Picture Gallery. It was very kind of the gallery to host the AGM for free.

The Dulwich Helpline have been around since 1993 and exists to improve the quality of life and help to prevent physical and mental deterioration from social isolation. This is critical to help people stay at home to enjoy the most from their lives.

I hadn’t realised how many active volunteers they have. 277 during the year helping 386 people in a huge variety of ways.

But times are increasingly tough for all charities. So pragmatically they’re going to share back office costs with Southwark Churches Care. Two great complimentary groups working together. And they plan to bid for work together.

I was asked to speak and reiterated my groups promise to actively work to promote a permanent home for them on a peppercorn rent. We absolutely get how valuable their work is and when running the council protected such voluntary groups from any cuts. Every pound given to them really has a large multiplier effect of avoiding costs to the NHS, social services and most importantly improves peoples quality of life.

IF you’d like to help fund raise for Dulwich Helpline contact them on info@dulwich-helpline.org.uk or 020 8299 2623.

Will Food Poisoning Rise?

On Friday Southwark Council confirmed its Food Safety Business Plan for 2011-12.

Food poisoning can kill – lots of different horrible bugs, additives, etc. Ensuring the food chain in Southwark is good is critical to public health.

The strategy is to ensure the highest risk food manufacturers, shops, takeaways, etc are inspected at the MINIMUM recommended rate. Category C & D premises are takeaways, cafes and restaurants. It proposes that 324 of the 1102 Category C premises will be inspected at the MINIMUM rate of every 18 months. That ‘s around half the premises that should be inspected during the year. Category D premises should be inspected at least biannually but only 158/439 are planned to be visited. For Category E that should be inspected at least every 3 years 0 / 634 will be inspected. But the strategy does plan to visit all 301 unrated premises.

What’s really troubling is that without meeting at least the MINIMUM stated recommended inspection rate you can’t spot dodgy places that should be kept under closer more frequent inspection.

Inspection scores are made available via the wed – Scores on the Doors . Weirdly the strategy doesn’t promote the Apple of Android Apps that give very easy and GPS based access to these inspection ratings.

What feels odd though is that the Strategy also stated 12.5 council officers work in this arena. That should work out at around 2,600 available person days available per annum.

So why can’t they make at least the minimum recommended 1,796 inspections every year?

Lordship Lane – walking audit

In 2007 the East Dulwich councillors arranged for a walking audit of Lordship Lane. Over the years we’ve gradually been delivering it recommendations.

The final problems from that report that need fixing are crossing East Dulwich Grove where it meets Lordship Lane and crossing Lordship Lane around where the Coop/Somerfield supermarket it.

I’m chuffed to report that it has finally been agreed and approved to install three crossing to fixed these final problems. The timescales will be that the works will be completed by March 2012 and will include some rearranging of local parknig to ensure that overall a gain in car parking to make up for the loss of parking that these crossings need to proceed.

I’d like to thank residents patience. Businesses for highlighting that we needed to make good any loss of parking. Good challenge that we’ve ensured is more than met. And lastly a thank you to officers who’ve been really supportive to ensure we’ve come up with the best overal solution – and the East Dulwich Grove entry crossing solution was after a number of meetings with East Dulwich councillors and specialise consultants.

Roll on March 2012.

Building control

I’ve had a small trickle of casework referred by residents about Southwark Building control since being elected in 2006. They have usually been quickly resolved and communications seemed to be the common theme. Half a year ago I consolidated these issues into a question at full Council Assembly (question 21). The answer highlighted thatsignificant delays happen with a minority of cases. The cabinet member responsible Cllr Foley agreed to follow this up. For clarity  this is a long term issue spanning numerous administrations.

Lets not forget that Building Control is about helping to ensure new buildings and changes to building are safe and that they meet eco standards to save the planet.

Earlier this week I met with council officials and Cllr Foley to reflect on the service, see how it could be made even better, and see how things have changed since I originally raised the issue.

Apparently the legislation doesn’t require the issue of building certificates unl;ess asked for. But for the last 10 years Southwark has always issued a Building Certificate. Over that period of the project referred to it only around 50% ever complete such that they can be granted a building certificate. Amazing.

Building Control acknowledgement letters have been changed to make it clear exactly what information will be required – electricians certificates.

We all agreed Building Controls web presence on the Southwark Council website could be enhanced as for many this will be the first port of call.

For the last years a proper IT workflow system has been in place helping to ensure projects don’t fall between the gaps. And this new system allows council officials to email out certificates as PDF files. This is particularly helpful when people selling their houses suddenly need a new copy as they lost the original.

But this still leaves 50% of projects that never complete. Cllr Foley accepted my suggestion that all open projects be sent a one off letter reminding them that they officially have an open project and what the council needed to complete it. I look forward to seeing the proposed letter shortly. Cllr Foley also came up with the useful idea of checking incomplete projects to see if a trend of a few builders causing this that might need just some gentle re-education.

Progress.

Plot to rename bonfire night

Labour run Southwark Council have decided to hold a public bonfire event in Dulwich Park. Sadly they don’t feel they want to call it a firework display but have come up with a more politically correct name for the event – “The Colour Thief”.

They plan to spend £55,000 on this event Friday 4 November. They’ve confirmed to me they expect 2,000 attendees which works out at £25 a head!
To others they’ve said 3,000 – 5,0000.
They’ve said to the Friends of Dulwich Park that they have no choice it will happen whether they like it or not. At the Dulwich Community Council last week they said it will be decided via a public consultation.
To local Councillors they’ve said it’s not a rival fireworks event but to the press the Labour cabinet member councillor Ward has said “We have some great ideas for the fireworks night event, which includes our new Colour Thief display, and we are currently consulting local people about what they’d like to see”.

I think it’s safe to say local people would like some honesty. Dulwich already has numerous public firework events and doesn’t need another one whatever crazy politically correct names it’s given. Ideally the events budget would be devolved to local community councils to decide which local events to support.

Southwark Council gets remoter

Dulwich is 1/8th of Southwark Councils population and about 1/4 of its land area. In the past Southwark Council HQ was dead centre in the middle of the borough at Southwark Town Hall. This is/was where council assembly and most other committee meetings occurred.

Southwark Labour party have decided to sell Southwark town hall and relocate all meeting to Tooley Street – just about as far north as you can get from Dulwich without getting your feet wet.

To compound things our Dulwich Housing office is being relocated to a new office in Harris Street covering the south of the borough. To show how out of touch Labour are they think Harris Street is in the south. I doubt I could find a person in Dulwich who could tell me where Harris Street is.

Why is this important?

It is hard to get people to attend public council meetings and committees now. The Council is already considered aloof and distant. It will now be physically much more remote from most Southwark residents and over % miles away for many Dulwich residents. It will be rare for Southwark council senior managers to experience Southwark outside the enclave of London Bridge. This can’t be good for understanding of what needs fixing.

I could understand this IF significantly more powers and budgets were being devolved to local community councils to counter the gross centralisation. But it isn’t – not Labour politicians style of philosophy.

New East Dulwich Library

Museums, Libraries and Archives council recommend 30 square metres of spaces for every one thousand population. For Southwark’s 305,000+ population (this number is those registered with GP’s) that would mean we needed 9,150 m2.  Currently we have 4,914 m2. We clearly have a huge deficiency in library space.

The nearly finished Canada Water library will help by adding 1,315 m2 net compared to Rotherhithe library which will close. This still leaves us hugely deficient.

But more locally last night the Planning Committee approved a new development next to East Dulwich station that includes a new Grove Vale library. The current library has 100 m2 for customers and the new one would double that to 200 m2 + have 50 m2 terrace. The time line would see this delivered in the first half of 2014.

Its currently bursting at the seams homework club of kids mostly from the East Dulwich Estate in South Camberwell ward, toddlers groups, etc  could all expand with no extra resources. The current library lease costs £25,000 a year but the new library would have a 125 year peppercorn rent of £100 a year. The new library would also be one big space allowing other services such as selling coffee etc to raise revenue to support the library. The new building will have CHP and be eco excellent in its part saving lots on the utility bills. The one risk is the current library review. I’m hopeful that new revenue streams and reducing layers of management and back office costs will occur from that review rather than close libraries from our already under dimensioned library service.

For your say on the Southwark Library review: https://forms.southwark.gov.uk/ShowForm.asp?fm_fid=591

For a picture of what 18-22 Grove Vale will broadly look like – 18_22 Grove Vale