Bus Route 12 changes

From November 2011 the bendy buses on bus route 12 will be changed to normal double deckers. This will make the lives of those on Etherow Street far more bearable. I’ve just responded to the formal consultation.

To compensate for smaller passenger loads per bus more buses will run. So overall slightly better frequency. Equally bendy buses have a reputation as ‘free buses’ so capacity can be marginally reduced as you can’t get on a normal double decker without paying.

Only caveat I have is that countdown real time bus information wont be isntalled at all bus stops. Waiting around for 30 minutes at nighttime is bad enough but not having information if a bus is cancelled could see a wait of upto 90minutes. Having information means passengers can change their plans.

What do you think?

Northcross Market

Should Northcross Market be expanded and Northcross Road be closed on market days?

140 people responded and resounding yes.

So clearly we need to support this market and potentially closing Northcross Road when the market is very busy. Next step is to see how local residents feel. Thanks to those that responded to the survey.

Goose Green school – new children’s centre

I’ve been examining the plans and sketchs for the new Goose Green school entrance and children’s centre. They will be a great addition to East Dulwich.

The plans look good. Really good.

These plans have been under development for some time so chuffed that we’ve finally reached planning application stage. So new entrance, kitchens, boys and girls toilets. New children’s centre where classrooms used to be. Quite a ground floor reconfiguration.

I just wish we could find ways to increase the playground size.

School meals

Just been reading about a charity www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk who have a process they take schools through where tiny small changes can dramatically increase the proportion of school kids choosing to eat school meals. This clearly also makes free school meals more attractive.

One change was allowing key stage 2 pupils to have self-service recognising their increasing desire for independence and also reducing waste.

Another school introduced grab-bags so pupils taking school meals could grab a bag with a good school meal in it and sit with friends who brough lunches in.

This month the School Food Trust is arranging free training for local education authorities on how to promote school free meals.

Southwark Labour party are planning to introduce free school meals. Without following the School Food Trust type changes these meals will miss the mark with many Southwark school kids. Equally with such changes offering free school meals is an over reaction.

Sustainable Communities Act

Some time ago this act was passed. Idea is to help local communities, who know what is best for them, become more empowered and take more of the decision making into local hands. It was reconfirmed just before the elections.

One outcome is the presentation of data for all local public bodies to be publicly available. Follow this URL for how this is currently presented http://www.localspending.communities.gov.uk/

It’s a start.

Council Housing lift contract terminated

Some months ago the then council leader Nick Stanton started the wheels in motion to review the council Housing lift contract. It’s just been announced by the new Labour councillor. Great news that they’ve followed up the hard work started.

Hopefully the new lift service once the current contract is terminated in August will give a better service.

I’d like to see all lift status reported on-line in real time. Residents being able to register a contact method such as mobile phone so they can be texted or emailed or phone message when news about a lift they’ve registered an interest. That way people can be kept updated in real-time and plan their lives accordingly.

Great opportunity to improve many people’s lives.

Southwark Legal Advice Network

Southwark has seen the coming together of ten advice organisations to form Southwark Legal Advice Network.

They have created a self help website www.southwarkadvice.org, organised joint training between the ten groups, helped bring about closer working in the financial advice groups area and set up council tax debt clinics with Southwark Council.

What a great first year.

Well done and especially well done Southwark Citizens Advice Bureaux for leading SLAN.

Dulwich Walking & Cycling Network

The Dulwich Society Traffic & Transport Group have initiated the idea of a new walking & cycling network. This concept has been endorsed by the Dulwich Safe Route to School group – local schools coming together to discuss common problems that get in the way of pupils, teachers and parents walking and cycling to local schools.

To help formulate where to concentrate on starting this network they’ve created a travel survey.

If you take kids to school locally please do fill it in:

http://dulwichsaferoutes.wordpress.com

or email Dulwichsaferoutesinfo@gmail.com

I think its a great idea which the Dulwich Estates have so far indicated they’d like to support.

Important concept that many don’t walk or cycle as its not pleasant. But making it pleasant will increase numbers walking and cycling reducing car use, making it more etc etc.

Resurfacing Pellatt, Landells and Upland

Resurfacing works about to commence:

– Pellatt Road between Lordship Lane and Cyrena Road will be resurfaced 4 & 7 June.

– Landells Road between Lordship Lane and Goodrich Road will be resurfaced 7 & 8 June.

– Upland Road between Lordship Lane and Mount Adon Park will be resurfaced later this year.

These are as a direct result in feedback from residents and where we’ve decided to allocate our limited devolved budgets in East Dulwich.

Missing 50,000 residents

One of my councillor colleagues testified to the London Regional Parliamennts Select Committee regarding the 2011 census. The MPs heard a unified message from Newham, Southwark and Westminster councils about how hard it is to count residents.

Each resident attracts roughly £600 of funding from central government.

Currently central government believes 270,000 residents are residents in Southwark. Southwark currently has 320,000 people registered with GPs. That means roughly £30M of central government grants are not being made to Southwark.

It seems unlikely as planned the 2011 Census will close any of that gap. Worringly it could well open it up further.