Solving Cold Private Rented Homes

Lib Dems in government have announced new regulations that up to 1 million tenants renting energy inefficient homes can benefit from – warmer homes with cheaper energy bills:

  • From April 2016 residential private landlords can’t unreasonably turn down a tenant’s request for energy efficiency improvements. This will mean landlords have to accept the request if they can get help through widely available support like Green Deal finance, the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO), or grants from the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund.
  • From April 2018 private landlords will not be able to rent out properties which do not meet minimum energy efficiency standards.

They will help reduce fuel poverty as many privately rented homes already cost much more to heat than the average home.

In East Dulwich we’ve seen that around 600 of the 4000 roofs of homes have no loft insulation from aerial thermal imaging.

The problem is landlords don’t pay energy bills so many have shown no interest in investing in energy saving measures. These new regulations should make them interested. And clearly it’s only going to affect dodgier landlords.

Another great policy from Lib Dems in government – well done Ed Davey.

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.

Secondary School Results

Good to see the overall secondary school league tables showing Southwark in such a positive light.

Some new stunningly good GCSE new entries – Harris Boys Academy East Dulwich with 71% with 5 good GCSE’s including Maths and English.

Very good A-Level results as well.

Well done everoyne who made this and all the other schools results so good this year. Also great positive trends.

Fighting Silly Double Yellow Lines

Southwark Labour introduced new rules that all new dropped kerbs must have 2 metres (6’6″) of double yellow lines both sides of them.That means that the dropped kerb reduces on street parking by one car length and 2 x 2m = by another car length of parknig removed with each dropped kerb. Ouch!

Last night at the Dulwich Community Council we had 4 such dropped kerbs to approve. I persuaded the committee that this Southwark Labour Council rule is silly. That if we must have double yellow lines they should be abslutely minimised. I’m grateful that all three parties agreed we should recommend 0.5m of double yellow lines OR the decision comes back to the committee to be looked at again with an officer to explain the minutae of these rules.

Fingers crossed this is the first step to getting more sensible dropped kerb and double yellow lines policies in place.

NB: We used to have rules allowing white lines across dropped kerbs and the home owners could insist stranger parked cars moving or calling the Police. It also meant home owners could allow people to park across dropped kerbs. Pragmatic parking rules.

East Dulwich New Capital Projects

2002 Southwark Lib Dems initiated the Cleaner, Greener, Safer programme where each ward in Southwark gets a pot of capital money to allocate to new projects.

Last night we decided which projects to support in East Dulwich ward – ED CGS 15_16

Safer: Fencing between Dulwich library and St.Thomas Moore RC Church, Library Annexe opened as new space for Police surgeries and the like, More Crime Prevention, Norcroft Gardens fencing and lgihting.

Cleaner: Friern Road estate play area renewal, Goose Green School entrance, East Dulwich Community Centre new flooring.

Greener: Lots more trees locally, Physic GardenHeber School Upcycle Garden.

Our next funding decision will be our £25,000 of revenue funding in March. If you have any ideas to make the area better please let us know.

Recycling Failure

It pains me to say it but Southwark Council have failed to reached it target of recycling. When Lib Dems led the council we negotiated what we thought and government advisors told us was a tough target to reach 38% recycling rate by April 2014.

Southwark Labour said they would double recycling from 22% in 2010 to 44% in 2014. They then back tracked to 40% when they were in power.

But the final recorded rate was 34% for 2013/14. A long way short of the Veolia contract we negotiated. But significantly having introduced food waste 4 years earlier than the Veolia contracted planned they don’t have anywhere to go.

It isn’t any better in Lambeth. where recycling fell from 23% in 2012/13 to 21%. It’s fourth year in a row of falling recycling. It’s as if Lambeth Labour have given up on recycling.

Do you recycle?

What could we do to help you recycle more?

Labour Blair Gaddafi Collusion

Shocking to read that Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Labour government colluded with the Colonel Gaddafi government.

The Guardian reports that Libyan Intelligence agents were allowed to operate in the UK. That a number of exchanges took place and close working. That rendition and torture resulted.

The people who suffered this are suing UK government departments – MI5/6, Home and Foreign Offices. An attempt to have the case thrown out failed on Thursday.

Truly shocking that a UK government could stoop so low.

 

Dulwich Council Housing Forum Chairs Annual Report

At the AGM of the Dulwich Area Housing Forum – the forum for council tenants and leaseholders – Bill Newman gave his chairs annual report where he thanked delegates and council officers and then spoke about council housing…

“When major works are carried out to our homes we have endured a project that should be making our homes “Warm, Dry and Safe” but it’s not. We still have homes without insulated walls which are cold and damp resulting in the growth of mould. Condensation arising from badly fitted double glazing. Residents are being told that in a lot of cases that this is due “life style issues”.

We keep being told the repair service will be improved. We find it’s not. Mears now have has the contract to carry out their repairs to our homes for over two year’s Again we hearing they are having another “restructure” to improve their service to us, many residents are finding that they have to re-book appointments. Reasons being given of that the contractors were unable to get access, or that they are delayed, or they do not have the right materials or the job. 

We have been promised an improved service to the communal repairs, the council employing new staff to manage these repairs. “Estate action days” are now used to complete some of the working which should have been done on normal day to day level.

The call centre was brought back “in house” last tear with again promises of an improved services to the residents. As we see from theirs stats it has not, We hear that by bringing it back ”in house” that the council have saved over 3 million pounds. Would it not have been better to use some of the savings to improve the service we receive. The managers at the call centres say they are now receiving a larger amount of calls., which is most likely due to the fact that this is the main way many residents can contact the council. If residents are lucky to be near one the one stop shops they find they have to wait or be given as appointment to have the questions answers. Continue reading →