London Bridge Chaos

London Bridge is ungoing many years of being rebuilt to enable Network Rail to serve long distance commuters better. Long distance commuters are more profitable and they spend more at concessions. It has already seen the South London Line closed to make way for the rebuild and seen no increase in other rail services to Southwark rail stations.

To add insult to injury while the building works go on the services have become so unreliable that British Transport Police have had to deploy a visible presence during rush hours:

Police at London Bridge

 

 

 

Next week the new platform 14 & 15 open. Network Rail are fanfaring that they will be partially covered – but the old platforms 14 & 15 were fully covered and we also had a platform 16 Network Rail decided to remove. All those hundreds of millions to be treated as susipcious with permanent cop presence and platforms less protected from the weather.

Why can’t we have great public transport rather this dumming down to mediocre but yet at huge expense?

Well meaning Police?

26 June 2013 Boris closed the East Dulwich Police Station. This brought to an end our 10+ years campaign to save it. We stopped Labour Ken and Val Shawcross closing it. But Boris within weeks of promising not to close it and many other police station did the most massive U-turn.

The Met Police have used these closures to undertake a massive centralisation programme. We no longer have a dedicated team of 8 Police officers based in East Dulwich sharing cover with a similar team for Village ward. It worked well. Instead they’ve amalgamated 5 such teams and based them in Camberwell.

At last week’s Dulwich Community Council the Inspector in charge presented findings from a rudimentary time and motion study.

It showed:

–          16% of officer time is now wasted spent travelling, when assigned to Dulwich work, between Dulwich and Camberwell.

–          16% equates to the loss of 4 police officers from College, Village and East Dulwich wards combined – half a Safer Neighbourhood Team.

–          Reported crime down – roughly by the amount of crime previously reported at the East Dulwich Police station.

We’ve also stopped having regular meetings with police officers in each ward to tell them what residents and businesses are concerned about.

My experiences of Southwark and Met Police is that they could do with some real operational expertise applied to properly plan how they operate. It currently looks and feels as well meaning at best.

GP Chaos

We have an increasingly desperate issue about the Dulwich Medical Centre failing its patients:
But we also have the same problem at the Melbourne Grove GP:
Have you been affected?
We really need residents to formally complain. Many have they told me but nothing changes.
 

21st Century Magna Carta

2015 will mark 800 years since the Magna Carta was signed forcing King John   to guarantee certain rights and freedoms.

This historic document and what it represents is admired around the world as a symbol of liberty – the first occasion the people of England were granted rights against an absolute king. Unlock Democracy are conducting a survey of what changes think should be done now to protect and improve our democracy:

TAKE PART IN OUR SURVEY

This is a national conversation to gather people’s views on what a 21st century Magna Carta should look like – and what kind of rights and freedoms we should be focusing on for the future.

What would you prioritise and change?

Deciding Planning Locally

In Southwark planning applications for schemes up to 50 new homes were decided at local planning committees. Southwark had eight to cover the whole borough and one main planning committee for schemes greater than 50 new homes.

These were swept away Southwark Labour. Supposedly to save money but the amount of money spent on each community council meeting is now so huge that you could hold the dames number of meetings as used to be held for less money.

It is so embarrassing that local schemes aren’t decided locally that Labour cabinet councillor Barrie Hargrove pleaded a special case for the Flood Alleviation Planning Application.

Sadly even Barris didn’t make any progress against the entrenched decision that local planning decisions shouldn’t be heard anywhere convenient for residents.

 

Play Streets

The legislation allowing Play Streets was passed in 1938. It allows for 3 hours per week for local residential streets to be closed and children get to play outside where they live.

But over time the number of Play Streets has declined from 700 in the 50’s to none by the 80’s. So a revival is long overdue.

Lambeth Council are trialling on Guernsey Grove in Herne Hill and Hexham Road in West Norwood Play Street days. Residents are allowed to close their street for up to 3 hours per week so their children can play in a great traffic free environment. Most often they do this during a weekend afternoon.

This has been inspired by schemes in Hackney, Bristol and even New York.

Should you street become a Play Street?

Southwark 20mph

Southwark is introducing 20mph speed limit on all roads except those controlled by TfL or the Dulwich Estate.

This has been a long time coming with the strategy agreed when Lib Dems led the council. Richard Thomas was the lead councillor on this years back.

But not much point making our roads 20mph without any enforcement.

The Association of Chief Police Officers have announced a course option for motorists exceeding 20mph as an alternative to a fine and or points on driving licences. The course would be for motorists travelling 24-31mph.
Avon and Somerset Police are the first ti pilot this course.

We need to persuade our Met Police in Southwark to also take this approach.

Do you agree most roads should be 20mph in Southwark?

East Dulwich Harris Primary School

Recap – we have a looming primary school places crisis of 215-235 reception places September 2016. The East Dulwich Harris Primary School will provider 60 places to fill this gap with huge local parent support to make it happen.

Harris have appointed the Principal for the school. I’m hoping to meet them in April.

The former East Dulwich Police station has been bought to provide the site for this school. The full funding agreement has been signed off with governments Educational Finance Agency (EFA).

The EFA will have appointed their full technical team by the end of this week to ensure the new school is completed by September 2015 as the permanent site.

Discussions are ongoing about the temporary site the school will open on this September 2014. But it looks 99% likely that the temporary site will be the East Dulwich Harris Girls Academy site.

During the 1st week of April an admissions evening will be held for parents and families.

We just need to find a site for the second local Harris Primary school.

 

Saving Men

The psychological needs of men and boys are often overlooked – males often don’t have someone to talk problems over with such that:

  • Men are three times more likely to commit suicide 
  • Three quarters of missing people are men
  • The majority of those who are homeless are men 
  • The rates on mental illness in the domestic homeless population are high 
  • Men are more likely to be victims of violence
  • 5% of men (compared to 7% of women) have reported being a victim of domestic violence
  • Men and boys can also be victims of physical abuse and sexual abuse
  • Men make up the vast majority of the prison population and it is estimated that 90% of prisoners have mental health problems 
  • Men suffer more substance abuse and dependence
  • Men account for 79% of drug related deaths 
  • Men are more likely to struggle with psychological problems following redundancy or the loss of a job 
    Men’s psychological wellbeing not only effects individuals themselves but also others, including women, children and other men. It is imperative that the psychological needs of men and boys are improved.

Did you realise things were this bad – I hadn’t?

New East Dulwich Cinema

I adore going to the cinema. I love the whole thing. All the way from the anticipation of going, watching the trailers to the credits and chatting about what you’ve seen.

For some time I’ve been encouraging cinema companies to consider East Dulwich. We recently had three chains consider East Dulwich and previously I’d even approached a real independent cinema Bermondsey Shortwave.

Finally the long awaited cinema company who have agreed, subject to planning permission, to open a cinema in East Dulwich on Lordship Lane is Picturehouse Cinemas – the people who run the Brixton Ritzy.

Next week they have public consultations about what they’re thinking of doing on the old Roman Catholic Community Centre, Thomas Moore Hall, 116A Lordship Lane.

DO PLEASE pop along and take a look at what they proposing….

Tuesday 4 March 6.30-9.30pm & Saturday 8 March 10am-1pm.

And let us know as your local councillors what you think.

Do you think it will bring extra vigour to Lordship Lane? Cause parking issues? Provide things for teens to do as well as us adults?