First Steering Group Meet

Sunday afternoon at my home the first inaugral meeting of the steering group for a new East Dulwich free secondary school met.

Inaugral new East Dulwich secondary school campaign steering group

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although I launched and have run with this campaign for many months it’s definately time to open it up to parents that have the time to help make it happen. I’m also keen that it becomes a cross party campaign. Ensuring enough good school places shouldn’t be political.

A dozen of us chewed over what we’d like to see. We agreed that it would be:

– co ed and non faith

– non selective but have good SEN provision and ensure boys and girls succeed and with gifted and talented.

– subject specialism of teachers and the school specialise working with some of our great world renouned South London institutions.

– engage with parents and supporters.

We also agreed to approach two school providers initially – Prendergast and Haberdashers – to see if either wanted or could fulfil our aspirations. At that point we would pass the baton to them to lead this campaign.

Party Wall Agreements

East Dulwich is a hive of residents improving their homes. Sometimes these improvements cause neighbours problems and even distress.

When such works take place within 3 metres (10 foot) of a neighbours garden or property a Party Wall Notice should be agreed between both parties.

I’ve just been given suggested formal wording a neighbour should write to neighbours improving. Hope you find it useful.

“I understand that you have submitted Planning Drawings to the Council for works to your property, both to the grounds level and loft.

I refer only to the proposed extension at the rear of your property and believe this could come under the Party Wall Act. I have taken advice and understand this if this is the vase that by law you are required to issue Party Wall Notices to myself as an immediately adjoining owner. There are other aspect to the Act other than just work affecting party wall and I further understand that the Notices may cover Excavation Works within 3 metres of an adjoining property and building up to the boundary ( a Line of Junction Notice).

I  the latter arises at all then the Notices must be service to me with the Planning Drawings showing the works.

If you do not comply with the above prior to the works starting on the site then I further understand that I can issue you with an injunction to prevent the works starting before issuing the Notices. Such legal costs will be recoverable from you though the courts including such other necessary costs.

I look forward to hearing from you concerning the above and of course also should you consider the scheme does not require such notices then please clarify this.

Yours sincerely“

 

Stairs Not Chairs

Some research has investigated whether people like you and me can be encouraged to forego using lifts to take the stairs between floors. Many of us have very sedentary work – sitting around on chairs all day.

Signs like this were used:

takethestairs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They found such signs tripled the numbers taking the stairs. Obvious health benefits for people and some electricity and lift wear and tear saved.

They also found that lifts visible from the foyer and with external windows were the most popular. Really important for a place like Southwark with lots of new developments that our planners work with developers to achieve this.

Do you take the stairs?

I’ll be asking Southwark Council to promote this initially in its office buildings.

Even small gifts influence behaviour

My day job is in procurement. It really compliments my home time being a local councillor. And occasionally being a councillor informs the day job.

I came across some really interesting peer reviewed research showing that even small gifts make a difference to peoples behaviours and decisions:

http://blogs.wsj.com/totalreturn/2012/12/21/the-big-corruption-in-small-gifts/

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/19/health/research/19beha.html?_r=0

Sadly almost all organisations don’t recognise these impacts and do allow such small gifts.

In both roles I’ve never accepted gifts. Sometimes I have eaten sandwiches at a suppliers remote premise. As a councillor I have never accepted anything. I have only had lunch with developers once and paid my part of the bill much to their consternation.

But some councillors haven’t taken on board this research and don’t just accept small gifts but gifts worth thousands of pounds. The research suggests it  must affect their decision making.

If you’d like to explore the interests of councillors see each councillors register of gifts and hospitalities on the Southwark Council website – http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200038/councillors_mps_and_meps/1367/your_councillors

The council leader Cllr Peter John has in just the last 12 months received £1,881.15 of such gifts and over a dozen dinner and balls tickets valued far in excess of this but the value hasn’t been stated:

http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/mgListGifts.aspx?UID=189

 

Southwark Council Keeps Britains Ultimate Top Secrets

Local councils such as Southwark Council sometimes require decisions to be taken about which an element of secrecy has to be kept. Home address for governors, specific contract details, etc.

Unlike central government that keeps such things secret for 30, 50, 100 years and the like councils keep their secrets for ever. They never release them. Not even a central log of secrets is kept.

When asked about this officers helpfully suggested that if a councillor were to ask to see the secret papers (usually pink paper) they could under supervision. But not knowing what has beene kept secret makes this rather tricky.

Do you think Southwark Council should be even more secretive than central government?

Right to Contest – Dulwich Hospital

 The NHS could be forced to hand over part of the Dulwich Hospital site for a new secondary school after a local councillor formally referred the matter to Government Ministers.

A decision on its future will now be made by a panel comprising of Treasury Ministers and the Cabinet Office after I invoked new ‘Right to Contest’ powers to push the NHS, which owns the land, into selling it on. WS Dulwich Hospital 131216_Right_to_Contest_application_form_final

Despite the site being 27,000m² – the size of around four football pitches – currently less than a tenth of the space is being used.

I submitted the application earlier this month (5 February). I want to see at least half of the spare land used for a new secondary school to help plug the shortfall of permanent school places in the area. Land would also be available for the health centre already being planned on the site.

I believe this to be one of the very first applications of its kind in the country, after the new powers were introduced by the Government to free up public land and help boost economic growth. Launching the scheme in late January, Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander MP said the Government “should not act as some kind of compulsive hoarder of land and property” that could be better used for other purposes.

My application will now go forward for review by the Government panel, which will also see input from the NHS and the Department of Communities and Local Government before a decision is made.

It is amazing that after 20 years of false starts the Dulwich Hospital site is still in limbo. It is a criminal shame that so much land stands idle and under utilised for decades, especially when money is tight.

Dulwich desperately needs a new local secondary school – not children being bussed far and wide as Labour propose. That’s why we have submitted an application using new Right to Contest rules on the use of public land, which were introduced by Liberal Democrat Ministers in government.

We are on the side of local parents who want to see a new and much-needed secondary school in the area, and an end to Dulwich Hospital being left as an empty wasteland….

Dulwich Hospital cleared site

No Notice – Barry Road Resurfacing

Local councillors have just received at 16.22 today notice that council officers plan to resurface Barry Road starting on Monday 24-27 February 8am-4pm.

If you live on Barry Road and park a vehicle on Barry Road you will need to park it elsewhere. If you live nearby expect lots of Barry Road residents to park on your street!

See attached draft letter to be delivered over the weekend. After seeking clarity we now know that Barry Road will be resurfaced from its junction with Lordship to junction with Upland Road.  You could not make this up!

Barry Road letters

Flooding – sorry

This winters rainful has been historic and contributed to significant flooding.

As a nation we’ve also notable success around flood protection. Less rainful caused 200,000 more homes to flood 50 years ago and the significant measures taken sicne then have resulted in far less flooding. But that’s little consolication to those that have been affected.

But it’s also clear that recent governmental agricultural rule changes have also had a major impact on this – http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/17/farmers-uk-flood-maize-soil-protection

It’s little consolation that it was Conservative ministers that let this happen when Lib Dems are in coalition with them nationally.

Sorry to those affected that we didnt block these stupid agricultural rule changes.

Council Crashes

Southwark Council officials have recently been suggesting that council vehicles crashing into cyclists 13 time in 1.2million miles driven by staff, who are professional drivers, is ok or even good.

This sounded really odd to me. So after a tiny bit of digging this is what I’ve found.

All car mileage in 2010 was 290billion miles covered by 28.7million cars. That ALL crashes of any severity of injury equalled 209,000 in 2010. Therefore for normal non professional car drivers a total crash rate of 1 crash for every 1.16million miles driven.

Clearly the council spokesperson is at best talking rubbish. If they have crashsed so frequently then clearly something seriously wrong.

The other tail end of the story was the council getting their truck drivers to get Certificate of Professional competence. This is a legal requirement! I should bloody well hope so.

Have you ever been crashed into by Southwark Council staff?

Steveley Close Damp

The things I do/find as a Southwark Councillor!

This morning commuting from East Dulwich into London Bridge I spotted a down drain pipe on Staveley Close council properties when my train stopped at Queens Road Peckham station. It was hard not to while pressed up against the door window.

It’s clear lots of mold and damp are present on 1st and ground floors around one broken down pip – this could be seen clearly from Station Passage or indeed passing trains. It looks like its been growing for many many months. Appalled that so many council officials commuting in and out of Southwark Council HQ at Tooley Street must have ignored this problem.

Using Google maps and Streetview I’m sure 37-42 Staveley Close are the properties involved so I’ve reported the matter. Hopefully it won’t take long to fix – it looks an easy job even for a DIY disaster like me.