The ending of the Audit Commission progresses. For Southwark Council it means that the councils accounts will this year be audited by Grant Thornton.

This has resulted in a 43% reduction in the audit fee. Instead of being charged £552,990 by the Audit Commission in 2011/12 we’ll be charged £313,794 by Grant Thornton covering 2012/13.

It gets better. The Audit Commission took many months to complete their audit not even starting until after they’d audited others. Grant Thornton expect to have their draft completed by mid August. Not ideal or perfect but a big improvement.

With time and when Southwark is one day able to choose their own auditors we’ll move to auditing to match that of private industry. Where accounts are closed within 12 weeks of financial year end allowing everyone to then concentrate on the new financial year.

For several years the car club cars in Southwark have been run by Zipcars.

So far 90 car club cars have been deployed into Southwark. We’ve really tried supporting this in East Dulwich by finding extra funding to ensure 10 of those 90 are in East Dulwich. We’ve even taken the extraordinary step of asking Zipcars for 5,500 Zipcar leaflets and delivered them to all the homes in East Dulwich ward.

Why? For every car club car around 25 private cars are taken of off the road. Great way of trying to cope with car parking pressures in the area.

During the last year Zipcar revenues have gone up by 41%. Predictaitons that signed up car share members will rise from 2.3 million to 26 million by 2020.

So I’m hopeful that the announcement by Avis that they’re buying Zipcars and plan a massive rapid expansion will mean lots more car sharing across Southwark.

Fingers crossed?

Would you consider joining Zipcars and car sharing?

The weather forecast is that it will snow all day Friday 18 January and settle. That it will keep snowing all day Saturday and Sunday with minus temperatures. So the snow is likely to stay. Monday the forecast is for snow but temperatures hovering just above freezing so during the day we should see some melting.

Elderly. If you have elderly family or neighbours please check that they’re alright. If you’re worried about anyone contact Southwark Council’s Older People team – OPS@southwark.gov.uk

Roads. The Council highway contractors have been out gritting roads as per the winter plan:  using their lorry gritters. We’re also fortunate that we have a large number of hand gritting machines (80 bought 2009) and unlike the last two winters we’ve been assured they’re out and about gritting pavements. IF you think an area has been missed or is dangerous please contact me immediately – james.barber@southwark.gov.uk or 07900 227366.

Schools. All East Dulwich schools are open and as of 12.30 today were not planning to close early. NB. Goose Green is closed to pupils on Monday 21st for a staff training day.

Transport. TfL report they have robust winter weather plans but ask that you thoroughly plan all journeys before setting out.

London Overground and tubes running well with problem limited to northern end of the Northern Line and Overground into Euston.

Buses. No specific delays for  bus routes P13, 12 40, 176, 185, 197, 484. we’ve asked for the road works at East Dulwich Road/Peckham Rye to be suspended to relieve congestion during the snowy weather and before the road become icy.

Trains. First Capital Connect have a broken train at Blackfriars causing delays to services via Herne Hill, Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye, Nunhead. Southern trains into East Dulwich are running an altered time table – still trains running just not as many.

If you’d like to receive snow updated from the East Dulwich councillors ping me an email – james.barber@southwark.gov.uk

For a number of years you could rent out a spare room tax free for up to £4,250 pa or £81.73 pw. But it hasn’t change or kept up with rental inflation.

Average property rentals are much higher. So although the tax break is welcome is it enough to make people interested in sharing an under occupied home? My hunch is it isn’t sufficient to release the millions of spare bedrooms the UK has.

So how many spare bedrooms could be released in East Dulwich, Southwark and London?

I’ve received the following back from a Freedom of Information report of the Inland Revenue.

1071-13 Cllr James Barber

They estimate 110,000 homes people are lodging at out of the UK’s 25 million homes – or under 1/2%.

Environmentally it makes more sense for people to share homes. Often two can live for the price of one!

I was horrified to read that the Queen and Prince of Wales have the ability to block legislation from the UK parliament.

I was horrified enough to hear they were even consulted on legislation but having a power of veto. I had never appreciated how medieval our country’s so called unwritten constitution still is.

 To see the guidelines around checking legislation with our anti democratic royals – http://www.republic.org.uk/queensconsentcabinetdoc.pdf

It’s even been claimed that government ministers over the years have exploited the royal family’s secretive power to veto new laws as a way to quell politically embarrassing backbench rebellions.

Amazingly records show at least 39 different laws have been subject to the secretive royal consent arrangement in recent years. Bizarrely royal aides have stated “The sovereign has not refused to consent to any bill affecting crown interests unless advised to do so by ministers.” so when government could resist MP’s wishes they ask the queen to veto parliament!

Even the threat of withholding royal consent has been enough for legislation to be substantially altered – or dropped.  This is real power described as “the royal atomic bomb” in the hands of the royals. Over the years we’ve had the nerve to criticise others for not being democratic enough while all along hereditary royals tamp with the people’s wishes.

If you think this is obscene sign up for Replublic membership.