More popular cameras

The Institute of Advanced Motoring has just released the results of its latest speed survey.

Apparently 82% of people think it’s acceptable for speed cameras. With an even higher 85% of people agree speed cameras have helped reduce road deaths. Nearly as many people, 72%, think speed awareness courses are a good idea.

These results compare really well with the survey undertaken in 2007 when 70% found speed cameras acceptable.

What’s changed to help improve acceptance? Is it the increasing use of average speed cameras we come across while driving around?

What do you think has caused this change?

In East Dulwich and across Southwark as a whole we need a system of average speed cameras – about half of our traffic is people starting and finishing outside the area who speed through and we need to deter this.

Needle Exchange

Several years ago the Dulwich Medical Centre on Crystal Palace Road proposed much to its neighbour horror adding a 100 hour pharmacy to its business.

This daft idea was roundly rejected. Many were even more alarmed by the needle exchange in this residential area than 100/168 hours per week pharmacy.

Sadly this business has decided to ignore its alarmed neighbours and applied again. To say this shows antagonism to its existing customers and neighbours would be putting it mildly.

I’m not so clear that Labour led council will fight this proposal. It’s changes to how they want planning decided hinder the fight.

The official consultation has ended but I’d see no harm in emailing your thoughts to link@ch1889.org

Online schooling

Where the USA treads the UK often follows. But this is one trend I’m not convinced by.

The USA has seen a 30% increase in online schooling for children. Last year 250,000 children were fully taught online. Some states have reduced education budgets so much classes above 30 have become common and parents are choosing online schooling to avoid this.

But what are children missing. A generation not socialised. Without Physical Education. Counter intuitively the better of are making this choice. Not so rich for private education but sufficient family income to have some one at home supervising the online learning.

And their was me thinking ‘free’ schools were challenging!

Alzheimer’s bomb

Horrifying prospect that Alzheimer’s may follow the explosion that our society has seen in people suffering Diabetes.

Our societies high calorie, fatty, sugar and salt rich diets have seen an explosion in Diabetes but research is now suggesting that the next stage of this explosion will see rocketing numbers suffering from Alzheimer’s. I sincerely hope they’re wrong.

But if they’re right the implications could be devastating. Huge increases in the number of people with dementia with all the heart ache for family and friends and costs for society.

Five a day seems lame against this.

Magnetic parking

Westminster City Council is trialling smart parking sensors.

You place sensors that note disturbances to the earths magnetic fields under the highway in the centre of the parking spot. These sensors report back whether a vehicle is parked above it and the information is then presented online. In some US systems parking is then priced based on demand, always keeping a few spaces free – but for a price…

Some sensors come with very long life batteries and communicate by radio making installation very easy. Combined with mobile parking payments, controlling parking and focusing warden resources has become much easier.

Westminster has chosen Parkopedia for their experiment.

I can’t wait to hear how this goes – let me know if you try it.

Heathrow nonsense

I was dismayed to see such stupid protestations from Conservative MP’s  who should know better and supposed business leaders. They’ve been demanding Heathrow have a third runway to magically solve all our economic woes.

First myth. Building a third runway with all the infrastructure would take at least 10 years and would only come on stream in two or three five year parliaments time. Not much economic magic about a ten plus year delay.

Second myth. That air pollution wouldn’t be a problem, that aircraft are so much cleaner. Most aircraft are flown for 40+ years. The current aircraft flying would be the ones to be used. Equally ground transport for passengers and staff would see NOx pollution causing further ill health to residents there let alone all the noise pollution. The World Health Organisation noise limits are already well and truly being breached across London.

What is truly astounding is the latest MP to call for this is Tim Yeo. He’s the chair of the parliamentary Climate Change select committee. Clearly a man in the wrong job.

The coalition agreement is quite clear. No third runway at Heathrow. I’d be saddened if the Conservatives renege on their commitment to this going into the 2015 elections. The Heathrow sound problem reaches across most of south London.

London Speed Cameras

Chuffed to hear that Transport for London is going to spend £40m converting all 900 wet film cameras to digital technology.

This should see a step increase in enforcement. Digital technology has massive capacity compared to wet cameras. Wet cameras are End of Life making them an increasingly problematic maintenance issue.

They’re also considering such technology to help enforce 20mph. Will produce a digital speed map allowing Intelligent Speed Adaptation trials in a suitable fleet. Hopefully Southwark’s fleet of vehicles will be volunteered.

Daft Parking rules

A new development was approved and granted planning permission some time ago. 1-4 Poppy Mews and 105  & 107 Barry Road. Its hasjust finished and lots of viewings from potential new East Dulwich residents. Welcome.

It was one of the few local planning meetings I missed and I was surprised at council officials recommending off-street parking. This section of Underhill Road had sufficient of on-street parking and proposed carports permanently remove on-street parking to make way for drives. As a consequence the gardens were planned to be very small with what space was left.

This picture shows the pickle we now have. Off-street car parking so small you can’t park a car and get in and our of it. Most cars are wider than the space allowed. But the drive crossovers mean no on-street parking. The worst possible combination.

I’ve asked officers how this happened. Surely someone has a model of a car in the planning transport team and tried ‘driving’ this scale model across the plans. It appears not.

Stunning green

Bizarrely Southwark Council have started to issue stunningly brighter green wheelie bins to residents.

You can see the marked difference in this photo which really doesn’t do it justice.

What seems especially odd is the departure from the quieter more staid green used for more than a dozen or so years in Southwark.

Can you imagine how our streets will look with old green bins, bright blue bins, brown, bins of various sizes and now brghit stunningly green wheelie bins.

It’s almost like someone doesn’t care.

do you think it’s important for our streets to look clean and tidy?