Student tuition fees

On Friday the latest manifesto pledge on Student Tuition Fees was agreed.

The Lib Dems havea six year plan to phase out tuition fees over the next six years. If we want a fair Britain then we have to ensure everyone feels able to attend university. Tuition fees are not part of the Lib Dem vision for a fairer Britain.

This policy also applies to those taking part-time degres swho tend be poorer or older. Under the current fees system they have to pay upfront making it doubly hard to change their lives.

However, due to the economic pickle this country is now in it would take six years to phase out tuition fees.

Final year tuition fees will be the first to go. Too many people drop out, often put off by the huge costs. We’d make it easier to stay on, because no student will pay any fees to complete their degree. In 2011, we’d get help to part-time students, regulating the fees they pay (a vital step towards abolishing them). In 2012, part-time students will be able to access the same loans as full-time students. In 2013, we would extend free tuition to second year students. In 2014, we’d extend that same free tuition to part time students. And in 2015, as the public finances are recovering, we will be able to afford to abolish all remaining fees.

Labour’s recession has made it more difficult to find the money to fund our priorities. That’s why we are right to adapt our plans for big spending commitments and why it is right that our General Election manifesto will focus this time on a smaller number of key commitments. But our message to students is clear: we remain the only party that believes fees are unfair, and the only party with a plan to get rid of them for good.

10:10

The Lib Dems were successful last week in getting the Greater London Assembly to finally sign up in support of the 10:10 campaign for cutting carbon emissions.   A similar motion in September was proposed but due to the Conservative Assembly Members walking out of the chamber the motion could not be debated.

Time Out has produced a map of London showing which local authorities have sined up to 10:10. Time Out 10:10 map.

The map clearly shows where Conservatives run the council they don’t sign up to 10:10. It also shows wherever Lib Dems hold any power that local authority has signed up to 10:10.

Friern Road bus stands

The bus stands at the junction of Friern Road with Lordship Lane represent the terminal points for the number 12 and 40 bus routes and any buses from routes 176, 185, etc that are turned around earlier. Over the last ten years bus numbers have increased – all great stuff.

BUT this terminus has no facilities. No toilets for bus drivers. This means when desperate the bus drivers have had to ‘go’ wherever they can. This has spilled into anti social problems for the residents in Rycott Path and Friern Road. To such a degree that the Police are involved.

Transport for London obtained planning permission 2007 for a drivers toilet to be installed. I’ve finally tracked down the hold-up. EDF power lines. Council officers have agreed to waive the normal notice periods and try geeing up EDF a major supplier to Southwark Council.

Hopefully within the next eight weeks the toilet can be installed and the area become just a little bit more civilised.

Bus routes 12 & 37 review

The East Dulwich councillors have been asked to give feedback on local bus services.

We’ve said that generally the lack of bus stop real time information on when buses are expected is suppressing bus passenger demand. Improving this would have the biggest impact on improving custom and the customers experience of any measure that could be taken.

Expressed a niggle is that the onboard information systems are not aligned between bus routes. Some bus routes call the junction of Barry Road with Lordship Lane ‘the Plough’ others call it ‘Dulwich Library’. Ideally London Buses would be organised to agree a common naming convention. Frankly it makes London Buses look at best disorganised. Clearly with the frequent name changes of ‘the Plough’ public house in recent years it would seem safer to align on’ Dulwich Library’. Suspect other examples abound.

The bus stands at the southern end of Friern Road need to have toilet facilities for bus drivers. Currently bus drivers through no fault of their own get caught short with very anti social consequences. Planning permission was given November 2008 for a toilet cabin opposite 391 Friern Road but nothing built yet.

Specifically we’ve also highlighted,

Number 12. When can we have non bendy buses. Presume this is already planned.

Number 37. This bus route seems especially prone to buses bunching. The regulation of bus frequency needs greater emphasis to avoid gaps in service.

Number 68/X68/468. Having an express bus stop at Camberwell and Herne Hill would really help speed East Dulwich residents to get near the area more quickly even though they’d then need to change buses to reach East Dulwich.

What do you think could be improved about the no.12 & 37 bus routes through East Dulwich?

Dulwich Hospital

The next Dulwich Community Council 14 December at Christ Church on southern end of Barry Road will be discussing the Dulwich Hospital after the latest update from Southwark Primary Care Trust. Trust has been lacking for the last 10 years with some many changes of plans and the appearance of secrecy and quango knows best. This has been compounded recently by the lifts being closed and the consequent ‘temporary’ closure of the intermediate care wards. These wards provided local care for people not well enough to go home but not poorly enough to block a bed at Kings Hospital.

However, I’m hopefully that with the current scaffolding, planning applications for new pedestrian entrances that the PCT now plans to keep the remaining hospital buildings and all the services they’ve traditionally provided. Sell the vacant land and the profits used to renovate the remaining hospital. That the financial accountancy tricks of the LIFT Co. Private Finance Initiative will be ended for Dulwich Hospital and we can all move on with local facilities agreed with the local community. This doesn’t mean the PCT using the rigged local ‘consultation’ results.

What do you think should happen to the Dulwich Hospital?

Lee Valley Park – council tax

Every Southwark Council tax payers by law have to pay an extra amount to fund the Lee Valley Regional Park. This linear park runs along the Lee River from Ware in Hertfordshire, through Essex getting ever narrower until it reaches East India Dock Basin.

How many people from Southwark use this facility? They tell me one Southwark school visited their petting farm and the Herne Hill Harriers compete there. – unfortunately they don’t seem to know that HHH are not Southwark based but moved to Tooting Bec many years ago.

I don’t understand why council tax payers shouldn’t either pay prorated for the use they make – with Southwark residents paying little or nothing – or that it comes from central taxation or other non Southwark council tax payers pay proportionally for the use they make of Southwark Parks.

What do you think?

Salt!

For the last 10 months I’ve been making enquiries about Southwark Council salt levels. Last Winter during dreadful 1 in 50 year snowy weather the whole UK effectively ran out of salt and many London roads could’nt be cleared. Some climate scientists have predicted the next 10 years will be colder winters and more likely for more snowy winters before returning to trend for rapid global warming.

Southwark salt storage areas have been confirmed to me as full. 950T of salt. Work on increasing this to 1,100T is being considered.

To ensure the salt is kept in a good condition it is kept covered by tarpaulins. Building a permanent structure over these stock piles has been considered – Eurodome or Cover-All– but the costs and time taken to build are not considered worthwhile compared to the small cost of salt wastage. Tarpaulins do feel a bit ‘Heath Robinson’ but do seem effective and certainly the cheapest option.

However, council officers have told me they are examining:

– ‘Dry Store’ a vented flexible covering. a step up from tarpaulins.

– Salt Union (national salt supplier) for a pan London salt distribution scheme.

– ‘Wet Salting’ involving pre wetted finer grade salt which uses less salt, quicker acting and less affected by high winds (a feature of last winter).

– Improving calibration of salt spreaders which would reduce the wastage and make salt go further.

Fingers crossed we don’t have another ‘1 in 50’ snowy winter. But if we do we’ll be better prepared.

Bulk Rubble

I’ve come across another residents whose had work undertaken on her home. The builders have left her with 20 bags of rubble in her front garden. By law they should take them away and leave a waste transfer note.

Once left how do you get rid of them. Southwark has a bulk refuse service but it isn’t designed to take them and why should it if workmen by law should have. Also, it could be contaminated with asbestos for example. Also, it could mean workmen start leaving bags of rubble and shirk their responsibilities.

IF the householder doesn’t have a car to remove to the municipal recyclnig centre at Manor Place what does the resident do. If they put in their wheelie bin and it noticeably weighs more then it wont be emptied.

Everyone’s stance is perfectly reasonable and justified but it still leaves the odd residents with an intractable problem.

The moral of this story. If you have work done on your home or business make sure they take all the waste with them.