Comments on Brockley Central: Lewisham's local priorities

I expect they'll deliver us into the hands of Came...

2008-07-02T13:49:00.000+01:00

I expect they'll deliver us into the hands of Cameron and his egregious bunch of asset-strippers in a couple of years anyway.

It's not just middle-class moaning, it's just that...

2008-07-02T13:47:00.000+01:00

It's not just middle-class moaning, it's just that one hears a lot more of it when the aforementioned middle classes have a hard time meeting their mortgage payments.

There was the odd bit of whingeing during the Blair years whenever he did something especially outrageous (e.g. invading another country) but for the most part people seemed to put up with it (and its technocratic, as you put it, 'policies') as long as the buy-to-let portfolio was bulging and the 4x4 was cheap enough to run.

Is it just middle class moaning to feel fed up wit...

2008-07-02T13:41:00.000+01:00

Is it just middle class moaning to feel fed up with the way the country is run?

I find the government, local and national to be so unprincipled.

Our leaders from central to local government are so uninspiring... There's no big ideas to make society better it's just technocratic tinkering and they can't even get that right.

Some coverage of the national picture here:http://...

2008-07-02T13:03:00.000+01:00

Some coverage of the national picture here:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4245034.ece

'Violent assaults and serious antisocial behaviour are lower priorities for councils than stopping people smoking, town hall targets showed yesterday.'

@ Transpontine -I don't think that's quite right, ...

2008-07-02T07:07:00.000+01:00

@ Transpontine -I don't think that's quite right, the national indicators are the same for everyone; central government, local government, NHS, police, etc. How they're inspected and packaged up may be changing but the indicators are built on the bedrock of the Comprehensive Spending Review. Of course a change of government will probably change all that, but lets not go there for the moment.

As for your wider point about poverty and inequality, councils would struggle to make a difference on their own, and with the powers they've currently got. But again the targets aren't just for councils to apply themselves to. For me the question is whether the strategies to address these big ticket issues are the right ones, and whether other circumstances will allow them to come to fruition.

A small point in these discussions, but it seems t...

2008-07-02T00:19:00.000+01:00

A small point in these discussions, but it seems that Local Area Agreements are on the way out, or at least that Ofsted will in future be inspecting Councils on a wider range of national performance indicators as part of a new Comprehensive Area Assessment, rather than just on a narrow shortlist of local priorities. For me the wider point here is that of course the big issues like child poverty should be more important than local gripes like roundabouts and betting shops - we are talking about a ten year difference in life expectancy between better off and poorer local residents. On the other hand, can Councils make much impact on this, when poverty is the result of national and indeed global inequalities of wealth and power over which local authorities can have little influence?

It is but Tooting is 100m long and that's very app...

2008-07-01T18:16:00.000+01:00

It is but Tooting is 100m long and that's very appealing to me.

Surely Brockwell's nearer?

2008-07-01T18:09:00.000+01:00

Surely Brockwell's nearer?

I have never been to Seven Islands actually, must ...

2008-07-01T18:06:00.000+01:00

I have never been to Seven Islands actually, must make an effort to check it out although higher on my list is to have a swim at a lido, earlier I tried to know if Charlton Lido was open but no matter how many phone calls I made I could not get any joy which means that it's probably closed then, and this means that I'll cycle to Tooting one of these days.

I just had a call back regarding my 'complaint' ab...

2008-07-01T16:54:00.000+01:00

I just had a call back regarding my 'complaint' about the digging up of pavement slabs on my street and replacing it with tarmac.

Conways argued:

1. They have the right to remove paving slabs if the 'gap' breached 2/3 of an inch.

2. They will replace with Tarmac near trees, as they assume trees will displace paving slabs in the future.

My arguement:

1. The gap was certainly less than 1cm.
2. The nearby tree is mature, and will not displace much in the future.

...and importantly, I took photos before they started work.

What transpired is that Conways admitted that the cost of 'installing' and 'maintaining' paving slabs is higher than Tarmac. In addition, ALL Paving slabs removed are kept by conways, who BREAK THEM UP and sell them for 'crazy' paving. - Yes, Very Crazy.

Anyway, they have AGREED to replace the Paving slabs back to its former glory.!!! One up for the Brockley Revolution!!!

I will post a full article on my site when i have new pictures to prove it.

The Brockely Telegraph/The Cat Man

As I said Andy, I haven't got time to pursue all t...

2008-07-01T16:33:00.000+01:00

As I said Andy, I haven't got time to pursue all this. I don't want a satellite dish on the building - I think they spoil the look of the building completely. This was my neighbour...

There's also the Seven Islands swimming pool near ...

2008-07-01T16:04:00.000+01:00

There's also the Seven Islands swimming pool near Surrey Quays station. Haven't been there for a few years but it was about 30m length and had lots of light.

I too heard that Eltham Pool is quite good and tha...

2008-07-01T15:28:00.000+01:00

I too heard that Eltham Pool is quite good and that for this reason it has become very crowded with serious problems of accomodating all users in their schedule.
I would recommend giving a go at Downham pool, it seems to me that it hasn't yet reached full capacity at lane swim times so you can still found a free lane (and I'm saying this against my own interest).

my advice to you would be to get a cat. I personal...

2008-07-01T12:40:00.000+01:00

my advice to you would be to get a cat. I personally would also put up the satilite dish as if there is 40 or 50 on your street they will never insist that you take yours down. You've actually made the situation worse by asking them for permission.(assuming of course your object is to have one up rather than making a statement about lack of enforcement). You may even have a case to pursue a civil claim against the council for lack of enforcement, have you considered that? Even a class claim for conservation area residents if you get a GRP together. Sounds scary, but doesn't need to be.

Either that or make your 'query' into a 'complaint' you will get better results if you tell them you have a complaint.

Anon 11.42 - Greenwich Arches isn't Victorian, it'...

2008-07-01T12:07:00.000+01:00

Anon 11.42 - Greenwich Arches isn't Victorian, it's 1920s or 30s I think. that's where I go to the gym at the weekend, it's pretty good and modern. Never used the pool though. It's Greenwich though, not Lewisham.

The Dulwich one on Goose Green has a small, basic gyme but I've never used the pool there either, but that is definitely Victorian.

Andy - yes I could spend 5 mins on the phone, but in my experience no call to the council takes 5 mins. You have to call several times as you sometimes get no answer, and if it's something that the council is hoping to evade it takes more than 1 call to get anything done, and even then. My neighbours have called about disregard for planning rules in the conservation area, and their calls are usually evaded or brushed aside.

My downstairs neighbour asked if he could put up a satellite dish as there are already so many. they said no. He said well there are already so many along Manor Ave, some houses have up to 4 on one! They said they would do something about it and asked him to walk down the street noting number of dishes and where they were - I think it came to 40 or 50. He sent the info in and then.... Nothing...

As I said, my contact so far has not been to complain, I wanted info on recycling and another time I wanted to know if they could help get rid of a rat that had climbed in through a window

Hh, surely you can spend 5mins on the phone during...

2008-07-01T11:57:00.000+01:00

Hh, surely you can spend 5mins on the phone during the day? When I'm busy I work 60-ish hrs a wk but I still have time to vent my frustation at the council. What were you complaining about anyway?

Isn't there a pool at Downham?Jolly poor show, oth...

2008-07-01T11:49:00.001+01:00

Isn't there a pool at Downham?

Jolly poor show, otherwise.

@ Max - ahh but I was sitting down.Thanks for the ...

2008-07-01T11:49:00.000+01:00

@ Max - ahh but I was sitting down.

Thanks for the response - it was a bit disheartening when we received such a blunt and useless answer from Lewisham - but we also realised that we need to get cleverer and play the game.

Swimming PoolsJust been on a search for one.Deptfo...

2008-07-01T11:42:00.000+01:00

Swimming Pools

Just been on a search for one.

Deptford Wavelengths - closed
Ladywell - closed
Forest Hill - closed
Crystal Palace - closed

There seem to be major building programmes at these or on new sites.

Rumour has it that Eltham is quite good, though a long trek.

Greenwich Arches and East Dulwich baths are Victorian and constrained by their design - open plan changing rooms, patched up repairs, that sort of thing.

Hi James, I also know what you look like now, when...

2008-07-01T10:35:00.000+01:00

Hi James, I also know what you look like now, when I read that you were representing the leasholders I thought "mhm, what name does he have at Brockley Central?".

Anyway the straight answer to your question is no, in my experience questions are very important but on their own they do not make things work.
What one should do is to take the answers that you received and use that in any imaginative way you can think of. There's a bit of an art in formulating questions, the assumption is that they will try not to answer, so the trick is to ask multiple short and snappy questions that don't leave room to evade and eventually come back the following meeting with more of them.
You would then understand exactly where the Council stands on a issue and you'd be in a much better position to ask for a change.

As for the verbal supplementaries as you saw they are more fun then else but I like to show up even just to thank them for taking the time to answer me really although I then engage with a bit of knockabout. No harm was ever done with a bit of that but again, keep short and snappy or they'll get away with answering you by speaking of something else.

Going back to what I said before, it seems that th...

2008-07-01T10:20:00.000+01:00

Going back to what I said before, it seems that these targets are largely set with 2 big bodies in mind - the police and the NHS, so no wonder they are skewed to health for vulnerable people and crime. Of course these are 2 big concerns, however there appears to be very little else on the list.

Andrew Brown responds that "public and private sector organisations such as the Police, the Hospital and the Chamber of Commerce, as well as elected community representatives and key individuals from the borough’s voluntary and community sector."

Outside hospitals and the police, there appears to be nothing tangible there. No one I feel who has consulted me or to whom I could turn to express my views "community representatives", "key individuals", "public and private sector organisations".... Eh??

As for Andy's response to my post about lack of response from the council to email and website communication (despite their promise of a response in 48 hours), as a worker bee (working hard to pay council tax to provide social housing and drug rehab it seems), I don't have time to "ring them up, enforce your legal rights", I just want them to do what they say they will.

I am not always contacting them with a complaint - just on a quest for info, ie about recycling (thanks TJ for the link - how easy was that?!)

You say Lewisham is actually pretty good.... I found Islington good, they answered the phones within 2 rings when you called, always responded to mail, when I had a mouse in my flat they sent someone round within the day to lay traps, and the MP, Emily Thornberry actually used to send me personally written letters about green issues in the area, and I even got Christmas cards from her! That's what you call service! Lewisham - take note.

Ah Max - now I know what you look like - I was als...

2008-07-01T10:14:00.000+01:00

Ah Max - now I know what you look like - I was also at council with the Brockely Leaseholder's association - as an aside, would like to know if that question session gets any real results

Yes boys, but we're not talking about catford are ...

2008-07-01T10:13:00.000+01:00

Yes boys, but we're not talking about catford are we? We're talking about what's round here.

I surely agree with Andrew that from the Ladywell ...

2008-07-01T10:04:00.000+01:00

I surely agree with Andrew that from the Ladywell Catford borders (aka Rushey Green) there's a good range of facilities in easy reach.

Anyway, yesterday I was at Council and there was commitment to reopen Ladywell Pool as soon as the plumbing issues are resolved and there was a hint at some improvement in the changing rooms, I asked a question about the changing rooms and the reply to my supplementary was "point taken" and a reassurance that the changing rooms will be looked after better than before the closure.

Andrew, does that mean that Prendergast is getting...

2008-07-01T09:57:00.000+01:00

Andrew, does that mean that Prendergast is getting a refurb/new build on the lower site? I am a Prendergast parent and local resident, but I haven't heard anything about this at all, and had wondered how the govt could make good its BSF pledge for Prendergast, given the limitations of the site.