Goose Green Newsletter February 2020
This is one of our regular newsletters. They are posted online and emailed out to Labour Party members and anyone who signs up here.
Southwark Council’s next leader…
After ten years leading Southwark Council, and sixteen years leading Southwark Labour Group, Cllr Peter John announced on 26th February that he will stand down at next Council Assembly. On 25th March the council will elect a new leader. Given that Southwark council is overwhelmingly Labour, the leader is in effect chosen by Labour councillors.
A number of Labour members and Labour councillors, including James, have written to the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) calling for party members to be given a vote in the election. Regardless of whether or not the NEC agree to this, it looks like local parties will host events for the different leadership candidates to answer questions.
Melbourne Grove
The council is consulting on some proposals to change the traffic flow on Melbourne Grove south (south of East Dulwich Grove). We have put out a survey asking residents what they think. James was joined by local party members to deliver these and discuss the issue on residents’ doorsteps.
More details are available on the council’s project page.
But it’s not just Melbourne Grove we’re interested in. If you have ideas to make our streets safer and more pleasant, please email us!
Budget
On 26th February Southwark Council Assembly met to agree a budget. After 10 years of Tory austerity these are always difficult meetings. In Southwark we have not had to do things like close libraries - which so many other authorities have had to do - but we face cuts every year. We need to do more to fight back against Tory austerity: it has not ended, and for Southwark it is only going to get worse.
Erasmus and Southwark Renters Union
Despite Tory austerity our budget included many positive iniatives. Brexit threatens the Erasmus programme so the council committed funds to support Southwark Scholars - students from low-income backgrounds whose tuition is funded by the council - to continue to study abroad.
The council also allocated £100,000 to a Southwark Renters Union, a manifesto commitment from 2018. The details are not yet in place but this could be an exciting project to empower tenants to take on dodgy landlords. James spoke on the issue at council assembly and you can see his speech here.
Investing in local projects
The day before council assembly the local councillors in the south of the borough, including Goose Green, met to allocate funds to local projects. In Goose Green we committed resources for:
open days at East Dulwich Community Centre;
gentle exercise classes for older people;
the ‘Music by the Green’ event and the weekly coffee mornings in St John the Evangelist church;
a new crossing on Whateley Road (supported by parents from both Heber and Harris primary schools);
four new instances of on-street cycle storage;
a study to investigate how to reduce rat-running on Melbourne Grove.
a new edible garden at Goose Green Primary School;
environmentally-friendly tote bags to advertise North Cross Road as a shopping destination;
air purification units in Harris Primary Academy East Dulwich;
new trees and planters for the St John’s and St Clements Primary School garden;
anti-idling signage around the local area;
wild flowers to aid pollination and support the bee population in Goose Green park;
new street benches;
promotion of Dulwich Festival;
street parties on a range of roads;
UCU Strike
The University and College Union (UCU) are striking over pay, pensions and workload. There are no strikes taking place in Goose Green but there are a number across Southwark. We stand in solidarity with these striking workers and James joined one of the picket lines at Camberwell Art College.
Health and Adult Social Care
Victoria chaired the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission meeting, 27th February, with key action on the Lay Inspection project which gives is the one project that gives the service users' and their families a voice about their care. This feeds into our ongoing service delivery for our older vulnerable residents.
Victoria also had a conference meeting, 13th February with the Director of Public Health, Dr Kevin Fenton and his team to discuss and clarify the new Needle Exchange and Drug consumption project through Community Pharmacies, across the borough, especially highlighting the lack of coverage in the South of the Borough including Goose Green Ward. Kevin has confirmed that his team are reassessing where these services are being delivered and are drafting an action plan to ensure there is more coverage in the south and ensuring that Community Pharmacies and other providers are delivering more targeted provision for vulnerable clients wherever they live.
The Neoliberal City
James attended a seminar of local resident Anna Minton’s Reading the Neoliberal City masters degree to answer questions about Southwark planning policy, and the Elephant and Castle development. It's a great course and really promising for the future of our capital.
Neighbourhood safety
Victoria will represent us at the Goose Green Safer Neighbourhood Panel meeting, 7pm @ The Picture House, to discuss with local businesses about the latest spate of burglaries and robberies from their vehicles and what local police teams can do to help. All Goose Green residents welcome!