Southwark councillors  have received  the following e-mail from the Borough Commander.  It confirms the threat to East Dulwich police station  from the Labour run Metropolitan Police Authority. The ‘comfort’ is that an equivalent or increased reception desk service will be provided for each of the ten  safer neighbourhood teams in Southwark. 

My problem with this is that when we have campaigned for a proper 24/7 police station in East Dulwich, we have been told by police that this would be a waste of police resources - better to have the bobbies on the beat they say. 

So, will we  be provided with at least ten further PCs or PCSOs to staff these ‘reception desks’? I suspect not.

Will the desk  be little  more than a trestle table in Sainsbury’s? (which might be a good idea but is surely not a substitute for a proper working police station).

I have sympathy with the Borough Commander, who is clearly following a direction from the Labour run Metropolitan Police Authority. But the logic of his email does not apply to Dulwich.

Our station is clearly well located to serve East Dulwich and Dulwich village.  And it is one of the most modern in  Southwark.

I have heard nothing yet to convince me that we should not continue to fight for a proper police presence on our streets - and that includes real working police stations.

—–Original Message—–

: Message from Borough Commander re accommodation plans

The Metropolitan Police Service, under the direction and scrutiny of the Metropolitan Police Authority, regularly reviews it accommodation requirements and plans. In recent years it has been recognised that substantial numbers of police buildings are not necessarily located or designed to support the delivery of the modern police service in Southwark and elsewhere in London. The vision for police buildings in Southwark is an increased presence of smaller bases in the local neighbourhoods combined with a number of larger stations that would continue to support facilities for custody and vehicle patrol. The Safer Neighbourhood Teams are now deployed to all wards in the borough and current activity by our Property Services Department is working to acquire and equip up to ten new Safer Neighbourhood bases for these teams.There is clearly a need to continue our programme of investment in new, modern buildings as replacements for those that are proving increasingly inefficient to use and costly to run. In order to achieve this, our Property Services Department have identified stations that are anticipated to be sold in the medium term - this is in a period between one year and three years hence. Three such police stations are located in this Borough - Rotherhithe, Camberwell and East Dulwich.There is an absolute assurance that the disposal of these police stations will not take place before alternative accommodation is available in the same locality that provides an equivalent or increased reception desk service.I do not underestimate the confidence and reassurance that derives from a sensible presence of police bases within the community. In short, we are committed to increasing the accessibility of our policing services in line with the needs of those who reside in or visit the borough of Southwark.

Last night I went to the Fair Trade steering group which is working on achieving Fairtrade status for Southwark Borough.  The group consists of concerned residents  and campaigners from groups like Friends fo the Earth,  the World Development Movement and the Fairtrade foundation - as well as councillors from all parties.  Although I am now the lead councillor for this area of activity, the steering group has put  in a load of donkey work. They are working closely with schools like Waverley down the road, as well as shops and cafes. There a whole series of goals we need to achieve in order to become a Fair Trade Borough and we aim to do it by the end of the year.   One of the steps I will be most pleased to take is getting rid of the Council’s hated coffee machines. Apart from the ‘unfairly traded’ coffee they are an environmental  abomination which waste a load of energy, plastic and foil for every cup of coffee staff and visitors to the council drink. It may only be a small thing but I’m a big believer in leading by example.

Last night, Southwark Council’s Executive launched  our pioneering plans to create one of the UK’s greenest multi-use energy schemes as part of the £1.5bn regeneration of the Elephant & Castle.

We agreed to look for a partner a scheme, which will create an unprecedented sustainable infrastructure by establishing a Multi Utilities Services Company (MUSCo).   

We have always said the regeneration should see no increase in carbon emissions, despite a 270% increase in floor space. 

We want the MUSCo to provide locally generated heat, cooling and electricity for the thousands of extra homes and businesses. 

But we want to go beyond Combined Heat and Power and provide green water for toilet flusing  as well as connecting the entire development with a fibre optic cable network for residents and businesses.  

The scheme will set new standards in green development and goes way beyond anything we have previously seen in the
UK.   

A number of European cities like Stockholm and Cophenhagen have successful schemes already in place. This is our chance to put the right infrastructure in place before we build new homes at the Elephant. 

I am increasingly of the view that if we are serious about cutting our carbon emissions - and let’s not forget that they have risen year on year under this Government - we are going to have to have a sustained programme of replacing our existing, energy inefficient, housing stock. 

I want the Elephant scheme to show that building new homes and businesses can be compatible with protecting the environment  - in fact it is  critical to achieving the kind of cuts in carbon emissions we need.

Last night,  I chaired my last ever meeting of the Southwark Environment Forum. I am passing over to the new councillor in charge of environment, Cllr Lisa Rajan.  (I would have chaired it much better if i hadn’t lost my voice…)

The Forum was re-formed when the Lib Dems won the 2002 election. (Shamefully, it had previously been abolished under Labour.) It brings together campaign groups like Southwark Friends of the Earth and the Friends of Parks groups,  voluntary sector organisations like Groundwork Southwark and SEA/Renue, and stautory bodies like the Environment Agency.   

For four years we’ve acted as a Forum and consultative body which has been fine but we have always wanted to a place on the Local Strategic Partnership - the Southwark Alliance.

 The Alliance includes the Council and the other big government organisations in the Borough like the Police and the local NHS. It is a Government led attempt to get more ‘joint working’ without having to give councils more power.

 The Alliance has sub-groups and policy themes which cover most of the key areas like health and community safety- but for reasons I never understood, it was set up without a specific voice for the environment at all. 

 The good news is that after four years of lobbying, Southwark Alliance has changed its constituion and has offered a place for the Southwark Environment Forum. That meant that last night we had to tighten up our constitution to become a formal partnership body that seeks to influence not just the Council but the Alliance as a whole.

I am not sure but think that we are one of the first Local Strategic Parterships to have done this.  

I hope that it will help ensure that environmental concerns can’t be ignored by organisations like the police and the NHS that don’t always understand what an effect they can have on our local environment.