Homestall Road Sports Ground Olympic Legacy Project - Consultation meeting on 14th March

Here's a quick update on the Olympic Legacy Project to improve the sports facilities at Homestall Road Sports Ground, including news of a consultation meeting this Thursday.  This is a project aimed at improving facilities for kids wanting to get involved in football in the local area.  The funding has been arranged and allocated by Southwark's Labour Council, in consultation with Athenlay Football Club and the local community.

With regard to the grass pitches, the works to improve the drainage and quality of the grass pitches were completed in August 2012. The new grass has established well and which means that in September 2013 footballers will have a safe and level playing field. The upgrade of the grass pitches will mean that a much wider area can be used for football. 

One of the concerns raised with us by local residents was the closeness of one of the pitches to their garden fences.  To address this the pitches will be re-configured to ensure that they are marked out as far away from neighbouring fence lines as possible.  The aim is to minimise noise and disturbance.

As part of the improvements to Homestall Road Sports Ground, a proposal for an artificial pitch is being developed.  This will be a great facility for local kids. A smaller sized floodlit artificial pitch to the original plans is being proposed which would not go as near to perimeter fences as previous options may have. Again, this will help to minimise any disturbance resulting from activities.

Council officers working on the project and Athenlay FC will be holding a consultation evening on Thursday 14^th March in the club house at the Sports Ground. If you would like to discuss the proposal in more detail, come along any time between 5pm and 7pm.

Southwark's social housing - time for a 30 year plan

Southwark’s Housing Commission Report is that rarest of things – a report about local government housing policy which you will find readable and interesting.  The report, published back in October 2012, is a razor–sharp analysis of problems afflicting one of Britain’s largest social landlords.  It also offers up options (none of them painless) for how Southwark can confront these problems.

The fact that the report had to be commissioned at all* tells you something about the level of importance placed on this issue by Southwark’s ruling Labour administration.  Sadly, it also tells you something about the scale of the challenge facing the council. 

Southwark has 39,000 tenanted properties and 16,700 leasehold properties and far too many of these homes are in poor condition. This is in part the legacy of the council (and the old GLC) building homes on the cheap in the 1960s and 1970s. These problems have been compounded by decades of poor repairs and maintenance and long-term underinvestment.  For many, many years Southwark has been avoiding the difficult questions about how to secure the long-term future of good quality affordable housing in the borough.      

Southwark’s Labour councillors commissioned the report because we knew that lack of investment and failure to properly manage the housing stock would, in the long-term, lead to a reduction in the number of affordable homes in the borough.  That is not something that a progressive, socially responsible Labour council is prepared to let happen. The Commission was asked to do two things: explore options for the financing, ownership and operation of Southwark’s housing stock beyond 2015** and make recommendations for a sustainable investment strategy over a 30 year period. 

The conclusions of the report are fascinating.  It does not make pleasant reading for anyone seeking to defend the Southwark’s housing management record over the last 50 years.  In short, the Commission concludes that the council has built poor quality estates on the cheap, failed to invest in maintaining them, consistently delivered a poor quality repairs service and failed to effectively engage with tenants. The long-term solutions identified by the Commission boil down to three main areas: 

1. A sustained, long-term investment programme in the fabric of social housing
2. Radically improved standards and structures for Southwark’s housing management
3. A significant improvement in (and intensification of) tenant engagement

I won’t go into detail regarding the changes the Commission suggests with regard to 2 and 3, otherwise this post is at risk of being longer than the report itself.  But if you’re interested, take a look at the sections on “Housing Management Options (pages 63-65) and “Support for council housing” (page 67-72)

As you would expect, the headline issue which the report gives most attention to is the level of good quality council housing which Southwark can seek to sustain over the next 30 years.  It also examines how this balances with the provision of other forms of affordable housing. 

The three options for council housing proposed are:

Option 1: “The council could manage a slow but steady decline in its stock to around 30,000 homes. This would release extra funds to improve the retained stock and enable major restructuring of estates but do nothing to address the shortage of affordable low-rent housing. Over time the council would gain a relatively large financial surplus from its rents, which it could reinvest.”

Option 2: “Maintaining the stock at around the current level of 39,000 homes over 30 years would necessitate a substantial and sustained refurbishment and new-build programme. This more ambitious scenario would help ease the borough’s housing problems, but it requires the council to undertake a higher level of borrowing against the value of its larger stock to cover the funding gap. It also requires a step change in the quality of strategic and project management.”

Option 3: “A carefully managed reduction to 20,000 homes should cut management and maintenance costs and release more resources for improving the existing stock. Fewer council homes would mean more pressure on other social and private housing providers, as well as probably many more leaseholders as a result of tenants exercising their Right to Buy. But this option would also generate a larger financial surplus for reinvestment, which could be used in partnership with other providers.”

What is clear from these three proposals, is that there are no easy answers.  The options involve either looking at managing down the number of council homes and doing more partnership work to deliver affordable housing OR maintaining more of the housing stock via increased borrowing, paid for through other sources.  The report’s authors make it clear that the different options are not mutually exclusive and Southwark may wish to pursue a mixture

That said, I think it’s clear that a Labour Council will not be seeking to make dramatic reductions in the housing stock, when what we need is more affordable housing, not less.  As the Labour Leader of the Council recently said: “At a time when Southwark Labour has pledged to build 1,000 new council homes by 2020, it would go against all our beliefs to reduce our stock by 20,000 in the 20 years after that.”

My personal view is that we should be looking to be as ambitious as possible with regard to funding good quality social housing.  I’m not interested in condemning people to sub-standard council housing based on ideological dogma. But neither do I think we can even begin to address these issues without a big role for the Council as a social landlord.  Getting the funding model right is going to be difficult, but crucial to the success of this policy.  The money has to be there to maintain the properties and regenerate those homes which are beyond repair.  A key line in the report regarding the council's ability to borrow to invest in housing states: "The council has £126 million of headroom borrowing for investment in existing stock and new homes. This places Southwark in an extremely favourable position compared with other landlord authorities." 

The council will soon be carrying out a full consultation on the 30 year strategy.  I'd encourage as many Southwark residents as possible to get involved and contribute. The availability of good quality, affordable homes in an inner borough like Southwark is an issue which touches the lives of a huge number of people. This is about the kind of place we want to live in: One that accommodates only those on higher incomes who can afford to live in inner London or a mixed community where people of varied economic means can live and work together.  Southwark Councillors are not yet at the point of decision on Southwark’s affordable housing policy for the next 30 years, but the time for decisions is getting close.  At least now we have the information we need to make our choice. 

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 * You won’t be surprised to hear that Simon Hughes and his Southwark Liberal Democrat colleagues have refused to engage in a serious debate how to secure the long-term future of affordable housing in the borough.  Instead they have attacked Southwark Labour for “hiring an overpaid lawyer and a bunch of so-called experts to tell us what we already know”.  This is, of course, childish and puerile nonsense

** Up to 2015/16 Labour has already put in place a fully investment plan with the aim of making all council housing in the borough “Warm, safe and Dry”

Peckham Rye (West) / East Dulwich Road / Nunhead Lane road works

This post is something of a public information notice about road works which are taking place in Peckham Rye very shortly.

Work will begin on Monday 7th January at the junction of Peckham Rye (West) and East Dulwich Road.  As many of you will know, this junction has been the scene of numerous road traffic accidents over the years and the council recently consulted on making changes which will improve safety and traffic flow. Works will also be taking place at the junction of Peckham Rye (East) and Nunhead Lane on the opposite side of the Common. 

During the works, which will be completed by 29th February, there will be four-way traffic lights with a "pedestrian phase" in operation. Clearly, it is likely that during the works there will be traffic disruption at the junctions and the surrounding area.

The main features of the works are:

- The introduction of a new right turn filter for eastbound traffic on East Dulwich Road

- Improving both junctions by linking them together with SCOOT

- The introduction of new advance stop lines on all arms of the junction to improve safety for cyclists

- The reduction of crossing distance for pedestrians at Peckham Rye / East Dulwich Road junction

- New audible feature for the visually impaired at Peckham Rye / East Dulwich Road junction

- The remarking of the box junction at Peckham Rye/East Dulwich road to make it enforceable under road traffic law

A notification letter is going out to all residents affected by this works, and who live close to the junctions.

The schedule for the works is as follows. 

Week 1
Remove central refuge island
Remove existing traffic signals

Week 2-4
Footway buildout works
Ducting
Building pit boxes

Week 5-6
Reinstate new signals
Nunhaed Lane/Peckham Rye Junction

Week 7
Ducting work on footway

Week 8
Commissioning new controller, road marking works at Peckham Rye /East Dulwich Road junction

The Ivy House Pub: Officially a Community Asset

I know I'm a bit late posting on this, but just wanted to mark the important news about the Ivy House Pub.

Many congratulations to all the campaigners who succesfully fought to get the Pub (on Stuart Road) to be officially listed as a community asset.  Buildings listed as community assets can't be sold without first giving community groups the right to bid for them. Southwark's Labour council is the first council to list such an asset.

I also know that that Cllr Claire Hickson (Cabinet Member for Communities and Economic Development) has been working on this with local residents...so a big thanks to her too.

There is still a huge amount that needs to be done before the Pub's future is secured.  But this is a very positive step.

For those that want more detail, beneath is the text from the press release put out by the council...
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The Ivy House pub in Nunhead, a classic 1930s, wood-panelled building, recently listed by English Heritage may be the first venue nationally to be protected after local people rallied to nominate it for listing as a community asset by Southwark council under the Localism Act.

The pub, which was previously known as the Newlands Tavern boasts many original features such as a curved bar and timber panelled walls. It was one of the major pub music venues in South London during the ‘pub-rock’ boom of the mid-1970s. It hosted early incarnations of many bands and performers who later rose to fame including Ian Dury, Elvis Costello, Joe Strummer and Dr Feelgood. The pub was later renamed the Stuart Arms before becoming The Ivy House.

The campaigners see the Ivy House as a key asset to the local community in Nunhead. It is one of only two pubs at the eastern end of the neighbourhood and as such has played a pivotal role in community life both as a pub and popular venue used by the community for a range of purposes. The pub’s immediate vicinity is marked by an absence of places to meet and socialise in the evenings.

Its continued success as a destination music venue and performance space came to an abrupt end in April 2012 when it was closed to the public.

Since then, a group of local residents have battled to save the building and retain it as a community space, recognising its historical significance and merit as a community hub.

Under the Localism Act, local groups can nominate buildings for listing in a register of assets of community value, held by the council. Buildings that are successfully listed cannot be sold without first giving community groups the right to bid for them, in order to use them for community benefit. Southwark is the first council to list such an asset.

The pub was withdrawn from auction on 29 October 2012 by its current owner and now the property appears on the council’s list of assets of community value under the Localism Act. A community group could bid for the property when it next goes for sale to try to ensure its community use into the future.

Councillor Claire Hickson, cabinet member for communities and economic development, said: “I’m delighted at the strength of feeling and determination of local people to save this space for future generations. With a new school and housing being built next door, saving this building for community use can only be a positive addition to the area. The fact that Southwark is the first London council to register a community asset demonstrates the strength of our local communities and our commitment to supporting them. I would like to thank the local councillors for their contribution to this campaign.”

Plans for the venue by the group, should they successfully buy it, could range from using it as a music recording space, to an entertainment venue, community meeting space and studio room for artists and musicians

New Peckham Rye One O'Clock Club Update

People with an interest in the development of a new One O'Clock Club on Peckham Rye Common (as a replacement for the current hut) maybe interested in the extract below from the minutes of our last full Council Assmbley meeting.  I asked our Labour Leader of the council for an update on delivering the new Club.

"8. QUESTION TO THE LEADER FROM COUNCILLOR GAVIN EDWARDS
Could the leader give an update on the work to deliver on Southwark Labour's administration commitment to turn plans for a new One O'Clock Club on Peckham Rye into a reality?

RESPONSE
A project team has been established to take forward the redevelopment of Peckham Rye One O'Clock Club, with a project manager allocated by the property team and representatives from children's services. An initial assessment has been carried out of options for the location of the proposed new building, with a further site visit for the project team scheduled for October 2012. The project is estimated to be completed by autumn 2013."

The minutes from this part of the meeting are here.

A letter to Peckham Rye residents about East Dulwich Police Station

Domestic violence in Southwark

I've blogged before about the work I do as Chair of one of Southwark's Scrutiny Sub-Committees.  In the past we've produced recommend-ations for changes relating to housing repairs, leaseholder charging and the large scale security works on the Four Squares Estate.  Local government scrutiny is not, I admit, a process which prompts great excitement in most people, but I think my committee has done a solid job of focussing in on people's concerns and finding real solutions.  This has been helped by the fact that Southwark's Labour Cabinet has been prepared to engage with the scrutiny process and actually implement new policies where we could show that they were needed.

We've recently completed another report on the important issue of domestic violence and abuse.  This is a difficult issue to investigate, not least because the often hidden nature of this crime.  However, the sub-committee has now produced a report which we hope will improve how the council responds to domestic violence and, in turn, improve support for its victims in Southwark.

The report will go before Southwark's full Overview and Scrutiny meeting tomorrow night (17th September) and then, if it is approved, before the Cabinet.

Domestic abuse can devastate the lives of its victims. The support that victims receive from a variety of different bodies can be crucial in helping them to move on, ensuring perpetrators are held to account and breaking cycles of violence in the home.  Our scrutiny was well timed because Southwark council has recently integrated many of its domestic violence support and response services into one contract, run by a specialist organisation called Solace.

There are four strands to the new integrated service:

- An advocacy and support service for male and female survivors
- A perpetrator programme run by Domestic Violence Intervention Project (aimed at reducing re-offending)
- A Parallel Programme for mothers and their children
- Capacity building workshops for agencies and professionals within the borough (including training for Southwark Council staff

We went into quite some detail in our investigation and you can read the full report for a complete record of the issues we identified and the recommendations for change we made.  But here is a short summary of the main recommendations:

Linking tenancy and leaseholder status to attendance on behaviour change programme - Officers and Solace report that one recurring issue is that perpetrators of domestic violence are often extremely reluctant to attend the “behaviour change programme”.  Where the perpetrator is a council tenant, the council should make attendance on the programme a condition of continued tenancy.  Officers from Solace and Housing should work closely together to use tenancy as leverage to force perpetrators to attend the programme.  The same approach could be taken with leaseholders, where the council is the freeholder

Placing a domestic abuse caseworker with police -  The sub-committee recommends that the police have a domestic abuse support worker working with them, located in their stations, at key days and times. This helps the police to understand the process and needs of  victims and ensures victims have access to support services at the point that they are reporting it.

A dedicated domestic violence court - The time between the domestic abuse incident and court hearing needs to be drastically reduced in Southwark.  Domestic violence courts have been very effective in other London Boroughs in reducing this time and consequently increasing conviction rates.  Southwark council on its own cannot deliver this much needed reform. There is a limit to what the council can do, but the sub-committee and the Cabinet should continue to lobby the government and the Court Service for the introduction of a dedicated court.

Training – The training programme for Southwark Council staff and other external agencies needs to be rolled out as a matter of urgency. Priority groups for training are: community leaders (TRA leaders, voluntary and community sector and councillors) and professionals (social workers, Area Housing Staff, council staff who have regular contact with residents).  These groups are likely to come into contact with victims of domestic abuse and it is important they know how to respond.

Risk Assessment Criteria - Concern was raised by staff working at the Southwark/Solace Advocacy Support Service that staff in different council departments and other agencies were often using different risk assessments.  This may, in part, be due to statutory frameworks requiring different focus, but should not be an excuse for making the system more complex and onerous for victims.  Officers and Solace should train/ work with agencies and council departments to ensure that the correct risk assessment criteria are used.

Additional security scheme – Given that continued accommodation is such a crucial issue for the victims of domestic violence, consideration should be given to setting up a scheme which supports victims to remain in their homes. The scheme should assist with security measures for the homes of victims of domestic violence.

Ensuring all staff in the Housing Options Unit take responsibility for reports of domestic abuse – All staff should take responsibility for dealing with those presenting as victims of domestic abuse.  This is particularly important in high risk areas such as the housing options unit.  Managers should ensure staff are trained and able to do this.  Timely and high standard bespoke action planning should be undertaken and necessary referrals made.

These are just some of the recommendations. You can read the full report here.