Council Assembly and weekend in Broadstairs!

Council Assembly on Wednesday night was very good for us and we got through the business with a good debate on the Housing Crisis which was what we wanted from the evening.
My fears of fillibustering were unfounded so have to give the opposition some credit for allowing the debate.
I was angry at Camberwell still being ignored in the Core Strategy despite our pressure but an amendment was accepted which at least keeps the door open for Camberwell regeneration but it is clear that it is not aq priority for this bunch in power
We really exposed the Tory/Lib Dem Coalition on the shambes in Housing with unfunded plans, poor management leading of course to them being "Red Flagged" by the Audit Commission!!
We also witnessed another incoherent and unhinged performance from Columbo Blango who said that the Labour Party were no different to the BNP and stupidly Adele Morris agreed!!!
We then got to the Extraordinary Council Assembly on the new arrangements and although I was first to speak Stanton shouted "move to the vote" twice, a real democrat!!
I am spending the weekend in Broadstairs and met up with old Camberwellians Stuart "Wolfie" and Jacqui Witcher in their new home of Faversham.
Lots of lovely Shepherd Neame beer and a nice curry and a very late train home so a great time had by all!!
I did some training and health and safety inspections for Ian Driver at his Citrizens Advice Bureau Offices in Margate and Broadstairs.

Hibs play Hearts today and again will be wearing special Poppy shirts for auctioning for the British Legion, see story below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/8339138.stm


Going to the Rememberance Service in Broadstairs on Sunday.

Another busy Town Hall week as we get into the "AGM" period with both Camberwell Neighbourhood Forum AGM's Meeting and a number of T&RA AGM's coming up!!

We have a full night tonight with 2 Council Assembly meetings back to back!
In the first meeting the new Core Stategy is comes back after a round of consultation with no plans to regenerate or develop Camberwell but word is there may be an agreement to end that tonight will be a mayor step forward!! There must be a strategic view of Camberwell which recognises the need to develop and regenerate in one of the few areas of the borough which has had no Council attention and perhaps we really can "Revitalise5" the area!!
We expect some "ill- liberal" and undemocratic" tricks tonight with lots of Lib Dems and Tories uncharacteristically wanting to contribute (from prepared notes no doubt) in a pathetic attempt to "fillibuster" a debate of the shocking state of Southwark Housing with apparently a CPA "Red Flag" imminent due to the on-going chaos!! Latest thing is getting rid of some Resident Involvement staff and sticking the rest in the Tooley Street Ivory Tower!! What are they thinking about!!
It will take us a long time to sort out the mess left when we take over in May!!!
Good campaigning session in Newington Ward over the weekend with val and the rest of the Team and a good chance to be reacquainted with the fantastic Henry Moore in the middle of the Brandon Estate!!

Hibs are now 2nd in the SPL with a pretty poor performance but a good 2-0 win over 9 man Aberdeen, highlights below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/8333584.stm

Hearts at Tynecastle on Saturday!! Should be fun!!!

Alf Wallis, Camberwell Community Council, Housing Crisisand Hibs keep 3rd Spot!!

It has been a very busy few weeks or so for me both in the Town Hall (and Tooley Street!) and at London Met as the Academic Year is in full flow!

But firstly I have to mark the sad passing of Alf Wallis(pictured on far left) from the D'Eynesford Estate. I have known Alf ever since I joined the Labour Party over 23 years ago, as fellow party members and of course since 1994 as his local Councillor. Alf had a long career in the Merchant Navy and Commercial Shipping and was a very hard working and straight talking Tenants Rep on the D'Eynesford Estate, in recent years becoming a key voice on the Southwark Pensioners Forum. I was very proud to have nominated Alf for a Civic Award some years ago and the Certificate has pride of place in his home.

Alf in recent years found a huge amount of enjoyment visiting West End Shows and his home is covered in signed opening Night posters of some of the biggest shows, he had also become for me a great source of good tickets!!

This picture was taken at the Armed Forces Day in June where Alf had a great day out with all of us at Potters Field. Shortly after he was diagnosed with cancer and he dies 3 days ago with his family and friends around him. We will all miss him very much!!

We had a very good Camberwell Communcity Council last week with lots of good news on Camberwell Leisure Centre, Burgess Park and Camberwell Green.

I do like the Council's "REVITALISE5" logo with the 5 by the SE even though I cant work out how 4 signs can cost £15,000!!

We had a long and frustrating Camberwell Community Council Planning Meeting last night with rogue developers carrying out conversions in spite of a Planning Permission refusal and coming back to us for retrospective permission as they know how limited the law is, very difficult for us and very hard for local people to understand the limits on what we can do!!! very frustrating!!!
I am extremely annoyed that despite expensive "Revitalise" signs springing up over Camberwell on the key Core Strategy Consultation there are no plans for investing in Camberwell apart from packing more flats into an overcrowded part of the borough to protect the North and South where this cynical Tory/Lib Dem Administration see all their votes coming from!!
We will be making this clear at Council Assembly next week and hopefully get our views taken seriously in the next round of consultation!! I hear that our beleaguered Housing Department is about to be "Red Flagged" as a failing service which for the largest landlord in London is nothing short of a disgrace and which can all be traced back to the now infamous "100 days of Change" which has wrecked the Housing Department and which is continuing to do so with the imminent reorganisation of Resident Involvement staff which means getting rid of some of them and moving the rest of them as far away from residents as they can to the Tooley Street Titanic!! This shambles may be this discredited Administrations real "Iceberg" upon which they will flounder next May!!

Rumours are rife that the Elephant and Castle deal with Lend Lease is soon to be signed and not before time!! Clearly the clock is ticking and the right deal has to be done before the end of this year or I feel it will be time to look elsewhere!!
Shortlisting and Selections are well underway within the Southwark Labour Party and some really excellent people have already been selected to stand next year, young and bright people who will be a real credit to the Labour Party and a real asset to Southwark Council. I am still clicking my heels but hope it will all be resolved in the next few weeks and the real fight commences!!
Hibs continue to impress with a fighting 1-1 draw against Rangers at Ibrox and looks like we were unlucky not to take all 3 points at the end!! Anthony Stokes continues to score and hit a fantastic skillful strike against Rangers on Saturday!!

You can see highlights of the game on the BBC site:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/8325142.stm

We remain in 3rd spot behind the Old Firm and take on Aberdeen at home tomorrow!! Good stuff at the moment!!!