I attended, along with around 50 others (residents groups and councillors) a briefing given by the HS2 team at Camden Town Hall just before Christmas. There’s a lot of information you can find on the HS2 website, especially the announcement of the proposed change of route for consultation published by the Secretary of State on the 20th December.
Below are some observations, these do not attempt to be comprehensive and do reflect our particular interests as Swiss Cottage ward councillors.
The main consultation on the route will take place in the first few months of 2011 – exact timings and process to be announced. This is the real opportunity for public information and consultation on what is undoubtedly a complex and concerning proposal. While Camden Council is not the planning authority, as ultimately this will be decided by a so-called Hybrid Bill in Parliament, it is vital that the Council keeps involved to ensure the consultation is as effective as possible. I suggested to them at the meeting that given the diversity of Camden and the fact the issues change as you move north, the consultation needs to be very locally focused and relevant to Euston, then Primrose Hill/Belsize, then Kilburn etc.
While there are no changes to the proposed westward expansion of Euston (with demolition of around 300 homes), in the Primrose Hill/Swiss Cottage area the line has been moved north by around 100m, and will be closer to existing tunnels. The detailed map of the route in our area is here. Effectively it goes under Gloucester Avenue, then crosses Adelaide Rd around Eton Rd, then along Fellows Rd under the Chalcots blocks, then under Swiss Cottage open space, Regency Lodge, the Hilgrove estate and then the Alexandra and Ainsworth Estate.
It will be deeper than originally outlined, some 30-50m, reflecting the height of the ground – ie it will get deeper as the ground rises up to Fellows Rd. According to HS2, the change in route reflects further work by them and in particular the increased depth and closer alignment with existing tunnels, as well as the fact that there is now a link to St Pancras/HS1 as well as Euston. Some of our residents in Swiss Cottage ward will be relieved by the change in route, others in our ward, and many in Belsize ward, will inevitably be very concerned. It is unfortunate that as it happens in Camden the route is now very largely under council estates.
Ventilation shafts – the shaft at Hawtrey Rd is of course gone. Instead we have one on Adelaide Rd near the nature reserve (but on railway land) and one in Alexandra Place where the arcade of shops is. The shafts are two storey buildings around 25x25m with some parking for emergency vehicles. While HS2 emphasised how inobtrusive such ventilation shafts are in East London on HS1, and how they can reflect local situations to some extent, there are natural concerns about noise, fumes etc as well as visual impact. All of this needs to be examined in detail, not least as the plans for Alexandra Place are very near housing, and seem to supercede the council’s own estate regeneration thinking in the area.
It was emphasised that the tunnels (three single tunnels) would all be dug from Old Oak Common in West London, with all earth etc removed from there.
Many concerns were naturally expressed both about vibration during construction, about settlement of older homes nearby (and what degree of guarantees will be given), and about long term stability, not least for high rise blocks. HS2 has a lot of answers but the devil is clearly in the detail and all of these issues will have to be examined in great detail.
This is going to keep all of us busy over the coming months, and as Swiss Cottage councillors we’ll be doing what we can to keep residents informed and represent their views. The Primrose Hill HS2 Reference Group website is also worth looking at, though at the moment it does not reflect the revised route.
Friday, 31 December 2010
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
Camden Council and the Cuts
We sent out this short note on the cuts in Camden with our December newsletter, and a couple of people suggested we also post it here. It is simply some selected highlights and some explanation of the process and can't be seen as comprehensive. If there are things constituents want to know more about, get in touch, or come along to the Swiss Cottage Area Action Group meeting on January 26th at the Crossfield Centre.
The Council and the Cuts
This is not the place for discussion of why there is a structural deficit and such like, but we now know a bit more about the Council’s spending plans, and thought a few highlights would be useful.
We now know (minus some loose ends) how much money Camden will get in government funding in 2011/12 – essentially this equates to a reduction in spending power of 6.54% in real terms, with further real terms reductions in the following two years.
The Council needs to set its budget and council tax for 2011/12 by the end of March. But it already knows that it faces a likely “budget gap” of £80-100m it must close over the next three financial years. Sensibly, council officers have already put forward proposals covering all three years – though much of the savings for the 2012/13 and 2013/4 years are only at a headline level at this stage and (rightly) generally subject to consultation. Some highlights:
• Up to 900 council posts will be going, largely but not exclusively by retirement and voluntary redundancies.
• The budget plans assume a two year pay freeze for council staff.
• The total cost of senior managers will be cut by 20% over three years – by deleting posts and freezing salaries.
• In adult services, there will be increased targeting on the vulnerable with some services no longer free to those who can afford to pay. Provision of discretionary services to those without a “substantial and critical need”, such as luncheon clubs will see significant reductions.
• Libraries – by 2013, some £1.6m will be taken out of the libraries budget of around £8m. The Council is proposing the closure of some smaller libraries, as yet unidentified, with consultation throughout 2011 on how to ensure we maintain a good quality library service for less money. Camden currently has the second highest number of public libraries per square mile in the country, and the third highest library costs per 1000 people. (Camden has 13 libraries, Hammersmith and Fulham for example has 6). There will certainly be discussions about whether community groups can in some way run some libraries, but given the integration of the service (inter-library loans etc) this is not necessarily the easiest public service for such “big society” efforts.
• Voluntary sector funding – by 2012 some £2.5m will have been saved out of this budget, out of about £9m. At present Camden funds over 100 groups, from community centres to Hampstead Theatre. We will know more on this when a report comes to the council cabinet in February – essentially there are no significant reduction until 2012 to give some time for organisations to plan, for example sharing buildings, merging services etc.
• Waste and street cleansing – there will be a phased reduction in the frequency of street cleansing, but the once a week rubbish collection does not seem to be at risk. There will be more focus on problem areas, with businesses having to take more responsibility for keeping their areas clean, along with tough enforcement.
• Schools are broadly protected with funding increasing by 0.1% in real terms each year, but there are substantial reductions to subsidy and provision for the early years service, concentrating on help here for those who cannot pay (Camden is currently one of the few places that provides free nursery provision for 3 and 4 year olds, regardless of ability to pay, well above the national statutory requireents and subsidy)
• The Freedom Pass will continue; it is worth noting the cost of this increases much faster for Camden than the rate of inflation for various reasons (it’s likely to be £11-12m next year, up some £3-4m)
• Councillors will lose some staff support for their casework enquiries, we are being encouraged to log and track enquiries ourselves.
• Many fees and charges will increase by more than inflation – for example there will be a £10 fee for collection of an unwanted white good such as a freezer.
• Planning consultation will be rationalised – see in planning section below.
• For better or worse, the idea of merging Camden’s top managers with Islington has been dropped, but “shared services” with Islington and other councils to cut costs are still very much on the agenda.
• In Camden’s own council homes, non-statutory internal repairs will cease, as will non-essential communal repairs. There are also long-overdue proposals to turn around voids more quickly and cheaply.
• The Council will be reviewing the property assets it and the voluntary sector have in the Swiss Cottage and West Hampstead areas (indeed across Camden on a area cluster basis), in order to make limited resources go further – perhaps with fewer but better buildings and some money freed for much needed capital. Consultation with voluntary sector groups and interested individuals is getting underway.
• Last but not least, council tax will be frozen next year in Camden, as it was in three of the last four years. This reflects specific money the government has given to incentivise councils to keep council tax down at a very difficult time.
Overall there is no doubt these are very significant changes to local services in Camden, though they do come after a decade of sharply increased public spending. We neither want to underplay the changes, nor to be alarmist (don’t believe everything you read in the press on this), but to help people understand what is going on and ensure we get the best value from council services within the resources available. If want to know more on anything specific, get in touch, or start here on the website:
http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/council-and-democracy/publications-and-finances/twocolumn/the-camden-challenge.en
The Council and the Cuts
This is not the place for discussion of why there is a structural deficit and such like, but we now know a bit more about the Council’s spending plans, and thought a few highlights would be useful.
We now know (minus some loose ends) how much money Camden will get in government funding in 2011/12 – essentially this equates to a reduction in spending power of 6.54% in real terms, with further real terms reductions in the following two years.
The Council needs to set its budget and council tax for 2011/12 by the end of March. But it already knows that it faces a likely “budget gap” of £80-100m it must close over the next three financial years. Sensibly, council officers have already put forward proposals covering all three years – though much of the savings for the 2012/13 and 2013/4 years are only at a headline level at this stage and (rightly) generally subject to consultation. Some highlights:
• Up to 900 council posts will be going, largely but not exclusively by retirement and voluntary redundancies.
• The budget plans assume a two year pay freeze for council staff.
• The total cost of senior managers will be cut by 20% over three years – by deleting posts and freezing salaries.
• In adult services, there will be increased targeting on the vulnerable with some services no longer free to those who can afford to pay. Provision of discretionary services to those without a “substantial and critical need”, such as luncheon clubs will see significant reductions.
• Libraries – by 2013, some £1.6m will be taken out of the libraries budget of around £8m. The Council is proposing the closure of some smaller libraries, as yet unidentified, with consultation throughout 2011 on how to ensure we maintain a good quality library service for less money. Camden currently has the second highest number of public libraries per square mile in the country, and the third highest library costs per 1000 people. (Camden has 13 libraries, Hammersmith and Fulham for example has 6). There will certainly be discussions about whether community groups can in some way run some libraries, but given the integration of the service (inter-library loans etc) this is not necessarily the easiest public service for such “big society” efforts.
• Voluntary sector funding – by 2012 some £2.5m will have been saved out of this budget, out of about £9m. At present Camden funds over 100 groups, from community centres to Hampstead Theatre. We will know more on this when a report comes to the council cabinet in February – essentially there are no significant reduction until 2012 to give some time for organisations to plan, for example sharing buildings, merging services etc.
• Waste and street cleansing – there will be a phased reduction in the frequency of street cleansing, but the once a week rubbish collection does not seem to be at risk. There will be more focus on problem areas, with businesses having to take more responsibility for keeping their areas clean, along with tough enforcement.
• Schools are broadly protected with funding increasing by 0.1% in real terms each year, but there are substantial reductions to subsidy and provision for the early years service, concentrating on help here for those who cannot pay (Camden is currently one of the few places that provides free nursery provision for 3 and 4 year olds, regardless of ability to pay, well above the national statutory requireents and subsidy)
• The Freedom Pass will continue; it is worth noting the cost of this increases much faster for Camden than the rate of inflation for various reasons (it’s likely to be £11-12m next year, up some £3-4m)
• Councillors will lose some staff support for their casework enquiries, we are being encouraged to log and track enquiries ourselves.
• Many fees and charges will increase by more than inflation – for example there will be a £10 fee for collection of an unwanted white good such as a freezer.
• Planning consultation will be rationalised – see in planning section below.
• For better or worse, the idea of merging Camden’s top managers with Islington has been dropped, but “shared services” with Islington and other councils to cut costs are still very much on the agenda.
• In Camden’s own council homes, non-statutory internal repairs will cease, as will non-essential communal repairs. There are also long-overdue proposals to turn around voids more quickly and cheaply.
• The Council will be reviewing the property assets it and the voluntary sector have in the Swiss Cottage and West Hampstead areas (indeed across Camden on a area cluster basis), in order to make limited resources go further – perhaps with fewer but better buildings and some money freed for much needed capital. Consultation with voluntary sector groups and interested individuals is getting underway.
• Last but not least, council tax will be frozen next year in Camden, as it was in three of the last four years. This reflects specific money the government has given to incentivise councils to keep council tax down at a very difficult time.
Overall there is no doubt these are very significant changes to local services in Camden, though they do come after a decade of sharply increased public spending. We neither want to underplay the changes, nor to be alarmist (don’t believe everything you read in the press on this), but to help people understand what is going on and ensure we get the best value from council services within the resources available. If want to know more on anything specific, get in touch, or start here on the website:
http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/council-and-democracy/publications-and-finances/twocolumn/the-camden-challenge.en
Monday, 20 December 2010
Snow: the expectations gap and Camden's performance
I’m no expert on road surfaces, or on snow. Like (virtually) all councillors on (virtually) all subjects, I need to listen to the advice of council senior managers, then apply my common sense, what residents tell me, and what I see out and about in my patch, in order to try and come to a judgement about how well the Council is doing in tackling the bad weather. And while there are always areas for improvement, my view as of tonight is that there is, on this topic, a biggish gap between what at least some people expect and what actually can be achieved.
Camden Council doesn’t have the resources to grit every road across the borough – this point is getting better understood - and it prioritises those it does based on a number of factors. Priority routes and footpaths across the borough include transport hubs, main roads, bus routes and the road network around schools, hospitals and emergency service depots. This is part of a wider network agreed across London to keep the capital moving.
The problems this weekend were not due to a lack of grit, but the fact that the heavy snow and low temperatures reduced the effectiveness of the grit. Camden actually gritted at higher distribution rates of 40 grams per m2 in the worst hit areas, but even at these rates, where snow is deeper than 6cm, salt becomes ineffective as it sits on the surface, and when road surface temperatures fall below -5 degrees it also stops working. Road temperatures in parts of the borough were down to at least -9 in places, and we saw up to 12cm of snow in the north of the borough and up to 6cm in the centre and south. All this explains why some people are convinced particular roads weren’t gritted at all for a couple of days, when streets managers were able to confirm to me when and where they were gritted. Remember, snow is water – no one expects that the council can instantly dry the pavement whenever it rains!
The Council has also been deploying all the staff and vehicles it has available. Over 200 council-contracted Veolia cleansing staff worked from 5.30am to 10pm Saturday and Sunday on footway snow clearance duties, and council crews were out each night gritting. Kentish Town police officers also helped gritting teams to clear gridlocked roads in parts of the borough hit by heavy snow and heavy traffic. It’s not clear to me that there were any other public sector staff around here just waiting around to be put to work at night and over the weekend – the council can’t reassign social workers or library staff. Unlike the way the fire service works, snow hits everywhere so you can’t get mutual support from other boroughs; they’re dealing with their own roads. Remember as well that over 70% of Camden staff live outside the borough, some at long distances, due to the nature of the local housing market.
Some people seem to have a very, very clear view of what they believe they are entitled to expect from their local council when it snows – several on twitter talked of suing the Council if they slipped on ice. But if you don’t know how much you’re paying, you can’t easily form a judgement about whether you are getting what you pay for (and of course this is true of many public services). In fact, the extra cost of winter maintenance accounts for a really small proportion of the Council’s cleansing contract with Veolia – under £200,000 (and other councils are little different). It’s important to note that Veolia takes the “weather risk” on this – we pay the same however much snow there is in a winter. But if we want more staff, and more vehicles to grit and clear snow and ice, we’d need to pay for them, and judge that spending against other public services.
Snow ploughs have been mentioned - they are used far more widely in more rural areas. Traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps make urban roads pretty unsuitable for snow ploughs.
Camden has used about 200 tonnes of salt since Thursday, with about 180 tonnes in stock. Deliveries were due today, and the council will be confirming salt stock to LLACC (the co-ordination body for local authorities in London).
The Council is hand gritting priority pavements and crossovers near hospitals, fire and other blue light services, and was gritting priority routes later today, while snow clearance continues on estates.
The Council cannot be very generous in sharing grit stocks since we need to ensure that we have sufficient to deal with our own priority routes. More than this, there is London-wide monitoring of salt use, and if we are seen to be using too much (for example not on the highway) then that might impact on any mutual aid requests for stocks Camden might make later. All councils would like to be more generous, but equally must conserve some stock given that we don’t know how long this will continue. Camden will call on the TfL central salt stockpile if there are any problems with salt supplies being delivered, but supplies are coming through at present. Camden would formally move to “resilience routes” (a tighter category than priority routes) if LLACC instructs boroughs to conserve salt supplies.
Grit bins were re-stocked on Thursday and Friday, but are now unlikely to re-filled again until Camden are confident we have enough salt.
I’ve also asked how the Council’s new community shovels programme has been doing. Well, over 1,200 emails were sent to local groups in October offering them free snow shovels. Since this offer started, the council has received over 200 requests from groups and to date over 1,000 shovels have been delivered across the borough by the council, including 160 on our housing estates. This still leaves around 2,000 shovels available from Regis Road – groups can call and pick them up on weekdays.
One other point to which there’s no answer. Given our form of life these days, cars are inevitably parked at a density on the roads of Camden that can be dangerous when it’s icy with cars and other vehicles banging into parked cars.
This aspect of council activity is under considerable scrutiny, often from people (particularly perhaps those on social media) who don’t need to use many other council services. That’s all fine, councils need to be responsive, but as councillors we just need to keep in mind as well all those other services which get much less public scrutiny – say child protection – but are of course vital. It's also the case that many of those unhappy about gritting are willing to listen and take into account the facts about resource limitations, and about salt's effectiveness in low temperatures
It is also worth us all remembering that something called “the local council” doesn’t grit streets at night or chisel ice off pavements. That’s done by a lot of relatively poorly paid staff, and all of us who have better paid jobs in warm offices, and wouldn’t have been thrilled to volunteer to work outside overnight at the weekend should try not to forget that – even as we rightly expect high quality public services.
There’s a lot of useful information now available on the website at www.camden.gov.uk/winter, including the TFL resilience route, Camden priority gritting routes, grit bin locations, priority footways.
Transport Secretary of State Philip Hammond rightly yesterday asked a scientist to report on whether as a society we need to be spending more to deal with severe winters (meaning airports as well as local roads). It’s fine starting that work now, but let’s make sure we don’t take any hasty decisions on this. Just about the worst time to decide whether you should spend more on preparing for winter is when it’s just snowed and we’ve had the lowest temperatures for 40 years (think of the Dangerous Dogs Act). The Government and councils should decide on any changes in winter planning in good time, preferably when it’s nice and warm outside and we can get the balance right.
Meanwhile, let’s all take some personal responsibility where we can, and be challenging but also reasonable in the expectations we have of Camden, or indeed any local authority at times when nature reasserts its power. As ward councillors we're keen to hear all views.
This represents Andrew Marshall's views and has not yet discussed with colleagues Roger Freeman and Don Williams!
Camden Council doesn’t have the resources to grit every road across the borough – this point is getting better understood - and it prioritises those it does based on a number of factors. Priority routes and footpaths across the borough include transport hubs, main roads, bus routes and the road network around schools, hospitals and emergency service depots. This is part of a wider network agreed across London to keep the capital moving.
The problems this weekend were not due to a lack of grit, but the fact that the heavy snow and low temperatures reduced the effectiveness of the grit. Camden actually gritted at higher distribution rates of 40 grams per m2 in the worst hit areas, but even at these rates, where snow is deeper than 6cm, salt becomes ineffective as it sits on the surface, and when road surface temperatures fall below -5 degrees it also stops working. Road temperatures in parts of the borough were down to at least -9 in places, and we saw up to 12cm of snow in the north of the borough and up to 6cm in the centre and south. All this explains why some people are convinced particular roads weren’t gritted at all for a couple of days, when streets managers were able to confirm to me when and where they were gritted. Remember, snow is water – no one expects that the council can instantly dry the pavement whenever it rains!
The Council has also been deploying all the staff and vehicles it has available. Over 200 council-contracted Veolia cleansing staff worked from 5.30am to 10pm Saturday and Sunday on footway snow clearance duties, and council crews were out each night gritting. Kentish Town police officers also helped gritting teams to clear gridlocked roads in parts of the borough hit by heavy snow and heavy traffic. It’s not clear to me that there were any other public sector staff around here just waiting around to be put to work at night and over the weekend – the council can’t reassign social workers or library staff. Unlike the way the fire service works, snow hits everywhere so you can’t get mutual support from other boroughs; they’re dealing with their own roads. Remember as well that over 70% of Camden staff live outside the borough, some at long distances, due to the nature of the local housing market.
Some people seem to have a very, very clear view of what they believe they are entitled to expect from their local council when it snows – several on twitter talked of suing the Council if they slipped on ice. But if you don’t know how much you’re paying, you can’t easily form a judgement about whether you are getting what you pay for (and of course this is true of many public services). In fact, the extra cost of winter maintenance accounts for a really small proportion of the Council’s cleansing contract with Veolia – under £200,000 (and other councils are little different). It’s important to note that Veolia takes the “weather risk” on this – we pay the same however much snow there is in a winter. But if we want more staff, and more vehicles to grit and clear snow and ice, we’d need to pay for them, and judge that spending against other public services.
Snow ploughs have been mentioned - they are used far more widely in more rural areas. Traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps make urban roads pretty unsuitable for snow ploughs.
Camden has used about 200 tonnes of salt since Thursday, with about 180 tonnes in stock. Deliveries were due today, and the council will be confirming salt stock to LLACC (the co-ordination body for local authorities in London).
The Council is hand gritting priority pavements and crossovers near hospitals, fire and other blue light services, and was gritting priority routes later today, while snow clearance continues on estates.
The Council cannot be very generous in sharing grit stocks since we need to ensure that we have sufficient to deal with our own priority routes. More than this, there is London-wide monitoring of salt use, and if we are seen to be using too much (for example not on the highway) then that might impact on any mutual aid requests for stocks Camden might make later. All councils would like to be more generous, but equally must conserve some stock given that we don’t know how long this will continue. Camden will call on the TfL central salt stockpile if there are any problems with salt supplies being delivered, but supplies are coming through at present. Camden would formally move to “resilience routes” (a tighter category than priority routes) if LLACC instructs boroughs to conserve salt supplies.
Grit bins were re-stocked on Thursday and Friday, but are now unlikely to re-filled again until Camden are confident we have enough salt.
I’ve also asked how the Council’s new community shovels programme has been doing. Well, over 1,200 emails were sent to local groups in October offering them free snow shovels. Since this offer started, the council has received over 200 requests from groups and to date over 1,000 shovels have been delivered across the borough by the council, including 160 on our housing estates. This still leaves around 2,000 shovels available from Regis Road – groups can call and pick them up on weekdays.
One other point to which there’s no answer. Given our form of life these days, cars are inevitably parked at a density on the roads of Camden that can be dangerous when it’s icy with cars and other vehicles banging into parked cars.
This aspect of council activity is under considerable scrutiny, often from people (particularly perhaps those on social media) who don’t need to use many other council services. That’s all fine, councils need to be responsive, but as councillors we just need to keep in mind as well all those other services which get much less public scrutiny – say child protection – but are of course vital. It's also the case that many of those unhappy about gritting are willing to listen and take into account the facts about resource limitations, and about salt's effectiveness in low temperatures
It is also worth us all remembering that something called “the local council” doesn’t grit streets at night or chisel ice off pavements. That’s done by a lot of relatively poorly paid staff, and all of us who have better paid jobs in warm offices, and wouldn’t have been thrilled to volunteer to work outside overnight at the weekend should try not to forget that – even as we rightly expect high quality public services.
There’s a lot of useful information now available on the website at www.camden.gov.uk/winter, including the TFL resilience route, Camden priority gritting routes, grit bin locations, priority footways.
Transport Secretary of State Philip Hammond rightly yesterday asked a scientist to report on whether as a society we need to be spending more to deal with severe winters (meaning airports as well as local roads). It’s fine starting that work now, but let’s make sure we don’t take any hasty decisions on this. Just about the worst time to decide whether you should spend more on preparing for winter is when it’s just snowed and we’ve had the lowest temperatures for 40 years (think of the Dangerous Dogs Act). The Government and councils should decide on any changes in winter planning in good time, preferably when it’s nice and warm outside and we can get the balance right.
Meanwhile, let’s all take some personal responsibility where we can, and be challenging but also reasonable in the expectations we have of Camden, or indeed any local authority at times when nature reasserts its power. As ward councillors we're keen to hear all views.
This represents Andrew Marshall's views and has not yet discussed with colleagues Roger Freeman and Don Williams!
Sunday, 19 December 2010
Camden snow update 1000 Sunday
Councillors have just got this update from the Council's communications head:
"Despite the heaviest snowfall in London for more than 40 years, all priority roads in Camden are up and running this morning.
We will continue to ensure priority routes are gritted today and will attempt to grit side roads where we can. You can see a list of priority gritting routes on our web site.
Street cleansing services remain suspended as staff will be removing snow and ice from priority pavement areas. You can see a list of priority footpaths on our web site.
Refuse services are running today but there are potential problems with safe access because pavements and some roads remain hazardous so disruption is likely.
The temperature today is not predicted to get above freezing and will drop to -7 tonight with a possibility of more snow showers.
We will be up updating our winter web pages throughout the day, so please refer to this for the latest news. I will only send another email update today if there is a significant change in the weather.
"Despite the heaviest snowfall in London for more than 40 years, all priority roads in Camden are up and running this morning.
We will continue to ensure priority routes are gritted today and will attempt to grit side roads where we can. You can see a list of priority gritting routes on our web site.
Street cleansing services remain suspended as staff will be removing snow and ice from priority pavement areas. You can see a list of priority footpaths on our web site.
Refuse services are running today but there are potential problems with safe access because pavements and some roads remain hazardous so disruption is likely.
The temperature today is not predicted to get above freezing and will drop to -7 tonight with a possibility of more snow showers.
We will be up updating our winter web pages throughout the day, so please refer to this for the latest news. I will only send another email update today if there is a significant change in the weather.
Saturday, 18 December 2010
Camden snow/gritting update 2000 Saturday 18th December
Snow situation update from Camden Council below as of a couple of hours ago. Staff are working very hard, but obviously there have to be priorities in the maintenance plan, we are not paying as taxpayers to have huge resources on standby for heavy snow, so there is inevitably some disruptions. Any Swiss Cottage/West End Lane area residents with specific concerns, please get in touch and I will try and get specific problems sorted. Please also look at the Council's winter weather pages which are being regularly updated.
"All the main priority routes in Camden are now running freely except Fitzjohns Avenue which staff have been working on this evening. Earlier in the day the weather caused traffic to come to a standstill and this meant that our gritting lorries were unable to get access to priority roads. The police have assisted us in managing the traffic to gain access.
Over the last two days we have spread nearly 200 tonnes of grit and our staff will be out gritting priority roads throughout the night. Side roads will not be gritted so remain hazardous. Some priority pavement areas have been gritted but most pavements will not have been.
The weather for tonight is predicted to get to -7 but no snow is forecast so conditions will be hazardous tomorrow too."
"All the main priority routes in Camden are now running freely except Fitzjohns Avenue which staff have been working on this evening. Earlier in the day the weather caused traffic to come to a standstill and this meant that our gritting lorries were unable to get access to priority roads. The police have assisted us in managing the traffic to gain access.
Over the last two days we have spread nearly 200 tonnes of grit and our staff will be out gritting priority roads throughout the night. Side roads will not be gritted so remain hazardous. Some priority pavement areas have been gritted but most pavements will not have been.
The weather for tonight is predicted to get to -7 but no snow is forecast so conditions will be hazardous tomorrow too."
Bit more detail on potential changes to Camden's consultation on planning applications
We’ve now got a bit more detail from officers about proposed changes in Camden’s consultation on planning applications. As part of the work the Council is doing to generate savings for the planning service, the Council is looking to amend its Statement of Community Involvement (which sets out the approach to consultation) during Spring/Summer 2011 to enable a rationalisation of the consultation undertaken, and there will be a consultation on these changes at that time.
To give some context, Camden received about 3,510 planning applications in 2009/10 municipal year and carried out both statutory and non-statutory consultation on these. On average, around 13 letters were sent to neighbouring property occupiers per application, amounting to over 47,000 letters, and an additional 2,680 site notices were displayed. Camden is also now required to notify the public of Planning Applications through the local press after losing its special dispensation. The response rate is fairly small with only between 10 -13% of consultation letters being responded to. The cost of the Council’s current consultation process is estimated to be around £165,000.
The current level of consultation on planning applications actually undertaken by the Council is considerably in excess of both legislative requirements and the Council’s own minimum standards. Where the law requires either a site notice or a letter to an adjoining occupier, the Council frequently does both. The number of letters and site notices displayed has increased incrementally and this has now become standard practice.
Given the need for savings, the Council is looking at reducing the number of site notices and letters to adjoining occupiers, whilst extending electronic consultation and increasing the use of email alerts to enable the public to engage with the planning process. In addition, officers will be proposing something we have regularly suggested – ie making changes to the letters themselves to make it more likely that they will be read and acted on. For example this could mean writing to the occupier by name rather than just “the occupier” (and for various reasons this is not as easy as you might think, especially in an area with high turnover) and making the envelope stand out to ensure they are aware that this is a consultation about a planning application and not junk mail. (It’s important to remember that planning consultation is always about contacting occupiers (who may be short-term tenants) rather than owners (in fact the Council has no ability in every case to identify ultimate owners).
I’ve no doubt that many residents and amenity groups will be concerned about these changes, and the point of the consultation will be to hear fully local views before any changes are made. Given the scale of savings needed though, I can’t condemn these changes out of hand. The key must surely be to concentrate on the type of consultation that is actually effective, rather than keep doing things that don’t work as well in an area like this. If addressed letters to neighbouring occupiers continue, then I think losing site notices would potentially be acceptable. Most importantly, the Council – and councillors – need to keep encouraging everyone to sign up for free electronic alerts. You can sign up for planning and licensing applications, as well as street works and parking bay suspensions, and you can choose either one or more properties (addresses) or wards, or a surrounding radius (in metres) from where you live to limit the search to your local area. But undoubtedly more constrained planning consultation will put an extra premium on CAACs and amenity groups being alert to applications (and I am conscious just how much volunteers do already), and on ward councillors to take a more active than ever role in helping residents monitor applications and object where relevant.
To give some context, Camden received about 3,510 planning applications in 2009/10 municipal year and carried out both statutory and non-statutory consultation on these. On average, around 13 letters were sent to neighbouring property occupiers per application, amounting to over 47,000 letters, and an additional 2,680 site notices were displayed. Camden is also now required to notify the public of Planning Applications through the local press after losing its special dispensation. The response rate is fairly small with only between 10 -13% of consultation letters being responded to. The cost of the Council’s current consultation process is estimated to be around £165,000.
The current level of consultation on planning applications actually undertaken by the Council is considerably in excess of both legislative requirements and the Council’s own minimum standards. Where the law requires either a site notice or a letter to an adjoining occupier, the Council frequently does both. The number of letters and site notices displayed has increased incrementally and this has now become standard practice.
Given the need for savings, the Council is looking at reducing the number of site notices and letters to adjoining occupiers, whilst extending electronic consultation and increasing the use of email alerts to enable the public to engage with the planning process. In addition, officers will be proposing something we have regularly suggested – ie making changes to the letters themselves to make it more likely that they will be read and acted on. For example this could mean writing to the occupier by name rather than just “the occupier” (and for various reasons this is not as easy as you might think, especially in an area with high turnover) and making the envelope stand out to ensure they are aware that this is a consultation about a planning application and not junk mail. (It’s important to remember that planning consultation is always about contacting occupiers (who may be short-term tenants) rather than owners (in fact the Council has no ability in every case to identify ultimate owners).
I’ve no doubt that many residents and amenity groups will be concerned about these changes, and the point of the consultation will be to hear fully local views before any changes are made. Given the scale of savings needed though, I can’t condemn these changes out of hand. The key must surely be to concentrate on the type of consultation that is actually effective, rather than keep doing things that don’t work as well in an area like this. If addressed letters to neighbouring occupiers continue, then I think losing site notices would potentially be acceptable. Most importantly, the Council – and councillors – need to keep encouraging everyone to sign up for free electronic alerts. You can sign up for planning and licensing applications, as well as street works and parking bay suspensions, and you can choose either one or more properties (addresses) or wards, or a surrounding radius (in metres) from where you live to limit the search to your local area. But undoubtedly more constrained planning consultation will put an extra premium on CAACs and amenity groups being alert to applications (and I am conscious just how much volunteers do already), and on ward councillors to take a more active than ever role in helping residents monitor applications and object where relevant.
Monday, 13 December 2010
Planning consultation changes
The Council's savings proposals - or cuts - to tackle the £80-100m budget gap over the 2011-2014 period include many challenging changes which will be felt as reductions in front line services.
I'd like to highlight here one change that hasn't got much play so far - the reduction in planning consultation to the statutory minimum, saving, along with some other planning changes, £420,000 per annum. Traditionally Camden has put more effort into consultation than many authorities.
I've asked planning chiefs what exactly these changes will mean and am waiting to hear back.
This change will be very unwelcome, but it is the kind of change needed for the council to balance its budget. Residents already often complain about lack of effective planning consultation. Now on many occasions the problems are those inherent in a complex urban environment - letters to occupiers don't get spotted, people are too busy to spot notices on lampposts and so on. What this really does mean is that there will be even more of a premium on diligent residents groups - and ward cllrs - monitoring planning applications for problematic applications.
When we know more we'll post again on this.
I'd like to highlight here one change that hasn't got much play so far - the reduction in planning consultation to the statutory minimum, saving, along with some other planning changes, £420,000 per annum. Traditionally Camden has put more effort into consultation than many authorities.
I've asked planning chiefs what exactly these changes will mean and am waiting to hear back.
This change will be very unwelcome, but it is the kind of change needed for the council to balance its budget. Residents already often complain about lack of effective planning consultation. Now on many occasions the problems are those inherent in a complex urban environment - letters to occupiers don't get spotted, people are too busy to spot notices on lampposts and so on. What this really does mean is that there will be even more of a premium on diligent residents groups - and ward cllrs - monitoring planning applications for problematic applications.
When we know more we'll post again on this.
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Work on grass areas at Swiss Cottage
We've just been informed by council officers that work will be starting tomorrow and continuing over the next couple of weeks to carry out repairs to the grass areas at Swiss Cottage. These works are being undertaken to improve the grass cover.
The main works should be completed before Christmas, but the protective fencing will remain up until the grass has established, which should be in early spring weather permitting.
Apparently the cold weather held up the work and with temperatures apparently going to rise slightly, the decision has been taken to go ahead now. I certainly don't have the expertise to question our parks experts, we must really just hope that these works will mean that the grass areas are stabilised so they aren't again this coming years blocked off when the weather is warmer.
The main works should be completed before Christmas, but the protective fencing will remain up until the grass has established, which should be in early spring weather permitting.
Apparently the cold weather held up the work and with temperatures apparently going to rise slightly, the decision has been taken to go ahead now. I certainly don't have the expertise to question our parks experts, we must really just hope that these works will mean that the grass areas are stabilised so they aren't again this coming years blocked off when the weather is warmer.
Monday, 6 December 2010
Watch out for York Stone thieves!
Incredibly, over the last six weeks, 149 square metres of York stone paving has been stolen from five locations across Camden. So Camden Council is asking residents and businesses to be on the look out for rogue contractors stealing paving stones from the boroughs roads.
York stone paving is in place at various locations across Camden and enhances the local environment. Costing £110 per square metre to replace, it is estimated that the current thefts will cost more than £16,000.
The police and council’s antisocial behaviour team have been alerted and areas considered vulnerable are being monitored. The council is asking residents and business owners not to approach contractors but to report any suspicious activity during office hours to the Highways Engineering team on 0207 974 2015.
Out of office hours reports can be made to the council by calling 0207 974 4444 or alternatively call 999 and report to the police.
The council will seek to prosecute anyone caught stealing paving from the streets of Camden and will push for the maximum penalty.
Labour Councillor Sue Vincent who is now Cabinet Member for Environment at Camden is quoted rightly saying:
“I would urge anyone who doubts the legitimacy for works on our roads and pavements to contact the council so that the parasites preying on our paving can be brought to justice.”
York stone paving is in place at various locations across Camden and enhances the local environment. Costing £110 per square metre to replace, it is estimated that the current thefts will cost more than £16,000.
The police and council’s antisocial behaviour team have been alerted and areas considered vulnerable are being monitored. The council is asking residents and business owners not to approach contractors but to report any suspicious activity during office hours to the Highways Engineering team on 0207 974 2015.
Out of office hours reports can be made to the council by calling 0207 974 4444 or alternatively call 999 and report to the police.
The council will seek to prosecute anyone caught stealing paving from the streets of Camden and will push for the maximum penalty.
Labour Councillor Sue Vincent who is now Cabinet Member for Environment at Camden is quoted rightly saying:
“I would urge anyone who doubts the legitimacy for works on our roads and pavements to contact the council so that the parasites preying on our paving can be brought to justice.”
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Cold weather update Wednesday 2100
Update from Camden Council this evening:
Today’s 5pm weather forecast indicates possible snow and sleet showers in Camden after midnight. Heavier snow is forecast for south east London.
We will grit priority roads between 8pm and midnight tonight.
Many roads and pavements are dry so although the temperature will remain sub-zero, the potential hazard from ice will be less than in previous days but still there.
All services – street cleaning, refuse, recycling etc - are working as normal. There has been some disruption to street cleaning in the north of the borough today as staff were diverted to clearing snow and ice off pavements. We will suspend pavement washing all the time temperatures remain close to sub-zero.
We will be monitoring the weather closely and will update our winter web pages if any of our services are affected.
Today’s 5pm weather forecast indicates possible snow and sleet showers in Camden after midnight. Heavier snow is forecast for south east London.
We will grit priority roads between 8pm and midnight tonight.
Many roads and pavements are dry so although the temperature will remain sub-zero, the potential hazard from ice will be less than in previous days but still there.
All services – street cleaning, refuse, recycling etc - are working as normal. There has been some disruption to street cleaning in the north of the borough today as staff were diverted to clearing snow and ice off pavements. We will suspend pavement washing all the time temperatures remain close to sub-zero.
We will be monitoring the weather closely and will update our winter web pages if any of our services are affected.
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