Various residents around Catlin Street have been in touch, including one who drew my attention to this sign,
it’s in St James’s Road, just north of Southwark Park Road SE16 3UA.

I don’t know when it was installed, but it clearly indicates no heavy traffic over St James’s Road bridge.
Local residents are asking me:
Why are Transport for London sending double-decker Volvo B7TL buses over it?
Is the damage and the current work on the bridge a result of over stressing it?
Is it putting anyone at risk?
Maybe the bridge has been strengthened?
I think I’ll write to Transport for London and ask.
Watch this space.

I am proud to be able to confirm we have been invited to hold monthly surgeries on

The Astley and Coopers Estate.

I’ll be there after the Blue Surgery (which is 10.30 – 11.30) starting at Wessex House at midday.
Council officers have updated my councillors web page to show this.
I’ve been quite busy on the estate:

met a few locals, and I’m enjoying being a regular there.
I managed to get the owners of Windsor Court,
Cooper’s Road to clear up this rubbish.

Finally managed to get a new tyre for my Brompton, I punctured the old inner tube going up a kerb.
It cost me nearly £20 – but it’s got a Kevlar lining – like bullet proof jackets have.
I’ll be looking out for potholes and broken glass.
You might see me riding around South Bermondsey- stop me & say hello if you see me!

Well, I can’t promise I’m going to write after every council meeting,

but right now, I’m watching Newsnight and…here goes:
I spoke to the police about the youths misbehaving at the Blue, seems they are taking a robust approach.
I will be in close touch with Sgt Nick Hutchins to keep up with events.

Bit disappointed to hear that we’ve still got youths hanging around on

Wessex House on The Astley & Cooper Estate.
They may well end with a criminal record, for possession of drugs, which will no doubt put their American holiday in doubt
We were told there are no plans for any cuts in police numbers – so good news there!

Not surprisingly no one wants freight lorries along Grange Road and Southwark Park Road.
I promised to find out if there are any proposals for the land at the North Eastern end of Galleywall Road for the next meeting.

During the cold spell in late December, a water main burst in Galleywall Road.
About 200 homes on the Rennie Estate were without water for most of the week.
Thames Water had to wait for tree surgeons to cut the tree down, before they could get to the pipe.
The Housing Dept had about a dozen staff knocking on doors,
then they sent heating engineers to fix the central heating!

It was chaotic, I even saw a TV crew from the BBC on the estate!

I had a chance to deliver a letter to all residents, explaining the nuisance, and inviting them to our surgeries.

I spoke to a tenant from Fitzmaurice House

about this leak at the back of the block, 
I asked the housing team to sort it out, and….
….. he just called me to tell me it’s been fixed. So well done to the Housing Team!

Mick sells the best fruit and veg in Bermondsey.

He gets the best veg from Borough Market, (where all the trendies go), and sells it for proper prices.

We took this pic in the Summer, when the Labour council put his pitch rent up.

All day long you hear about how we should eat more healthily, and then they go and squeeze him for more money!
If you want a long, healthy life he’s your best friend
Do yourself a favour – get down the Market at the Blue and pay him a visit!

It’s not a new problem, I remember taking casework here early last year, but Stevenson Crescent has a problem.
Some of the residents are dumping rubbish, and now, inevitably there is a fly tipping problem.
The Council’s refuse dept are struggling to cope, but we have started a strategy to sort things out.
I will be writing to residents to explain what is going on.
In the mean time:
Officers (council staff) have written to the four Housing Associations in Stevenson Crescent,
‘reminding’ them of their responsibilities to their tenants.
Most Housing Assn tenants pay ‘maintenance’ which is to pay the cost of cleaning
- The ‘maintenance’ is simply not happening, and local tax payers are picking up the bill.
The Housing Assns are
Hyde Housing Association: Foot path to the side of 2 Stevenson Crescent.
Hexagon Housing Association: Bin chambers and areas by 44-52, 46-38 & 30-22, Stevenson Crescent
Housing for Women: Bin chamber and area by 54 to 76 Stevenson Crescent.
Notting Hill Housing Trust: area outside 6 Mason Close.

We have issued a fixed fine to one tipper.
The bin crews have been told to be aware of ‘spillage’ as they load their trucks.
Road sweeping crews have been informed about the situation.
call or txt me info about rubbish 079464 38 380
If you want to email me any info,
office@grahamneale.com

The great thing about having local activists is that they report issues before they become a problem.
I got an email about the drains on the Long field Estate.
Not a very nice thing to post about, but very important if it affects you.
The drains outside Dhonau House seem to be blocked, and appear to be ‘backing up’.

It’s usually because of someone flushing a disposable nappy, or cooks pouring fat down the sink.
either way it’s a bit smelly, and some poor council plumber will have to rod the pipe.
Lucky fella!

Council officers have released a document showing 70% of vehicles are breaking the speed limit in Catlin Street SE16 3JB.
Local residents have asked me to help their campaign to slow down traffic.
We are worried about traffic noise, safety, vibration damage, and I want to make sure it is safer for cyclists and pedestrians.