CSR Review, Campaigning, Cambridge House, Banksy and Hibs have a new Manager!!

And so the largest Public Spending cuts since the early Thatcherite Years are upon us!!!
Cuts of £81 Billion and for Southwark Council £90M cuts over the next 4 years, more than 30% of our total Budget from Government!!!

Probably the most nauseating element of the whole speech was the cheering from the Tories and Lib Dems, images which i know will come back to haunt them!!

Good to see the Telegraph today report a lead for Labour for the first time in 4 years and surely that will increase as the real impact of these cuts become clear to the electorate!!
Great Mobile Surgery in Newington Ward on Saturday with Patrick and Neil and I plan to spend a fair bit of time in that ward supporting them in the future as I do Clare in Chaucer!!!
Today I had a Tour around the Cambridge House building works which will radically transform the building and enable Cambridge House to grow as an organisation even in these very troubled times!!
Spotted the Bermondsey Banksy over the weekend already protected by a plastic screen, very nice it is too!!!

Hibs have Colin Calderwood as their new Manger and even after a defeat at Aberdeen on Saturday a bit of optimism in the camp for the future!!!

LIb Dem Hypocrisy on University Tuition Fees and the Theatre with Shakespeare and ABBA!!!!

Of course the big story is the quite astonishing hypocrisy from the Lib Dems all signing a pledge not to increase University Tuition Fees, see the Blessed Simon Hughes above!!, and then would you believe it? going back on their Manifesto Promises!!! this may well turn out to be one u-turn too far for the Lib Dems and may really come back to bite them hard in the weeks and months to come!!
With the Comprehensive Spending review out next Wednesday it will clearly be tough times ahead for all of us as we have to deal with public service cuts which would have made Margaret Thatcher blush!!!
The London Met Building Refurb programme continues and the picture above is of the new Moorgate Basement. Will be complete in February 2011!

Plenty of Theatre recently with Henry IV Parts I and II on Saturday at the last performance at the Globe of the Season!! Excellent it was too!!

Last night I went to see mama Mia with my visiting Cousin from Helsinki and again it was a great night and a real uplifting evening!!!

Ed Miliband as Leader, Anti-Knife Campaign, Back to the Floor and Darren and Helen's Weddning!!

So Ed Milliband is the new Labour Leader! I voted for him and Ken for the Mayoral Candidate but my friends Johanna Baxter and Gordon Nardell just missed out on the NEC and NPF respectively!

Lots of new Member's joining and Campaigning on Saturday was just like the good old days with a very very positive response on the knocker!!!

Met the Govts. Anti-Knife Ambassador Brooke Kinsella on the Four Squares Estate to look at our innovative Youth Leader Project where young people go out and talk to young people, get contact details and signpost them to local activities and even run Youth Clubs. A great project that needs supporting!!!
I went "Back to the Floor" a couple of times over the past few weeks, out with Noise Patrol and then out with the Wardens, a really useful experience and I am booking trips out with the EHO's and Tradings Standards Officers soon but back out with the Community Wardens on November 5th, their busiest night of the year!!!
I had a great time in Christchurch at Darren and Helen's Wedding, my first time there and it was a great place, lovely B&B, sunny weather and a great time had by all!! many Congrats to them both!!

The Fourth Southwark Labour Party Conference 2010

Southwark Labour Party Conference
Saturday 11th September 2010 at the Beomund Centre

REPORT FROM COUNCILLOR JOHN. J. FRIARY,
CABINET MEMBER FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY

Crime and the fear of crime constantly appears in any Southwark resident survey near the top of their concerns even although crime overall is at it’s lowest reported levels for over 25 years in Southwark. London and the UK as a whole largely due to the work of the Labour Government since 1997. There have been very large reduction is burglaries, car theft and street robberies but violent crime, although low in number, remains a significant problem in Southwark and a real cause of public anxiety so we need to tackle it at it’s route causes as well as of course with the perpetrators. Low level anti social behaviour, “neighbours from hell” etc. can and do make people’s lives a misery so we need to deal with that as well, including the scourge of dangerous dogs.
I am concerned that the savage cuts proposed by the CON DEM Coalition Government will make this harder and may actually reverse some of the recent success and that is why we need to work as smartly as we can, work with our neighbours, focus on what works and what gives us the greatest return from our investment and empower people to take action locally to make there homes safer.
Below is a brief update on progress to date:

Violent Crime Strategy
We are now at the stage of having a final draft for consultation of this key strategy which formally began on the 1st September and will conclude in late October for consideration be the Cabinet.We will be having a Cabinet Briefing next week as it has many cross cutting themes and have already met with Catherine and Ian to discuss community safety issues and will be meeting with other cabinet Members soon to discuss how we can work together on some of the issues raised by this document.
There is a lot of detail in the document on the range of violent crime where it is being committed and by whom and also analysis by case study of how young people get drawn into drug dealing, gang membership, serious violent crime and ending up as a perpetrator or victim and how and when we can intervene so I hope you will help me get it right as it will shape our approach over this entire Administration.

We have won the London Region of the Tiller Award for our work in Gang dispruption and are nominated for the National Award and have had great success with our Diamond Project aimed at preventing reoffending and have Channel 4 News and Panorama making films on the work.

Extending CCTV in Southwark
CCTV works as a deterrent, public reassurenace and it catches criminals and the public like it so we are committed to extending CCTV where we can and have already made significant progress already with our deal with Transport fro London to have access to over 70 of there cameras operating on the main routes through Southwark. By upgrading our Control Room and working with our neighbouring boroughs we can further extend coverage and have access to better clearer pictures by being able to link with other existing systems. This is a very cost effective and efficient way to meet our Manifesto Commitment

Dog Control Policy
We are working on a Borough Wide Policy to deal with dangerous dogs and again will be consulting on this in the Autumn so again your comments will be valuable.Kit Malthouse is very supportive of such initiatives and lobbying the Government for legislation on this.

Residents Safety on Estates
I was involved in some radio and press media in August with the story of plans to set up a Residents Security Team on an Estate in Lane Ward.I met the Organiser and am working with him to try to deal with some of the issues on the Estate and also to discuss perhaps a new model for cooperation between residents, police and the Council working together on Estates to improve community safety.
I also met with Silla Carron, a tenants rep on a Camden Estate who has been features by the BBC recently on her work turning around a crime ridden Estate and I hope to work with her in the future to provide some guidance for T&RA’s on how to do the same.

Cooperation with Counterparts in Lambeth and Lewisham

I am developing a very good working relationship with our colleagues in Lambeth and Lewisham and plan regular meetings in rotation between Tooley Street and Brixton and Lewisham Town Hall. One of the first areas is the Purple Flag Scheme for nightime economy areas. It is being trialled in Brixton and hopefully we can develop something in Herne Hill and Camberwell over the next year!

Air Monitoring Stations
Two new high tech Air Quality Monitoring Stations are now in operation at either end of the Old Kent Road and hopefully more will follow.
Community Safety Campaign
The Comms Team are working on a high profile Campiagn around community safety including posters and Bus Stop Ad Shells so this should be visible in the Autumn

CCTV Article in October's Southwark Life

We are working on a significant article for October's Southwark Life on community safety focusing on our Manifesto commitment to extend CCTV coverage highlighting success stories showing how it does and has worked and how it remains an important part of our community safety strategy.

Back to the Floor
Along with my cabinet colleagues I will be going “back to the floor” next week and for me going out on Noise Patrol really will be a return journey as I last did it in 1989 so am looking forward to going back! I also plan to go out with the wardens, EHO’s and trading Standards officers in the months ahead to give me a clearer idea on what is going on “on the ground”!!

Southwark Youth Council "Crystal Clear" Event at South Bank University

I attended this excellent event with other Labour Cabinet and Labour Group Members with over 100 young people for Political Speed Dating and a Question Time Session. It was a really positive event and I am looking forward to doing more in the future!

Councillor John J. Friary
Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Labour Ward Councillor for Brunswick Park Ward

Southwark Youth Council, Move to Jewry Street, the Camber Well, Rotherhithe Pump House Museum and Hibs lose at home to Rangers!!

Yesterday I spent a really good day with Southwark Council Cabinet colleagues at London South Bank Universityfor the "Crystal Clear" Event with around 10 young people from Southwark Youth Council and local Youth Clubs around the Borough! We had Political Speed Dating and Question Time during the day and it was a great chance to talk to young people face to face and I hope we can do a lot more of it over the next 4 years!!!

Packed up at London Met and ready for the move to Jewry Street which is a lovely old building with lots of history and even a Roman Centurion Ghost so cant wait to move in next week!!!
I went along to an Open Day to see the remains of the original Camber Well and the guy in the picture John Chapple is very keen to restore it and even perhaps get water from the Well again which is a fantastic idea so am supporting him to see how we can do it!! Already planning the labels for the bottles (Del Boy like!) of Camberwell Spring water from the Camber Well!!!

Went to the Rotherhithe Pump House Museum to carry out a Health & Safety Inspection and have a chat with the Mangers and trustees and was very impressed and hope to be a Trustee myself in the near future and continue to support a brilliant local Museum doing so much for young people and the elderly!!

This is the Fete/Fun day Season with 2 in Brunswick Ward over the weekend on the D'Eynesford Estate and a Barbeque on the 73 Grove Lane Estate!! Weather was ok with rain staying away for most of the day!!!

Watched Hibs Vs rangers on Sky on Sunday and Easter Road looks fantastic with the new Stand open and the pitch widened!! Did not do us much good though going 3-0 to Gers with the key issue being the cheat Rangers Goalkeeper trying to get Riordan sent of by feigning a head butt, bizarrely the Referee booked them both but tempers then were lost and 2 players sent off before half time!! Disgraceful and I hope he is disciplined!! Great to hear the Hibs fan boo him for the rest of the match!!
You can see the Match Report and Goals with the Link below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/8930132.stm

Edinburgh Trip, Remembering Clare and Hibs ready for new Season!

I had a nice time in Edinburgh with Clair and the kids with the Fringe just kicking it off the Town Centre was incredibly busy but dad enjoyed it and Bernadette and Tony and Family from Helsinki were around so a nice family time together. Plans to go to Monaghan in early September and Helsinki next Summer!!

Nice to get away from most of it for a few days interrupted only by radio Interviews on BB Radio London with Paul Ross and Gaby Roslin on Thursday and Nick Ferrari on LBC on Friday about residents setting up their own Security Patrols on the Wivenhow Close Estate. Plan to meet with them next week to discuss how we can work together with the Police to deal with asb on the Estate! I was able to rearrange my travel plans and get back for my good friend Clare Cozens Funeral Service at St. Giles. A real tragedy for everyone and devastating for her family and friends but a beautiful and fitting service with a Memorial being arranged for October probably.
Her sad death covered in the SLP. Southwark News and Guardian.

After the Funeral Service some of us had Lunch and Prosecco in Caravaggio's in Memory of Clare.

Hibs pre-season finally over with a good Tour of Holland followed by a crushing defeat in the Europa cup and fiunally a good 2-1 away Victory at Premiership New Boys Blackpool! Not too many players in or out but De Graaf looks good and excitement mounts for the opening of the new Stand for the rangers game on August 23rd! Easter Road with a capacity of over 20,000!! Cant wait to see it!!!

Running Southwark, Day in Brussels and Hibs in Europe!!!

It has been an exceptionally busy month settling in to live within the Cabinet and the Ruling Administration. We have already taken some big decisions on the Elephant and Castle Regeneration and Potters Field and I am progressing things within my Community Safety Portfolio on CCTV Extension, Violent Crime Strategy, Dog Control policy and dealing with Anti Social Behavious especially on Estates!
I am having regular meetings with Counterparts in Lambeth and Lewisham to share best practice and work on joint initiatives like the Purple Flag initative with Lambeth!

Lots of Briefings and Meetings in Tooley Street day and evening and of course my ward work in Brunswick part so pretty full on!

My sister was down last week and we did lots of touristy things like climb St. Pauls, see Swan Lake at the Ballet and spent a day in Brussels so good fun but long tiring days!!

Hibs venture into Europe for the first time in some years in the Europa Cup Qualifier against NK Moribor next week so would be great to see them get through to the First Round Proper and then who knows!!!

Elephant & Castle Regeneration gets the Green light, London Met win Green Award and the "Green" new Stand rises from the ashes!!!

The biggest news this week is that we as the Cabinet ageed the Regeneration Agreement for the Elephant and Castle e with Lend Lease, a £1.5Billion project to transform the area. We sought extra assurnaces on Socail Housing provision, as well as the future of the Shopping Centre and plans for a new Leisure Centre on the site of the current one and were happy that in all three of those aras things had moved along significantly over the deal that the Lib Dem/Con Coalition Administration were prepared to sign before May!! Not too surprising that the Lib Dems now oppose the deal which just really shows them up for what they are and they can take absolutely nop credit for the years fo dither and delay over this project which is now going to start moving!!!

London Met won a Silver Awards at the Mayor of London's Green 500 Awards Ceremony in June and we now have a shiny award to give to our VC!!!

Had a great boys ( and girls under 10!!) day out on the banks of the Regents Canal last Saturday on a really beautiful day with bee and curry!!!
Things looking good at Easter Road with Hibs buying new players, waiting forn the Europa Cup draw and the new East Stand taking shape for next Season with a 20,000 Ground capacity!!! Cant wait to go there!!!

World cup, Cabinet and University life, and Camberwell Arts Festival 2010!

Obviously a bit obsessed by the World Cup in South Africa watching as many games as I can and of course witnessing England's grim showing culminating in the heavy defeat to the Germans yesterday!!

Lots of stuff at the University with training and briefings all round as in process of reducing hours to time share between London Met and Southwark Council!! IOSH Training, Business Continuity and Environmental Briefings for the past few weeks!!

Getting out and about as I really dont want to "manage" from Tooley Street! Met Cllr. Lauder at the Hour Glass Pub last week to talk about asb and also met Tessa Jowell and Lambeth Councillors and Cabinet Member of problems in the Herne Hill area!! I am meeting up with my Lewisham Counterpart soon and getting out to all Ward SNT Panels to find out what people think on the ground about Community Safety!!

I attended a really good initiative at Dockhead Fire Station where young people spend a week as a Firefighter and "Pass Out" in font of family!! great idea and hope to see it develop further!

The Camberwell Arts Festival 2010 is in full swing with lots of very visible things going on which is good and work progressing on the South London Gallery and the Camberwell Leisure Centre so lots happening and all good in Camberwell!!!

The Work as a Southwark Council Cabinet Member begins in earnest, Milwall get promoted, at home with dad and London Met win Silver!!!

Exciting times for me as the new Cabinet Member for Community Safety and the Councillor for Brunswick Park Ward! Lots of Officer Briefings and Public Meetings and Events to attend so plenty to keep me busy!!New Cabinet and Councillor colleagues to get to know and work with and a really impressive bunch they are too!! We had a Tour of the key Borough sites recently and a Labour Group Away Day at the weekend so lots of opportunities to get to know each other. I am also in touch with my counterparts in Lambeth and Lewisham to share information and work more closely together!!
Had a great day at Wembley watching the Lions get promoted to the Championship next Season, great atmosphere at a virtually full Stadium. Noe the World Cup to look forward to and I pulled Honduras in the London Met Sweepstake so not spending my winnings yet!! I spent a week up in Edinburgh with dad and Mum's Bench is now installed at Lauriston Castle so we visited a couple of times! He is very please d that it is there and it is easy for him to get too and a really beautiful place!!I attended the Globe theatre's Underglobe this week as London Met University picked up a Silver Award at the Green 500 Awards 2010 with Boris Johnston the guest of Honour!!!.. as entertaining and eccentric as ever!!