How long to get a straight answer from Southwark?

Back in November 2022, we asked our Ward councillors about the decision to restrict visitors parking permits only being available via an online portal.

This policy excludes elderly residents who are either tech adverse, (or unable to justify broadband costs) from accessing visitors permits, and just reinforces the social isolation in the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic. The elderly are being denied the opportunity to have a relative, visitor or grandchild drop in to visit,  by their inability to provide a visitors parking permit to them. Also, they are unable to provide parking for tradespeople, & delivery drivers.

Timeline

8th November 2022 – Raised the Parking Permits issue with Natasha Ennin, who submitted a members question.

24th November 2022 – Received an inaccurate response to the above enquiry from Estates Parking Team.

25th November 2022 – Challenged the response & raised a complaint as per LBS complaints process.

25th November 2022 – Received an automated response from Complaints team, promising a response within 15 working days – Still waiting for that response!

13th December 2022 – Frustrated with a lack of response I initiated a FOI request for clarification on the questions raised – Well worth a read, some of the responses are hilarious!

Read FOI Request Here!

13th December 2022 – Email to Natasha Ennin asking for an update on this enquiry.

12th January 2023 – Received email from Hannah Gibson (Corporate Information Governance Officer) apologising for delay in response as key staff were unavailable, or on leave.

20th January 2023 – Emailed all the councillors (Cllr Natasha Ennin, Cllr John Batteson, Cllr Alice Macdonald, Cllr Catherine Rose, Cllr Darren Merrill, Cllr Martin Seaton, Cllr Sam Foster, Cllr Ketzia Harper, Cllr Namia Ali, & Cllr Kimberly McIntosh) hosting the Multi-Ward forum, highlighting this ongoing issue, which i intended to raise at the meeting.

24th January 2023 – Attemded the Multi-Ward forum meeting and raised the issue with all present. Cllr Namia Ali promised to look into the issue, raising the concerns about the social isolation impact.

25th January 2023 – Emailed Cllr Namia Ali with supplementary information.

4th February 2023 – Attended ward councillors surgery in Brandon library and asked Natash Ennin for an update. Natasha stated that all the answers needed to be supplied by Cllr Catherine Rose (Cabinet Member for Leisure, Parks, Streets and Clean Air) who she was having difficulty in getting any answers from.

8th February 2023 – Emailed Hannah Gibson (Corporate Information Governance Officer ) requesting an update on outstanding FOI request, pointing out that the law clearly sets out a timeframe in which for requests to be investigated.

15th February 2023 – Received email from Hannah Gibson (Corporate Information Governance Officer) explaining that all of the officers are presently away from the office, and will not be returning until next week.

6th March 2023 – Finally received the FOI response…..  63 days overdue beyond the legal deadline.

7th March 2023 – Raised the issue in person with Cllr Catherine Rose after the March cabinet meeting. Cllr Rose promised to look into the issue.

7th March 2023 – Raised the issue in person with Cllr Namia Ali, at the multi-ward CGS grant meeting

8th March 2023 – Responded to email from Cllr Namia Ali, requesting clarification on some elements of my request.

11th April 2023 – Finally receive confirmation that paper permits are available after all. The following statement from Clarence Parks – “But just to advise, that if a resident has no recourse to the internet or not computer savvy, may be in a position to receive a paper Estates Visitor’s Parking permit.”

• So 5 months,  later I have finally got an answer!

• 59 emails sent,

• Ten separate ward councillors written to,

• One overdue FOI submission,

• Attendance of five in person, face to face meetings….

• It sure is hard to get a straight answer to these simple questions……

Q1. – When was this decision taken to cease issuing paper permits, and the last paper permits issued?

Q2. – At what level was the decision to terminate paper permits taken? Departmental? Director? or Cabinet level?

Q3. – Was any Impact Assessment conducted to evaluate the impact on the elderly and the less tech savvy residents?

Q4. – If such a study was carried out, may I obtain a copy of the report? If not, why not?

Q5. – Was any consideration given that this has created an apartheid system, excluding those who do not have / want broadband or are tech adverse?

Q6. – Is this policy of digital exclusion endorsed by the cabinet? And are there any plans to exclude residents from any other council services?

Q7. – How many paper permits were issues in the final 12 months of the paper scheme being available?

Q8. – What % of paper permits were requested in the final 12 months of the scheme??

Q9. – What was the total cost of printing paper parking permits in the final 12 months of the paper scheme?

Q10. – What was the total cost of all other printed materials to LBS in the same 12 month period?