sustainability+-+Sustainable+Haringey+-+Updates+-+Spring+Gathering+2011

[|www.sustainableharingey.org.uk]
 * Sustainable Haringey**

Sunday 13th March - Hornsey Vale Community Centre
 * Report of Sustainable Haringey Spring Gathering 2011 **
 * Present:** Jo Homan (Transition Finsbury Park); Judith Hanna (Growing-In-Haringey + Seven Sisters Permaculture + Clyde Area RA); Dave Morris (SH Comms Group + Haringey Federation of Residents Associations); Pam Harling (SH Comms Group); Yev (Green Lens Studios + Haringey Arts); Leyla Laksari (Living Under One Sun + LBH Neighbourhood Management); Abimbola Akanwo (SusTottenham + Living Under One Sun); Joyce Rosser (SH Waste Group + Warner Estate RA); Chris Barker (SH Transport Group); Con Regan (London Catholic Worker); Helen Steel (SH Green Environment + Haringey UNISON); Gemma Harris (Urban Harvest); Mike Dallimore (Urban Harvest); Peter Thompson (Muswell Hill Sustainability Group + Muswell Hill & Fortis Green Assoc); Jo Foster (SH Food Group); Mary Hogan (Food From the Sky); Quentin Given (SH Council Liason Group + Friends of the Earth); Jane Silverman (Tottenham Food Co-op); Annabel Gregory (Muswell Hill Sustainability Group); Fred Fitzke (Muswell Hill Sustainability Group); Rebecca Stewart (Transition Crouch End + Living Thru Growing + Green on the Screen + N. London LETS); Sarah Williams (Capital Growth); Jenny Boure Tayn (Meadow Orchard); Dermot Barnes (Muswell Hill Sustainability Group); Gloria Else (St Aidans Primary School); Azul Thorne (Food from the Sky); Peter Budge (Food from the Sky + Green Party); martin Burrows (Back 2 Earth); Kate Allardyce (Food from the Sky + Meadow Orchard + Muswell Hill Sustainability Group); Andy Hows (Transition Crouch End); Richard Williams (Transition Crouch End); Gillian Livingstone (Transition Crouch End);

__Minutes of 7th December gathering__ - accepted as a true record.

__Climate Week of Action in December 2011__. 20-25 events were successfully organised in Haringey, co-ordinated through the SH network.

__Cemetery Sell-off.__ The lobbying by reps of SH, HFRA and the Friends Forum to persuade the Council not to sell off cemeteries and the crematorium were not successful. We will pursue the demand that bio-diversity conditions and public access be included in any contract. Helen will lead on this.

__Muswell Hill Sustainability Group__. Peter reported that the solar panels project has been successful. The Marks and Spencer installation is up and running and panels are now being installed on the Methodist Church roof. The money accrues to En10ergy for investment in future projects. There was a discussion on how to encourage home insulation around the borough.

__Transition Crouch End__. Rebecca reported on various events and issues they are campaigning on. Their AGM is being held on 3rd April from 2-5 in Hornsey Vale Community Centre.

__Transition Finsbury Park__ are organising a meeting on the local economy, running a draft busting workshop, managing a tree nursery and other things - also considering a festival in the park on Sept 17th.

__SusTottenham__. The series of Skill share workshops / events they organised throughout 2010 has now finished. It was suggested that this project should be written up so that others can do similar events around Haringey .The group will consider its next steps.

__SH Food group__. Jo continues to campaign for a farmers market in Crouch End. (Jo is now leaving us to live in USA and we all expressed our appreciation for the work she has done.). The group has successfully set up the 'Growing In Haringey' network, and lobbied for the Council to develop and adopt a sustainable food strategy. Members of the group need to work out what next..

__Growing in Haringey__ has secured £1000 lead funding which is being used to pay for promoting food growing projects around the borough. GiH is now well organised and planning its AGM on May 15th.

__SH Waste__. Joyce reported. Visits have been made to the Eco Park and to the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). There are concerns about the conditions of work at the MRF which are being followed up. The group is also commenting on new arrangements for waste collection being proposed by Veolia. They are also concerned about the planning application for a new waste plant in Pinkham Way.

__SH Transport__. Many of our comments (re planning policies) on the Local Development Framework (LDF) have found their way into the final document. Our campaign to establish a 20mph limit on residential roads and in town centres has been adopted by the Scrutiny Review and will be recommended to cabinet.

__SH Green Environment Group__. Helen is still trying to launch a group to champion green environment and bio-diversity around the borough. She has quite a few contacts. Anyone else interested should contact her.

__SH Council Liaison__. Group reps met with lead councillors to discuss the cuts. Work on sustainability issues is being, relatively, protected. A meeting is to be held on Saturday 19th April on the 40:20 campaign to secure a 40% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020; a partnership between the Council and community groups.

__FoE public meeting__ on Thursday 17th March on the 'Greenest Government Ever?'.

__Big Society/Localism__. There will be a min-conference on this subject on Saturday 2nd April at Wood Green Library from 1 to 5.

__Haringey Fairtrade launch picnic__ at Alexandra Palace on 2nd April is organised by the Council. 3pm- 6pm

__Fighting the cuts__. SH is a founder member of the Haringey Alliance for Public Services. Dave reported on the government-driven cuts being imposed by the Council and the growing local protests**,** and urged everybody to attend the national demo on 26th March. Annabel asked everybody to support the raising of a petition against the cuts, arguing that cuts increase, rather than decrease, the national debt.

__June Sustainability Month__. We agreed to call for another of our annual month of green events and activities. Dave offered to collate the information into an ebulletin, and urged everybody to plan and publicise activities during June.

__Treasurer__. Chris reported that income and expenditure is more or less in balance but this relied on a recent contribution of £175 from the Haringey Federation of Residents Associations. Other organisations encouraged to make a donation to SH. Chris also asked that an auditor be appointed to check the books. Quentin volunteered and his offer was accepted.

__Next Gathering__. No decision was made about this. It will be discussed at the next SH coordination meeting on 19th April **-** all local and themed groups are urged to attend. Any ideas can be brought up there or communicated to anyone else who is attending.

__Growing Food in Haringey__ There then followed a riveting 2 hour session on Food Growing In Haringey. Sarah Williams of Capital Growth talked about the 2,012 New Growing Sites being developed across London between 2009-2012, with already at least 50 already having been set up in Haringey in the last couple of years. The Council, as a result of lobbying from and partnership with SH Food Group, has developed a comprehensive Sustainable Food Strategy, incorporating many SH Food Group suggestions. A number of inspirational community-led local projects around Haringey reported on their successes in growing food, raising awareness and building up communities.

//CB//