minutes+10th+June+2003


 * Report of HFRA General Meeting,** **10th June 2003**


 * //__RA Delegates Present__//****//://** Corinne Stevens - **Deaconess Ct Tenants Association, N15;** Ulla and Ole Lefmann - **Burleigh** **Road Area RA and Neighbourhood Watch, N8;** Vivienne Cuming and Simon Fedida - **Avenue Gardens RA, N22;** John Hajdu - **Muswell** **Hill & Fortis Green Association, N2**; Laurie Owen - **Parkside** **Malvern RA, N8;** Stephen Whittle – **West Green RA, N15;** Pat Ayinde and Beverley Willie - **Bruce Grove Residents Network, N17**; Jane Laporte - **Woodlands Park RA, N15;** Dave Morris - **Tower Gardens Residents Network, N17** **//__Apologies:__//** Marion Janes - **CASCH, N8**; Mike Towerzey - **The Sandlings RA, N22**; Frank Forni - **Northumberland Park Independent RA, N17**; Alison – **Gardens RA, N4**; Peter Dalby - **Chitts** **Hill RA, N22;** Pat Costa and Kevin Tipple - **Bowes Park Community Association, N22;** David Rennie - **Palace Gates RA, N22.** And Tim Wilmott, BGRN (HFRA Chair)


 * 1. Minutes of HFRA general meeting of 13th June** Agreed to be accurate.


 * 8.** **Local reports given or received** – see at end.


 * 9.** **Traffic calming/safer streets**

We agreed the purpose and the basic ideas for the conference/event we’re organising on Saturday October 25th to discuss traffic calming and safer streets throughout the borough. We are expecting to use The Sandbunker as the venue. So far 4 or 5 volunteers from local RAs have agreed to join the working group to plan and publicise the event. It was agreed that the working group should forge ahead with preparations.

The Secretary distributed a special document to delegates present summaries the pros and cons of various traffic calming options, and their rough costs. //Local RAs who’d like a copy can contact the HFRA.//


 * 4. Rubbish and waste**


 * //a. Recycling//** On May 28th about 30 people attended an interesting and useful meeting: ‘Making Recycling Work’. It was organised by Haringey Agenda 21 and supported by the Federation. The theme was the coming implementation by the Council of borough-wide kerbside recycling measures over the next 2 years. The HFRA Rubbish and Waste rep, Stephen Whittle, addressed the meeting on the importance of involving local residents and local associations in the whole process from the very beginning. John (MH&FGA), Pat (BGRN) and Beverley (TGRN) also attended. About 30,000 homes are already in the scheme, and the expansion will be phased. There are issues to do with delays, collection vehicles needed etc. //Stephen will chase up LBH waste management to find out more information and to see how RAs and the Federation may be able to co-operate.//


 * //b. Wheelie Bins//** Stephen had obtained on our behalf the schedule for the area-by-area delivery of the new LBH door-to-door wheelie-bin leaflets (to be delivered at the end of June). He was also given details of the draft text of the leaflet, and the plans for monitoring how the whole scheme is working. Officers were due to go out with vehicles to check that Accord is doing its job properly. Reports from local RAs indicated that the problems and successes varied from area to area.


 * 5. Planning issues**

We discussed issues to do with the unlawful erection and use of commercial billboards throughout the borough, how to oppose unwanted local development and other unpopular and inappropriate local planning applications. There are also concerns in many communities about anti-social business activities (often without planning permission) in residential neighbourhoods. Many of these matters could be raised by RAs as part of the current LBH ‘Unitary Development Plan’ consultation that’s in progress. Trouble is all LBH reports and ‘public’ documents seem to cost a fortune these days. Information can be found on the LBH website: //[|www.haringey.gov.uk]// We agreed to contact the Planning Dept to try to get hold of a copy. Meanwhile, it was agreed we needed to produce some kind of ‘How To Oppose A Planning Application’ advice guide. //To be discussed further.//


 * __6. Federation matters__**

//a.// **//Haringey People//** The Council’s ‘independent’ door-to-door paper Haringey People had refused to put in HFRA details in their ‘What’s On’ section. This, we were told, was on the say-so of the LBH Residents Participation Team. After much controversy and complaints of censorship, and the intervention of the Leader of the Council, we had been promised it would go in the May edition. It finally made it into the June edition, but not the text as sent - just the contact details (unlike every other entry). This is unacceptable, and all RAs are urged to make complaints about this discrimination. //It was agreed that the HFRA should make a formal complaint.//


 * //b//****//. Haringey Association of Voluntary and Community Organisations//** This new umbrella organisation was launched on Wed June 11th. It was attended by about 65 local organisations. HFRA have joined, and ran a stall.


 * //c. Chestnuts festival//** HFRA ran an info stall at the Chestnuts Park (N15) Festival on May 31st, which was attended by thousands of local people. The stall encouraged people to join their local RAs. Our Secretary held a discussion on the day (unfortunately not well attended due to the hard-to-find venue) on the theme: ‘Getting together in every street and neighbourhood. What we can do, and how to join in.’


 * //d//****//. e-list//** We are currently setting up an internal HFRA email list for RAs to share news and information. //If your local RA would like to join the list, please send us an email contact.//


 * //e. HFRA//** **//Finances//** We agreed to pay The Sandlings RA the £10 a month they’ve asked us for room hire until we could get enough income from local RA’s subs, or a grant, to pay the full amount they generally charge. Their kind offer and support is greatly appreciated.

Now that the problems with the bank account are resolved, the HFRA Treasurer and Secretary agreed to get together to apply for some grants. But we still desperately need a regular source of basic income tp pay for our mailings, leaflets, room hire etc. We are asking all RAs, if they’ve not yet sent in a sub/donation/affliation to the HFRA, to please send us what they can. (We suggest: £10 for funded organisations, £5 if unfunded).

Meanwhile, to save costs, we intend to fillet our postal mailings (some groups get 3 or 4 HFRA mailings to various reps).


 * //f. General//** **//Meetings//** Second Tuesday of each month. As usual, we agreed to miss out the August meeting.