minutes+2nd+October+2002


 * Minutes of HFRA General Meeting - Wednesday October 2nd 2002**


 * //__RA Delegates Present__//** Roumi Chernaev, Julie Smith, Les Venables, Paul Burnham, Gordon August - **Partridge Way TRA, N22**; Steve Whittle - **West Green RA, N15;** John Hajdu - **Muswell Hill & Fortis Green Association, N2;** Steve Baron - **Palace Gates RA, N22**; Dave Morris (HFRA Secretary) - **Tower Gardens Residents Network, N17**; Anne Papoula – individual interested in setting up RA in South Tottenham **//__Apologies__//__:__** M. Allende - **Broadwater Farm RA, N17;** Pat Ayinde - **Bruce Grove South Residents Group, N17**; Vivienne Cuming and Simon Fedida (HFRA Treasurer) - **Avenue Gardens RA, N22**; Benjamin Aiin and Frank Forni - **Northumberland Park Independent RA, N17;** Sue Brown - **Haringey Leaseholders Association**; Val Paley - **Palace View RA, N8;** Andy Newman - **Gardens RA, N4**; Jim Cassins - **HOBA & S. Tottenham RA, N15**; Mike Towerzey (HFRA Chair) - **The Sandlings RA, N22;** Anne McArthur and Steve Cook **- Woodstock Rd Association, N4;** Jimmy Athanassiou - **Palace Gates RA, N22;** Pat Costa - **Bowes Park CA, N22;** Paul Jewell – **Woodlands Park RA, N15;** Randolph Flatts - **Plevna Rd RA, N15;** Ruth Moulton - **Coppetts Rd RA, N10;**


 * Chair:** Paul Burnham **Minutes:** Dave Morris


 * 1. Minutes of last meeting** Agreed to be accurate.


 * 2.** **__Local reports given or received__** Reports included discussion of key issues raised….

//__Muswell Hill and Fortis Green Association, N2__// Started in 1946! 600 members, covering huge area - two-thirds of population are owner-occupiers. Do bi-monthly-ish Newsletter. Committee of ten residents. 4 general meetings (with invited speakers) per year. Organise annual poetry, painting, photo and front garden competitions with local judges. Ongoing concerns include planning and conservation, trees, traffic, street furniture, green sites and rubbish. Good formal and informal relations with Council depts and reps, as well as with Friends of the Earth and Neighbourhood Watch. Monitor Alexander Palace issues. Involved in the annual Muswell Hill Festival.

//__Palace Gates RA, N22__// Over 100 residents attended a Muswell Hill Neighbourhood Assembly meeting. Problems of traffic/overspill due to new schemes - seeking traffic calming.

//__West Green RA,N15__// 20 yrs old. Mostly private ownership and private tenants (often transient, and exploited by lanndlords). Not funded by LBH. Good relations with Cllrs. Hold public meetings on various issues (eg crime and grime) - next about turning the local Learning resource centre into a community centre. Regular Newsletter. Want wheelie bins. Want planning regulations used against anti-social street-run businesses. Seeking traffic calming, regeneration of shopping areas. Problem of rats, exacerbated by privatisation of water board. Did educational local leaflet re looking after the area/rubbish dumping/rats..

//__Partridge Way RA, N22__//. Council estate. 17 people at last meeting. Succeeded in getting the Council to resurface a road on the estate. Leafleted about privatisation threats to the management of Haringey’s Council housing. Discussing a possible Estate Agreement with the Council, and a bid for funds for local landscaping etc. Concerns over lack of lighting outside block and lack of soundproofing in the flats.

//__Tower Gardens RN, N17__// Pressure continues for an ongoing, regular local youth club - and now also want to help set up a parent/toddler group. Local gardening club have prepared a mosaic for the local park with the help of school kids. TGRN working hard to turn hostility from local Cllrs into active support for residents’ activities and campaigns. After a number of serious traffic accidents, TGRN organised on Oct 5th a 60-strong local residents protest at a key junction – good press coverage. //Update:// The Council’s bid on their behalf for substantial funding (from Transport For London) for local traffic calming and environmental improvements was partly successful - £390,000 secured over three years.

//__Northumberland Pk RA, N17__// Supporting tenants of a block in Park Lane who’re trying to get justice after months of serious disruption and stress caused by an insensitive new Council construction development. Helped them form a Group. Leafleting the whole area to publicise the first NPIRA AGM. Hold weekly co-ordination/drop in sessions.

//__Gardens RA__// Held a successful opening festival to celebrate the opening of their new community garden on ex-derelict rail land. //[Note: Steve Cook attended and leafleted on the Federation’s behalf].//

//__Bruce Grove South Residents Group, N15__// Meetings of this new RA (now in a local church) have continued to be very positive, discussing a whole range of issues. They were featured in the Council’s paper ‘Haringey People’.

//__Seaford Rd area, N15__// Annie hopes to get a local group established. Mixed housing. Held street party some years ago.


 * 3. Rubbish collection**

No-one was happy about rubbish and waste issues. We agreed that a major problem is the £15 charge for special collections. //HFRA action: Secretary to write to the Council a strong letter about this, also calling for extensive recycling, abolition of the £50 charge for dealing with rats, and related issues.//


 * 4. Council Housing and privatisation**

We discussed the coming lobby of the Council on Oct 14th. It has been called by local campaigns opposing LBH plans to set up an ‘arms length company’ to manage Haringey’s 20,000 council homes, and privatisation plans for some leisure services. We discussed the concern over money from Right To Buy schemes being held and not used for public housing needs.


 * 5.** **__Post__**

//__The Journal__// - they approached us to put a flier in our mailout. //HFRA action:// Add to our mailout. //__Urban__// //__Summit__// - a government-sponsored conference on regeneration strategies. //HFRA action:// Julie Smith delegated to attend as HFRA delegate. //__LBH documents__// - Neighbourhood Management and ‘Have Your Say’. //__Council Cabinet__// - members details. //HFRA action:// Add to our mailout. //__Info about local trees__// - and how to seek new tree planting. Contact LBH officer Tim Pyall, 8489 5656.


 * 6.** **__Federation matters__**


 * //Finances and Fundraising//** **-** Our secretary and treasurer had met up to look into possible sources of future funds – a draft application was agreed. Money is urgently needed – we may launch a public appeal. **//London//** **//Tenants Federation Forum//** //-// Our secretary attended this London-wide discussion/co-ordination federation concentrating on council tenants/leasholder issues. Very interesting and focussed agenda. LTFF are contributing to government review of options for funding of public housing. //HFRA action:// We agreed to continue to send a rep.
 * //Haringey Trades Union Council//** //-// //HFRA action:// We agreed to send an observer (our Secretary) to HTUC meetings, and invite them to do the same.

//****//