minutes+Nov+8th+2005


 * __Report of HFRA General Meeting – Nov 8th 2005__**


 * //__RA Delegates Present__://** Bob Maltz - **Gladwell, Landrock & Cecile Pk Residents Action Group, N8;** Dave Morris - **Chestnuts Northside RA, N15;** Pat Ayinde – **Bruce Grove RN, N17;** Vivienne Cuming and Simon Fedida - **Avenue Gardens RA, N22;** Stephen Whittle - **West Green RA, N15;** Laurie Owen - **Parkside Malvern RA, N8;** Annie Bebington – **Seacole Ct RA, N15;** Kit Grieveson - **Stroud Green RA, N4;** Robert Gainsborough - **St George’s Lodge RA, N10;** Ruth Moulton and Gillian Doyle – **Coppetts RA, N10** **//__Apologies:__//** Sue Hessel – **Haslemere Rd RA, N8;** Kate Huddie – **Noel Park North Area RA, N22;** Joyce Rosser - **Warner Estate RA, N8;** Ole & Ulla Lefmann **– Burghley Rd Area RA, N8;** Ibilola Campbell – **Tiverton Tewkesbury RA, N15;** Sheik and Kyoko Thompson - **Chesnuts Area RA, N17;** Paul McKay – **Hewitt Rd RA, N8;** Paul Cavendish – **Heron Wharf RA, N17;** Quentin Given – **Ferry Lane Action Group, N17;** Judith Hanna – **Clyde Area RA, N15;** Joyce Oyeyi Effiong – **Suffolk Road RA, N15;** Adam Coffman – **Fairfax Rd RA, N8;** Nazar Alikhan and Frances Gore – **Gardens RA, N14;** Rita Fernandes – **St Ann’s RG, N15;** Peter Dalby – **Chitts Hill RA, N22;**


 * __1. Minutes of last meeting__** Agreed.


 * __2. Local reports from RAs present__** There were reports from all groups present (and some extra ones sent in) about some of their most recent activities and concerns. Some of the issues raised led to further discussions.

There had been //good discussions// at the conference about the need to involve young people and their issues, including schools and special needs… and on local RAs experiences of taking up key issues. Older people’s concerns could be taken up more by RAs, including health services. There was also a feeling that we needed to //develop alliances// with other residents’ groups, much in the same way as we’ve worked with Friends of Parks groups over open spaces eg. parents groups around schools; patients groups around health care; pensioners groups regarding older peoples’ issues etc. The //resolution// passed at the event was felt to be, of necessity, very general – could’ve been more useful and specific if the subject of the event had been narrower. The //refreshments// were fantastic!
 * __3. Report back from the HFRA ‘Keep It Local’ residents conference__** General feeling was that it went well, but could have been a //better turnout// – we need to think about how we present such events in future….or maybe it was because much of the event covered subjects already discussed and debated at previous HFRA conferences and our Networking Day.
 * __4. Planning and Development__**

There were reports of continuing residents’ campaigns against unpopular and unwanted development applications. This included:

//a. Cranford Way Concrete Factory// As well as continuing to support the excellent residents’ campaign against the proposed factory, we agreed to send in a formal letter of objection to the Public Inquiry/Appeal due in December. //b. Community pubs – The Fountain (N15) and the Oakdale Arms (N4)// We agreed to back the local residents’ groups campaigning to save these two much-loved and well-used local pubs facing demolition by housing developers. We agreed also to support and help publicise the proposal for a protest march from one to the other. //c. Pulford Rd open space, N15// We agreed to support the Tiverton Tewkesbury RA in opposing the loss of open space adjacent to their densely-populated estate.

//Park-keepers// The Haringey Friends of Parks Forum has now agreed to our proposal to launch a joint campaign for park-keepers in Haringey. We decided to organise a high-profile ‘launch’ public meeting on January 28th at Wood Green library. //Allotments Review// – our Secretary had contributed a document to the review outlining the huge deficiency in the availability of allotments throughout most of the borough. This issue was taken up by others also. Some allotment site reps are hoping to convene an independent Allotments Forum. //Residents’ Action// We agreed the text of a new short HFRA leaflet to distribute to residents on why and how to organise new local residents’ activities and associations. //Strong and Sustainable Local Communities// We discussed this 4 page briefing about social and environmental sustainability, which had been prepared for our Keep It Local conference by our Secretary and a member of Haringey Agenda 21. It was agreed to publish it as an HFRA Briefing, but with the caveat that it was not adopted as HFRA policy but rather to promote discussion on the subject.
 * __5. Green Open Spaces__** The Council had been consulting over a new draft //‘Open Spaces Strategy’// document. Following a highly detailed joint response by the HFRA and the Friends of Parks Forum (and many others too) we were disappointed that no changes at all were to be made to the text! However, some changes were made to the Action Plan accompanying the text.
 * __6. Draft Streetscape Manual__** Following extensive proposed amendments from the HFRA to improve the draft Manual, and from a number others, the Council have apparently agreed to take on board some of the points – but in a vague way. The HFRA Secretary will follow up with more detailed suggestions…
 * __7. HFRA leaflets__**
 * __8. Better Places Partnership__** Ibi Campbell, Bob Maltz and Dave Morris attended (on behalf of the HFRA) the second meeting of the BPP involving key Haringey organisations. There was concern that genuine discussion, especially from residents, was restricted in favour of long professional presentations. Our delegates asked the chair (Cllr Hillman) to give guarantees that free and full debate would be allowed in the BPP – he said it would. Subsequently, HFRA proposals for amendments to the aims of the BPP have been accepted by LBH officers.
 * __9. Other Federation Business__**

These awards were presented by the Council for service to the community, based on nominations from residents. There was no category for nominating organisations for the general work they do. Nevertheless, both last year and this year, presumably in recognition of the work of the Federation, the HFRA Secretary had been nominated by a number of residents and residents groups. He had graciously declined to take part (acknowledging his appreciation of the thoughts behind the nominations) on the grounds that he felt that it was inappropriate to single out any individual for the success and growing strength of local RAs and the Federation. He suggested there should be a category for organisations. This approach to the issue was supported by other HFRA officers. It was also supported by the Secretary of the Haringey Friends of Parks Forum who had also been nominated as an individual this year and felt uncomfortable about it. After reflection the Council agreed to give an award to her ‘on behalf of the Haringey Friends of Parks Forum’. The Council have since agreed to re-consider this for next year….
 * //a. Community Action//** The winter 2005/6 issue of our newspaper has been published – 5000 copies available for distribution by local RAs…
 * //b. HFRA reps//** Paul McKay [Hewitt Rd RA] has agreed to be the HFRA Living Street rep.
 * //c. Future HFRA meetings//** We confirmed that the __December 13th meeting__ should be part-social, including food and drink. The __January 10th meeting__ would be a special one to discuss how to strengthen and broaden Federation activities.
 * //d. Better Haringey Awards//**