Minutes+-+January+13th+2009

Reports about other controversial planning sites (eg //__Ally Pally__//, //__Tottenham Hotspurs__//) were held over for future meetings. It was agreed we should schedule a discussion about how local people can develop their own //__Community Plans__// for contested sites, as many have begun to do around the borough. //__ Rents charges __// The Council plans a 6.1% rent increase for all tenants, based on pressure from the Government. ‘Consultation’ leaflets were only sent to 250 of the 16,000 tenants affected. There are long-term concerns that the Government is pressurising Councils to raise rents year upon year ‘towards market levels’. Members of the Haringey Defend Council Housing campaign, to which the Federation are affiliated, have distributed thousands of leaflets to tenants calling for objections and a lobby of the Council on 26th January. //__ Service charges __// The Council plans 50% increases in tenants’ service charges, and 100% increase in district heating charges for 600 of the 1,500 tenants in sheltered accommodation. Many residents have objected to this, and the 26th January lobby will raise their concerns. Sue Hessel, the Federation’s officer for Vulnerable Groups, will be making our concerns public and taking this up with Councillors and others. //__ Decent Homes refurbishment works __// The £200m decent homes refurbishment works programme is well into its first year, and detailed updates were circulated to delegates present. Reports from those present at the meeting indicated it seemed to be progressing well, although the Federation have been informed of some serious problems on one large estate. //__ Waste management __// There were concerns expressed about all flats having access to recycling banks, and that these sites don’t appear to have an adequate maintenance budget. //__ Haringey Defend Council Housing __// Paul reported on the work of HDCH, which is part of a national campaign for adequate investment and protection for the UK’s public housing stock. It is calculated that nearly a £billion collected each year from UK tenants’ rents is swallowed up by the Government’s Treasury rather than ploughed back into housing maintenance. The meeting reaffirmed the Federation’s support for public housing and HDCH. The Federation officers had decided that we, as a Federation, would not get actively involved in either criticising or supporting the Council until we’d had a chance to discuss the matter at this meeting. Instead we circulated what we considered to be useful and balanced information. Sue Hessel, our Vulnerable Groups officer, drew on her experiences with some of these issues in order to put out a personal statement in her own name saying that the borough’s social services and health services could have done more to possibly avoid the tragedy and to recognise that improvements are needed. The meeting discussed in detail the above issues and more. It was generally agreed that: - there were a wide range of views about what had happened and why, and what should be done - the Federation’s response had been the right one - officers can express their own views as long as they make this clear, as Sue had done - we need to be careful not to be drawn into media hysteria and scapegoating, whilst not flinching from criticising the Council or its lack of resources - based on a sound appraisal of the facts. - we must ensure we remain accountable to local RAs, and are able to discuss difficult or controversial issues in a measured way at our meetings.
 * __ Haringey Federation of Residents Associations: General Meeting, 13.1.09 __**
 * //__RA Delegates Present__//****//://** Liz Pine – **Woodlands Park RA, N15;** Adam Coffman – **Fairfax Road RA, N8;** Peter Thompson **- Muswell Hill and Fortis Green Assoc, N10/N2,** and **Hillfield St James RA, N10;** Wendy Keenan – **Fountain Area RA, N15;** Dave Morris - **Chestnuts Northside RA, N15;** Kit Grieveson – **Stroud Green RA, N4;** Barbara Blake – **Gardens RA, N4;** Matthew Bradby – **Tower Gardens RG, N17;** Paul Burnham – **Partridge Way RA, N22;** Sue Hessel - **Haslemere Rd RA, N8;** Joyce Rosser – **Warner Estate RA, N8;** Bob Maltz - **Gladwell, Landrock & Cecile Pk Residents Action Group, N8;** Lauritz Hansen-Bay – **Hampden Ct Homeowners, N22**
 * //__Apologies:__//** Ibilola Campbell **– Tiverton RA, N15;** Irene Storey – **Coldfall RA, N10;** Quentin Given - **Ferry Lane Action Group, N17;** Eileen McGrath – **Broadwater Farm RA, N17;** Louise Howlett – **Eclipse House RA, N22;** Pauline Lijertwood – **Milton Rd Willow Walk and West Green RA, N15;** Stephen Whittle – **West Green RA, N15/N22;** Candy Amsden – **Clyde Area RA, N15;** Chico Pacheco – **Park Ave S NW, N8;** Jennifer Bell – **The Hawthorns, N8** **//__And__//** Brenda Babalola – Grovelands Lemsford and Leabank Estate Advocate, N15
 * 1. ** **__Minutes of Nov 11th Meeting__** //__Accuracy:__// Agreed //__Matters arising:__// Liz Pine attended the HAVCO meeting on behalf of the HFRA.
 * 2. ** **__Local reports__** The RAs present reported a wide range of local activities... //__Tower Gardens Residents Group__// has now successfully re-launched; 50 members of the //__Warner Estate RA__// attended their special meeting about environmental sustainability and a major visit is planned to the Edmonton waste plant; //__Haslemere Rd RA__// organised planting on a local green space; //__Stroud Green RA__// held a craft fair and a xmas social event, and have a new edition of their Newsletter; //__Woodlands Pk RA__// are ‘ticking over’; The community garden run by the //__Gardens RA__// continues to host many activities, and the group are looking to involve local youth more; //__Fairfax RA__// have been helping campaign for improvements to their local park and held two bulb planting sessions there. They are also part of the 1,000-strong [|www.harringayonline.com] web-based network for the area who, among other things, are planning a Green Lanes street festival in September; //__Hampton Ct Homeowners__// are working with the local Safer Neighbourhoods panel; //__GLC-RAG__// are getting their own public noticeboard, and trying to buy their local ‘backlands’ site after 9 years of successful campaigning to prevent it being sold off for housing development; The monthly newsletter of the //__Muswell Hill & Fortis Green Assoc__// has now expanded to 8 pages; The new //__Hillfield St James RA__// is supporting their neighbourhood karate team; //__Fountain Area RA__// is campaigning to save the garden of the Fountain pub from development, are making preparations for their own community garden, and are getting their own noticeboard; //__Chestnuts Northside RA__// held two well-attended public meetings over car-parking issues and as a result there is now a new CPZ covering their area. They are also continuing to support local Friends groups in their efforts to improve nearby parks, and supporting local campaigns around health services; //__Partridge Way RA__// reported continuing issues re repairs, estate management and maintenance of their on-site recycling site;
 * 3. __Planning Issues__ ** There was a report from the campaign to save //__Wards Corner__//. 50 people attended a public by-election ‘hustings’ meeting organised by the Community Coalition, supported by local RAs and the Federation. All election candidates pledged to back the campaign and the alternative Community Plan to restore the site and save all the local businesses and market traders. The campaign is trying to raise £4,000 in donations to fund a judicial review of the Planning Cttee’s controversial decision to allow the demolition of the site.
 * 4. __Council Housing__ ** There were reports and substantial discussion around a number of key issues:
 * 5. __Social Services and Child Protection__ ** Following the tragic death in Haringey of ‘Baby P’ there had been a great deal of concern and publicity about local social services regarding the protection of vulnerable children. Had the Council been doing enough? Had the department been understaffed, and social workers overworked? Have cuts in social services and health services made things worse? Would the adverse publicity against social workers make it even harder to retain and recruit staff? Had there been a cover up? Had the national media been sensationalist and looking for scapegoats? Who, if anyone, was to blame? Most importantly, what should be done to ensure our social services have the resources, staffing and policies to support people in need throughout Haringey?
 * 6. __Health__ ** The Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition, to which we are affiliated, was planning a ‘We Love Our NHS’ march and rally on Valentines Day. We agreed to help publicise the day’s events.
 * 7. __Sustainability__ ** We welcomed the Sustainable Haringey network’s promotion of neighbourhood-based ‘eco-teams’ of residents, and the coming SH Winter Gathering on January 25th.
 * 8. __Access to community meeting rooms/centres__ ** We had written last April to Cllr Reith expressing concern at the ongoing difficulties facing many RAs in accessing local meeting places, including some specifically built for local residents’ use (eg on many Council estates). She had agreed this was a problem and would investigate the matter. We recently received a response from Cllr Cooke saying that there were insurance problems and that he was investigating a system of training for potential key-holders in the relevant local RAs. All such RAs are encouraged to pursue this matter directly with him.
 * 9. __Federation business__ ** //__Federation email news bulletins:__// still seeking a volunteer for this so that we can report news from local RAs and other key issues on a regular basis. //__Calendar of coming events:__// could be added to our website, if we can find a volunteer to update it!