Minutes+-+Feb+12th+2008

Minutes archive: //[|www.haringeyresidents.org/minutes]// Recent news:  // [|www.haringeyresidents.org/what’s+new] // //c. Leisure services// It was reported that there was anger from older people who use leisure services (swimming, gyms etc) after the Council announced it would cancel free leisure passes for the elderly. Protests and lobbying were planned. //d. General services / staff-residents co-operation// At our last meeting, due to concerns at the extent of cuts throughout Council depts and also health services, we decided to seek better communication and co-operation with public service staff. Following our approaches our Secretary was invited to address a UNISON union branch meeting. He was very well received and UNISON agreed to circulate our Community Action bulletins to their reps, and to elect an officer to liaise with us in future.
 * __ Report of HFRA General Meeting – Feb 12th 2008 __**
 * //__ RA Delegates Present __//****// : //** Joyce Rosser – **Warner Estate RA, N8;** Peter Thompson **- Muswell Hill and Fortis Green Assoc, N10/N2,** and **Hillfield Park NW, N10;** Bob Maltz - **Gladwell, Landrock & Cecile Pk Residents Action Group, N8;** Wendy Keenan – **Fountain Area RA, N15;** Dave Morris - **Chestnuts Northside RA, N15;** Anne Gray – **West Green RA, N15/22;** **//__Apologies:__//** Yvonne Denny – **Edgecot Grove RA, N15;** Catrina Etheridge - **Chettle Ct RA, N8;** Jennifer Bell – **Hawthorn Rd Neighbourhood Group, N8;** Sue Hessel - **Haslemere Rd RA, N8**; Lloyd Davies – **Chesnuts Area RA, N17;** Kit Grieveson – **Stroud Green RA, N4;** Pat Ayinde – **Bruce Grove RN, N17**; Joyce Oyeyi-Effiong – **Suffolk Rd RA, N15;** Matt Bradby – **Tower Gardens Residents Group, N17;** Bernice Sullivan – **Roden Ct TA, N6;** Adam Coffman – **Fairfax Road RA, N8;** Ulla & Ole Lefmann - **Burghley Rd Area RA, N8;** Kate Huddie - **Noel Park N. Area RA, N22;** Marian Janes **– CASCH, N8;** Laurie Owen – **Parkside Malvern RA, N8;** Lauritz Hansen Bay – **Hampden Ct Homeowners, N22;**
 * 1. ** **__ Minutes of Dec 7th Meeting __** Agreed
 * 2. __Local Reports__ ** There were the usual interesting local reports from groups present, some reports in writing, and some discussions about what was raised.
 * 3. __Planning and Development__ a. //Wards Corner, N15// ** The local coalition of residents associations and market traders at Wards Corner have now submitted their Community Plan application to restore and regenerate the market and historic site. They are holding a major public meeting on 28th Feb. [//Update:// 350 attended!] The Federation agreed to back the Community Plan and object to the private developer’s plan to demolish the site for luxury homes and corporate chains. The Coalition are working hard to ensure that the Council backs the community rather the private developer. // http://wardscorner.wikispaces.com //
 * // b. Roden Court, N6 //** The tenants association in Roden Ct are pleased that the proposed redevelopment of their flats has been given the go-ahead. Despite objections from residents nearby who felt it will be overdevelopment, the current occupants are glad that the waiting and uncertainty seems to be over and that those with assured tenancies will get rehoused in better conditions.
 * // c. Open space by Coleridge School //** Coleridge School applied to annexe public land between the school and the street. There was a great deal of opposition and protest, especially from Haslemere Rd RA who had only recently been working to improve the green space for everyone’s benefit. The application was withdrawn.
 * // d. Housing Planning Policies //** The Federation responded in detail to a consultation over planning policies affecting housing – our concerns include over-development, too high densities, poor design, low % of social housing in new developments, ‘affordable’ housing not being affordable, lack of community facilities and amenities, too few family-sized homes, and too many houses in multiple occupation. [|www.haringeyresidents.org/housing+-+planning+policies]
 * // e. Core Strategy //** The new ‘Local Development Framework’ (which will eventually replace the 2006 Haringey Unitary Development Plan) has now started to unfold. The first consultation is over a ‘Core Strategy’, which identifies what the Council thinks are the key ‘issues and options’ for future planning policies affecting the borough. All RAs and residents generally are invited to respond. Copies of the document were handed out to those present at the meeting. The Federation will respond, based on the views about planning issues we have discussed and developed over the last few years. This is the first step in a long consultation process involving a series of complex and overlapping documents, largely based on what central government wants. It was agreed that, despite our reluctance to get as heavily involved as we did during the exhausting HUDP consultations, it is important that we and others raise our voices and do our best to stand up for community interests.
 * 4. __Green spaces__ ** **// a. Staffing //** The Council seems to be moving towards some reorganisation of staffing in parks following intense lobbying by the Haringey Friends of Parks Forum who believe that Parks Dept money spent on the parks constabulary should be redirected into more effective on-site staffing. However, the situation has been complicated as the Parks Dept (like all Council Depts) have been told to make substantial budget cuts. //[|www.haringeyresidents.org/green+spaces+-+The+Friends+of+Parks+Forum]//
 * // b. Open Space Standards //** The Council have finally produced a draft ‘Open Space and Recreational Standards’ consultation document to set standards for the amount and quality of open spaces, allotments, nature reserves, sports playing fields, children’s play areas and swimming pools. This will guide all future development in the borough and force developers to contribute space and funding for such amenities. The Federation and the Haringey Friends of Parks Forum put in a joint response welcoming the document but objecting to the proposed watering down of some of the nationally-accepted minimum standards.
 * // c. UK networking //** Friends of Parks Forums and networks from around the country are linking up to support each other and to lobby for greater resources and better management of all green spaces.
 * 5. __Street Scene__ ** **//a. Safer streets//** A map was handed out showing the borough’s ever-growing area of 20mph zones and new areas earmarked for 20mph speed limits following residents concerns for safer streets. This supports the Federation’s policy that it would be simpler, quicker, cheaper and most importantly safer if 20mph was made the ‘default’ speed limit for all residential streets in Haringey, and indeed London. Bob Maltz (GLC-RAG) agreed to attend a national Living Streets Conference on March 15th on behalf of the Federation.
 * //b. Public Toilets//** Following lobbying and publicity from the Federation and Haringey Forum for Older People the Council has done a U-turn and has now agreed to investigate setting up a new scheme which will ensure public access to existing toilets in scores of cafes, pubs and public buildings around Haringey. More info: //[|www.haringeyresidents.org/street+scene+-+bits+and+pieces+-+public+toilets]//
 * 6. __Public services__ //a. Social Housing//** We welcomed the good news that the Government had finally agreed to release £198m to the Council for the much-needed refurbishment of council housing in Haringey.
 * //b.//** **//Health Services//** The Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition, to which we are affiliated, was continuing to speak out against Haringey PCT’s latest controversial proposal to fund 4 polyclinics / super health centres but close many local GP surgeries (and also adversely affect many dentists and chemists). We are in principle in favour of the widest possible neighbourhood-based services for all Haringey’s local communities. More info: __[|www.haringeyresidents.org/Public+services+-+health+services+-+Local+campaigns]__
 * 7. __Sustainability issues__** We agreed to support Haringey Sustainability Weeks (June 1st – 22nd), which is being coordinated and promoted by the Sustainable Haringey network. [|www.sustainableharingey.org.uk] RAs are encouraged to organise sustainability-related events in that period. Some RAs are now taking up environmental sustainability issues, hosting discussions and setting up working groups. The London Tenants Federation was organising a Climate Change conference and the HFRA was invited to run a workshop.
 * 8. __Licensing Laws__** We agreed to respond to the Council’s official review of how the new licensing laws, brought in a couple of years ago, are working. Peter Thompson (Muswell Hill & Fortis Green Association) will draft a response, including outlining some of the concerns regarding increased night-time noise and anti-social behaviour, and the failure to involve local communities in the licensing process.
 * 9. __Federation Business__ //a. RAs Meeting times and venues//** The Federation had conducted 2 e-polls of Haringey RAs to identify when and where local groups meet. //Times:// varied (including weekends) but most popular days are Thursdays, followed by Wednesdays – with 7.30pm the most popular start time. //Venues:// Varied, including community centres, homes, churches, schools and even in an estate agents! There are sometimes problems in getting use of council-run community centres, even ones on estates designated for residents’ own use. We agreed to support those RAs and take this matter up with the Council.
 * //b. Volunteering//** The Federation Secretary has produced a statement (circulated at the meeting) about the widespread volunteering going on all around us in our communities. It had been presented to a seminar on the subject organised by HAVCO.
 * //c. Our AGM//** We agreed to hold this in May
 * //d. Finances//** As reported last month Simon Fedida, our treasurer since the HFRA was founded in 2002, has now stood down. We now urgently need someone else to volunteer to step forward. We also urgently need subscriptions and donations from RAs.
 * //e. Press//** A new monthly free newspaper called ‘First Tottenham’ had offered our Secretary the chance to do a regular column. He was unsure about taking this up for a number of reasons, but the meeting agreed to support him if he wanted to do it.
 * //f. Community Link Forum//** This new forum for voluntary and community organisations has now been launched. A number of RAs reps were present at the launch, and the HFRA secretary chaired one of the workshop discussions about some of the key issues facing Haringey residents in the next few years.
 * //g. Better Places Partnership//** We have applied for co-optation to the BPP for the coming year, and have also nominated Haringey Friends of Parks Forum, Sustainable Haringey and the Mobility Forum.
 * //h. Haringey Independence Day event//** We are running a stall and a discussion meeting at this event on April 26th at the West Green Learning Centre, including a showing of our ‘Community Action’ documentary. Helpers welcome! We agreed to help publicise it.