minutes+9th+November+2004


 * __Report of HFRA General Meeting – 9th November 2004__**


 * //__RA Delegates Present__://** John Waller – **Bounds Green & District Association, N11;** Bob Maltz – **Gladwell, Landrock & Cecile Pk Residents Action Group, N8;** Stephen Whittle - **West Green RA, N15;** Grahame Pearce – **Heron Wharf RA, N17;** Peter Thompson - **Muswell Hill & Fortis Green Assoc, N2;** Dave Morris – **Chestnuts Northside RA, N15;** Jane Laporte – **Woodlands Park RA, N15;** Colin Kerr, Vivienne Cuming and Simon Fedida - **Avenue Gardens RA, N22;** Michael Cordwell-James – **Chitts Hill RA, N22** and Friends of Woodside Park, N22; Roy Jensen – **Keynes Close RA, N2;** Ule and Olle Lefmann – **Burleigh Rd Area RA, N8 //__Apologies:__//** Marian Janes – **CASCH, N8;** Ibilola Campbell – **Tiverton Tewksbury RA, N15;** Joyce Oyeyi-Effiong – **Suffolk Rd RA, N15;** Joyce Rosser – **Warner Estate RA, N8;** Pat Ayinde - **Bruce Grove Residents Network, N17;** Peter Hall - **The Sandlings RA, N22;** Robert Gainsborough – **St George’s Lodge RA, N10;** Laurie Owen - **Parkside Malvern RA, N8;** Adam Coffman – **Fairfax Rd RA, N8;** David Rennie – **Palace Gates RA, N22**


 * __1. Minutes of last meeting__** The minutes for the 12th October General Meeting were agreed.


 * __2. Local reports from RAs present__** There were reports from all groups present (and some sent in by RAs) about some of their most recent activities and concerns. As usual, some of the issues raised led to general discussion.


 * //Keynes Close, N2//** LBH sheltered accommodation – their complaints about poor service received have now gone to arbitration. Service manager has now returned. **//Gladwell, Landrock & Cecile Pk Residents Action Group, N8//** Continue to oppose a housing development proposed for some garages behind their gardens and affecting 130 local homes. Managed to persuade Planning Cttee to make a site visit.
 * //Bounds Green & District Assoc, N11//** Some progress by local RAs in the area who’ve worked together to secure funds (around £2m) for local traffic calming and reduction of through traffic from the north circular. BG&DA are trying to ensure that the new housing project (260 homes) on the old Middx University site is designed intelligently and that ‘section 106’ payments by the developer are used for local community needs. **//Burleigh Rd Area RA, N8//** Continue to press for refusals of late night licencing for certain local commercial premises.
 * //Muswell Hill & Fortis Green Assoc, N2//** Distributed eco-lightbulbs. Applying for money for benches at key sites. Held a public meeting about policing, and the Muswell Hill Police Station (now staffed at times by local volunteers). [NB. The latest MH&FGA newsletter was circulated at the HFRA meeting].
 * //Chestnuts Northside RA, N15//** New local traffic calming proposals are now going to public consultation. [NB. CNRA minutes were circulated at the HFRA meeting]. **//Woodlands Park RA, N15//** Seeking 2 extra pedestrian crossings for roads in the area. 150 residents attended a highly successful Community Quiz Night.
 * //Avenue Gardens RA, N22//** Held a 40-strong protest with placards at the site of an unpopular and intensive proposed housing development, and got front page publicity. The application has since been withdrawn. 40 residents attended a bulb-planting day in their local green space, Avenue Gardens. AGRA did a highly detailed response to the LBH UDP.
 * //Chitts Hill RA, N22//** Seeking further local traffic calming measures (already have humps). Also, members involved with Friends of Woodside Park organised a bulb-planting day there [//update:// attended by 30 volunteers]. They are also campaigning very hard against the application by St Thomas More School to annexe part of the local park for a floodlit pitch – their petition was up to 400 signatures.
 * //Heron Wharf RA, N17//** AGM in October went well. Concerns over scale of potential new development on the ex-Middx University site adjacent to them.
 * //West Green RA, N15//** 50 residents attended AGM, which included a very useful discussion with the LBH Head of Street Scene. Pressure from WGRA has helped ensure that Turnpike Lane tube station area is now being upgraded. Have recently successfully objected to 2 local planning applications affecting green spaces.
 * __Other reports:__**
 * //Bowes Park Community Assoc, N22//** Organised a 40-strong sponsored walk along the New River from Cheshunt, ending in their community garden.
 * //Sandlings RA, N22//** Had to deal with a recent problem of a badly designed sewage pipe.
 * //Warner estate RA, N8//** Organised a 50-strong farewell party for a much loved local postal worker, leaving after 18 yrs doing their area. Held public meeting re local trees issues.


 * __3. Planning and Development__**


 * a. LBH Unitary Development Plan [2nd deposit]** The HFRA secretary had successfully applied for an extra week in which to complete the Federation’s response to the revised LBH UDP draft. There were many additional objections to be drafted, including seeking protection for a range of community facilities, and for open spaces, and opposing a new definition of ‘major developments’. The meeting noted that a recent LBH ‘Housing Strategy’ document admits that the Council is cutting corners to encourage house-building throughout the borough, but is also trying to scale down the GLA target of building 20,000 homes in the next 10 years to around 13,000. It was agreed we needed to pool our efforts if we are going to have an effect during the consultation process leading up to the public inquiry in the spring. To be discussed next meeting.


 * //Important Update//**//:// The public inquiry has now been announced to start on 12th April 2005. There will be an official Pre-Inquiry Meeting for all concerned on 10th Jan, 2pm at the Civic Centre. Forms have been sent out to objectors and need to be filled in by 20th December – any questions, contact Jim Riddle on 0191 565 3695 or jim@riddle8972.fsnet.co.uk


 * b.** **Parks and Open Spaces (including White Hart Lane Rec)** As previously discussed, the draft UDP had been scandalously amended by the Council to enable development in our local public parks and green spaces. On top of this local residents were opposing an application by St Thomas More School to annexe and fence off well-used public part of White Hart Lane Rec / Pond Park for an artificial sports pitch. The Federation and the Haringey Friends of Parks Forum had agreed to organise a joint protest rally and march on October 23rd, the last Saturday before the end of the UDP consultation period. The Federation produced a few thousand leaflets, and issued a press release. The protest started with a rally, speeches, noise-making, banner-waving and petition-signing outside the library – despite rain showers. Then 150 people held a lively and noisy march down the High Rd, past the Civic Centre, to end at the threatened part of White Hart Lane Rec. The general feeling of the HFRA meeting was that we’d made a very powerful point and received a great deal of positive publicity for the principle of protecting our parks.


 * //Important Update://** Following the last HFRA meeting we discovered that the White Hart Lane application was due to be heard at the Planning Sub-Cttee on November 22nd. Thanks to a lot of frantic, last-minute publicity and preparation, 100 people came to protest and a co-ordinated and comprehensive presentation was made objecting to the application. Despite the application being strongly backed by the school and a number of Council departments, after 2 hours of controversy it was rejected by Cllrs 5-0. This was a historic victory. Full report at the next HFRA meeting…


 * c. Licensing Laws** At the last meeting we’d discussed how a new parliamentary act has changed the way premises are licensed (eg for sale of alcohol, opening times, responsibilities of management etc). Peter (MHFGA) had circulated beforehand a proposed HFRA response to the Council’s important draft licensing policy document. There was a great deal of debate over this, especially as it was a potentially contentious issue we unfortunately needed to make a quick decision on without having discussed in detail before. Amendments were proposed and agreed, and Peter, Simon and Dave were delegated to finalise it for sending in by the consultation deadline [see enclosed].


 * 4.** **__Council Housing__**
 * //a. New tenancy agreement//** There were concerns expressed by tenants present over aspects of the revised LBH tenancy agreement. It was noted that points made during the consultation over this document had been ignored (including simple spelling errors), casting doubt on the credibility of the consultation process.
 * //b. Future management options//** There were again concerns expressed over the consultation over the various management options the Council was proposing, and the way the exercise had been conducted without a commitment to a full and fair ballot, and a level playing field for the capital investment needed for each option.


 * __5. LBH Crime Survey__** It was noted that a recent widely-distributed Council ‘crime survey’ form had neglected to include community concerns such as speeding traffic, and illegal billboards. But those who felt strongly about these matters were encouraged to write them in by hand.


 * 5.** **__Federation Business__**
 * //a.//** **//Federation talks//** Our secretary addressed a public meeting of the Muswell Hill Pensioners Action Group on the subject of ‘Local Services For Local Communities’ – 40 members attended and a lively and thoughtful discussion took place. The HFRA was also invited to a meeting of the Tiverton Tewksbury RA in South Tottenham.
 * //b. Tottenham area issues//** It was noted that there was a need for RAs in the Tottenham area to work together over common issues. The HFRA would support any such initiatives.
 * //c. Finances//** We have secured a grant for our basic activities for next year. The treasurer was thanked for all his skill and hard work!
 * //d. HFRA//** **Website** We want to link to local RAs websites. Can anyone volunteer technical help?!
 * //e. Haringey Community Empowerment Network//** AGM on Dec 16th 3-6pm at the Irish Centre, Pretoria Rd, N17. HFRA Secretary will be doing a presentation about ‘neighbourhoods’.