minutes+June+13th+2006


 * __Report of HFRA General Meeting – June 13th 2006__**


 * //__RA Delegates Present__://** Kate Huddie – **Noel Park North Area RA, N22;** Joyce Rosser – **Warner Estate RA, N8;** Laurie Owen - **Parkside Malvern RA, N8;** Peter Thompson **- Muswell Hill and Fortis Green Assoc, N10/N2;** Dave Morris - **Chestnuts Northside RA, N15;** Vivien Cuming and Simon Fedida - **Avenue Gardens RA, N22;** Pat Ayinde – **Bruce Grove RN, N17;** Nazar Alikhan – **Gardens RA, N4;** Sue Hessel **– Haslemere Rd RA, N8;** Kit Grieveson and Eleni – **Stroud Green RA, N4;** John Waller – **Bounds Green & District Assoc, N11;** Ipona and Leroy Barrow – **Tottenham Hale Action Group, N17** **//__Apologies:__//** David Singh – **Broadwater Farm RA, N17;** Ibilola Campbell – **Tiverton Tewkesbury RA, N15;** Joyce Oyeyi Effiong – **Suffolk Road RA, N15;** Adam Coffman – **Fairfax Rd RA, N8;** Chico Pacheco **– Triangle Watch / RA, N8;** Stephen Whittle - **West Green RA, N15;** Ulla Lefmann **– Burghley Rd Area RA, N8;** Bob Maltz - **Gladwell, Landrock & Cecile Pk Residents Action Group, N8;** Annie Bebington – **Seacole Ct RA, N15;** Sue Penny – **Clyde Area RA, N15;** Vaughan Meltzer – **Chettle Ct RA, N8;** Bob Hewitt - **Cranley Gardens RA, N10;** Brenda Babilola **– Grovelands, Lemsford and Leabank RA, N15;** Gloria Benson – **Tynemouth RA, N15;** Jane Laporte and Helen Steel – **Woodlands Park RA, N15;**


 * 1.** **__Minutes of last meeting and the AGM__** Agreed. No matters arising.

2. __Local reports from RAs present__ As usual those groups attending made brief local reports, leading to some comment and discussion. Local activities in the last month included:

cleaning up a local green space and considering setting up a new Friends group; doing a street audit; delivering a new Newsletter; setting up a website; responding to anti-social behaviour; organising launch event for a new children’s play area; stall at church fayre; contacts with Safer Neighbourhood team; planning street parties; leafleting to oppose NHS health cuts; campaigning for pedestrian crossing; monitoring a new construction site; campaigning for community use of local public building; publicising local film show; attending Homes For Haringey residents’ forum and Board; fighting planning appeals; preparing for local AGM; organising Summer Fayre in a community garden… //and more!//


 * 3. __Health care facilities and services__** In response to a decision at our AGM to oppose cuts in health care facilities and services, we and the Save Hornsey Hospital Campaign organised a lobby at the Primary Care Trust Board meeting on May 24th. We did leaflets and press releases. 40 people held a protest at the gates of St Ann’s Hospital then attended the meeting. We insisted on speaking rights, and then a number of heartfelt presentations were made. Unfortunately the Board voted to propose £11m cuts. But we had achieved a lot of publicity, public debate and concern. It was resolved to step up opposition and agreed that HFRA would support and co-organise a local trade union march against the cuts on 24th June.


 * 4.** **__Street Scene__** **//Local Street Parties//** There were further reports of RAs organising parties around Haringey in the weekends around mid-summer.


 * 5.** **__Planning and Development__**


 * //- UDP//** The Council is conducting its final consultation on UDP policies. Housing densities and Open Space deficiencies remain controversial issues, with the Council failing to amend these policies despite the Inquiry Inspector’s criticisms. We put in our formal objections and sent a detailed briefing to all Councillors, accompanied by press releases. On 13th June, the night of the LBH Executive Cttee, 15 residents protested outside the Civic Centre and then an HFRA deputation (Dave and Simon) made a presentation. The Cttee’s decision was to agree with HFRA concerns over the threat of high residential densities up to 1,100hrh and to tell officers to keep within 700hrh. However, this decision was removed from the official minutes of the Cttee! See the webcam of the presentation and debate on the [|www.haringey.gov.uk] website. After the Executive meeting we came back to the HFRA meeting, which had been scheduled to start a little later.


 * //- Concrete factory//** Despite the 100% opposition to this application, a Planning Inspector over-ruled the Council and gave the go ahead, albeit with 40 conditions imposed. The next day 100 parents and children burned the verdict papers outside a local school. Green N8 organised a barbeque and then a public meeting (100 attended at only 2 days notice on June 14th) to agree the next steps in the long campaign – this includes consideration of legal action, direct action and protests, linking up with other groups around London and the UK, and insisting on all the ‘conditions’ if it ever gets built.


 * //- Stakeholders Forum//** We finally got a constructive reply to our detailed set of proposals sent last year for improving planning application consultation methods. The Planning Dept have agreed that all RAs should be routinely consulted about significant applications proposed for their areas. We agreed to ask all RAs to send us the details they would like the Council to have, including which streets etc they cover.


 * 6. __Consultation and involvement__** We discussed the whole issue of consultation practice in Haringey, and the need for our own set of guidelines of what genuine consultation, participation and partnership entails. We agreed an initial ’11 points for good practice’ which we’d discuss further at the next meeting.


 * 7. __Green spaces__ //Parks staffing review//** Last winter we started campaigning, jointly with the Haringey Friends of Parks Forum, for park-keepers in our parks and green spaces. This culminated with a public meeting in January. The Council is now reviewing how it organises the staffing of parks and is seeking our comments. Our Secretary would be contacting the Parks Dept to discuss the Review and to ensure RAs and Friends groups had plenty of time and opportunity to feed their views in…


 * 8. __Environmental Sustainability__** We agreed to support and publicise a conference being organised by Haringey Agenda 21 on sustainability issues and how to promote them in Haringey. One of the themes will be how to address and respond to climate change.


 * 9. __Federation Business__**


 * //- HFRA Officers’ meeting//** We agreed to hold a special HFRA officers meeting to discuss how to take up issues in a more effective and systematic way. The date for this could be the week before our next meeting. //__Update__// As we sometimes skip the August general meeting, officers decided that August 8th would be best.


 * - //London Conference//** Bob (GLC-RAG) had attended a GLA conference on London issues attended by 1000 people. He distributed our //Community Action// paper widely.


 * //- Better Places Partnership//** An update was given about the BPP and the Community Engagement Forum. The main groups involved up to now have been HFRA, Friends of Parks Forum and Haringey Agenda 21. Recent discussions have included the new Streetscape Manual, Haringey-wide measures needed to reduce and mitigate Climate Change problems, and Neighbourhood Renewal Funding priorities…


 * //- Community Action//** The new issue is out (5,000 copies – but more can be printed if needed). Up to RAs to order them from the HFRA and distribute to their members, local community centres, door to door etc. Avenue Gardens RA took 500 to deliver throughout their area.