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CHASE, SOUTHBURY AND TOWN AREA FORUM - 10.6.2008
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE CHASE, SOUTHBURY AND TOWN AREA FORUM HELD ON TUESDAY, 10 JUNE 2008
COUNCILLORS
PRESENT Chris Bond, Lee Chamberlain, Tony Dey, Annette Dreblow, Peter Fallart, Eric Jukes, Kieran McGregor, Michael Rye (Leader of the Council) and Kate Wilkinson
ABSENT
OFFICERS: Bob Griffiths (Head of Trading Standards and Licensing) and Ann Redondo (Democratic Services)
Also Attending: Inspector George and approximately 40 residents
1 APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN
Councillor Rye nominated Councillor Peter Fallart for the role of Chairman, seconded by Councillor Chamberlain.
RESOLVED that Councillor Peter Fallart be appointed as Chairman for the Municipal Year
2 APPOINTMENT OF VICE CHAIRMAN
Councillor Rye nominated Councillor Keiran McGregor for the role of Vice – Chairman, seconded by Councillor Bond.
RESOLVED that Councillor Kieran McGregor be appointed as Vice -Chairman for the Municipal Year.
3 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
Councillor Peter Fallart welcomed all those present to the meeting and asked the Ward Councillors to introduce themselves.
4 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
There were no apologies for absence.
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5 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
NOTED that no declarations of interest made in respect of any items on the agenda.
6 MINUTES
AGREED that the minutes of the meeting held on 18 March 2008 be confirmed as a correct record.
NOTED the following updates and issues arising:
(a) Minute (6.2.2.) Removal of Hedgerow at Spurs Academy and Training Centre at Bulls Cross – Councillor Annette Dreblow advised that she had met with the Architect responsible for the Spurs site, and not the Chief Executive as detailed in the minutes. She reported that a ‘temporary fitting’ had replaced the hedgerow and that new saplings and trees would be planted on the Autumn. Councillor Dreblow added that beehives had been exposed when the hedgerow was removed and that action was being taken on this.
(b) Minute (6.1.1.) Millfield Theatre – In response to a resident, Councillor Rye said that there were no plans to close the Millfield Theatre. He referred to a Cabinet report detailing investment in the Millfield Theatre, including extra toilet facilities.
(c ) Minute (3 – c) Guy Lodge Farm – Bob Griffiths advised that he would provide an update on the issues associated with Guy Lodge, including the restoration of hedges, at a later date. Action : Bob Griffiths
(d) Minute (3 –e) Removal of graffiti on Maidens Bridge – Councillor Dreblow advised that work on the bridge was progressing.
7 UPDATE FROM POLICE
(a) Southbury Ward
NOTED
i. Priorities remained: Leisure and Retail Parks – British Crime Survey, Speeding across the entire Ward and Enfield Rangers FC – youth issues and ASB.
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CHASE, SOUTHBURY AND TOWN AREA FORUM - 10.6.2008 ii. Further operations had been held on Sunday evenings, primarily targeting car cruisers on Enfield Retail Park. A number of vehicles have been taken off the road for various offences, driving without due care, excess speed and dangerous condition. iii. There is a dispersal order in place, which covers East of the A10 to the reservoirs and from M25 to A406. This order allows police to immediately disperse groups of people. Successful operations had been reported where young drivers had met. iii. A sound meter had been used to deal with the noise problems associated with vehicles that have had an ‘after market’ exhaust fitted. iv. A successful ‘youth diversion’ programme was held at Rangers FC during the Whitsun holiday. Free activities included football, Basketball dance and art. It is hoped that this event will serve as a platform to launch a new youth club. v. Over the last 3 months, almost 200 ‘stop and search’ operations have been carried out, including Stop and Accounts and Counter Terrorism Stop and Searches. vi. A brothel in Clive Road had been closed down by Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) officers. vii. Since the last Forum meeting 1,400 counterfeit DVDs had been seized. viii. As a result of partnership working with the Council, 2 families had been evicted as a result Anti Social Behaviour (ASB). ix. 10 burglaries have occurred on the ward since the last Forum. Burglary patrols continue across the Ward and all victims of burglary receive a visit from SNT officers. Residents can contact the SNT to request a home security survey and would receive a document detailing helpful tips on how to make their homes more secure. x. A bi – monthly newsletter has been launched and residents who would like to receive this electronically are asked to supply the SNT officers with their email address. The following telephone number can be used to contact the Ward officers : 07748 320117. xi. ‘Patrol leaflets’ are delivered to various addresses to reassure residents that patrols are being made in their area.
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(b) Town Ward i. The three priorities for the ward were, ASB in Pevensey Avenue, Aldersbrook Park and Fillebrook Avenue, ASB caused by intoxicated people walking through Gentleman’s Row and Holly Bush and noise nuisance by school leavers walking through Tenniswood Road and Baker Street. ii. Crime figures for the Ward reveal a reduction for all ‘crime types’ across the Ward. iii. The ward SNT have recorded the second highest numbers of ‘stop and search’ operations across the borough. iv. The supply of drugs from two addresses in the borough was being researched and warrants would be issued in the near future. v. Vulnerable people in the ward would be given the opportunity to view a film and receive a presentation offering advice on home security and bogus callers. These presentations would be offered in the next few weeks. vi. PCSO’s would be visiting primary schools in the near future to advise on road safety, stranger danger etc. vii. The SNT are preparing an operation to deal with speeding vehicles in the Ward, particularly HGV’s on residential roads and overweight lorries. viii. Partnership working with the Council and TfL was continuing regarding the problems associated with ‘bus overcrowding’ after school hours, particularly in the Lancaster Road area.
(c ) Chase Ward i. Priorities within the Ward were ASB at the Four Hills Estate and the Hoe Lane area. ii. The setting up of a Youth Panel had helped ease the issues of ASB, as a whole in the area. iii. The high number of cases of ASB in Blossom Lane is a cause for concern. A multi agency meeting had been arranged to be held on 13 June 2008 to discuss the issues. iv. The SNT have been involved in operations to combat speeding vehicles on the A10. The Ward officers are awaiting confirmation to deploy a ‘mobile speed camera’ in the area.
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A short discussion followed Inspector George’s presentation including:
• A resident said that it would be useful to receive results of operations carried out in the Wards; • Councillor Wilkinson raised her concerns over staff shortages amongst the SNT in Chase Ward, highlighting that it was the largest ward in the area, and needed maximum resources to deal with the ASB and other crimes; • Inspector George said it was hoped that the SNT in Chase Ward would be back to maximum strength within the next 3 months. He reported that some staff hade been drafted to strengthen the Haringey / A406 border; • A resident felt that the problems associated with speeding across the wards, could be reduced by installing more speed signs. Inspector George said that the main perpetrators being targeted were young people who ignored speed signs of any description; • Inspector George would report on the defective speed cameras reported by residents on the A10 and the retail park; • A resident added his concerns regarding the reduction of resources in the area, and felt that residents would feel even more vulnerable, especially in the Enfield Town shopping centre. Inspector George advised that in the short term, the resources issues would have an implications, but long term plans would mean dedicated teams installed for local hospitals, schools and shopping centres; • A resident who lived in Fotheringham Road reported that a dustcart had been driven down the road ‘on the wrong side’ and felt that this posed a serious safety issue; Bob Griffiths would take this issue back. • In response to a resident, Inspector George confirmed that the use of CCTV cameras really did assist in crime prevention; • A resident reported that 3 - 4 youths vandalised cars in Willow Road, and was shocked when the police informed him and his neighbours that the youths, who had been arrested, could not be prosecuted as they were ‘under 18 years of age’. He felt that the lack of a criminal record for the perpetrators would not discourage from acts of further vandalism. Inspector George said that the youth would have received a caution; • Inspector George advised a resident that he could still take knives into Enfield Police station for safe dispersal, even though the knife amnesty period had finished; • Inspector George would report back the concerns over the CCTV camera in Bullsmoor Lane, which appeared to have been ‘turned round’ and was now peering into the flats there; • Inspector George advised residents to report their concerns of graffiti to the SNT and agreed with a resident that the summer weather encourages this type of ASB;
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• A resident thanked the police for monitoring drivers that used ‘fog lights’ unnecessarily, and felt that their action had been a deterrent. • Inspector George advised that people attempting to clean car windscreens, causing dangers at various junctions, do get moved, but return once the police have gone. Seizing their equipment does delay their return. • Inspector George took the details of an untaxed, German registered vehicle that was in constant use. A resident reported that the vehicle was parked outside the Halfway House P.H. along the Great Cambridge Road. • Inspector George confirmed that Southgate police station had been listed for closure. He advised that a new SNT base had been set up in the Great Cambridge Road / Lincoln Road area, and that another base was planned opposite the Southgate Police Station.
Councillor Fallart thanked Inspector George for his informative updates.
8 QUEEN ELIZABETH II STADIUM
Neil Rousell, Assistant Director for Education, Learning and Community Services explained that he would deliver a brief verbal presentation on the Queen Elizabeth ll Stadium. He advised that he worked closely with the Parks officers and that there was an awareness of residents concerns over the future of the site.
Neil Rousell highlighted the following :
• Enfield and Haringey Athletics Club previously used the stadium but had now moved to the Lee Valley Athletics Centre, Picketts Lock.
• UK Athletics (London) Inspectors had refused to issue a safety certificate for the stadium. The Council commissioned a report and the findings indicated that substantial work would need to be carried out to bring the track to the standard required at a cost of approximately £500,000 - £600,000.
• There had been a public meeting on the 11 March 2008, to discuss the possible proposals for the stadium, with various presentations from interested parties.
• The current access to the stadium is via Donkey Lane, but this was restrictive. A new access is being considered by traffic engineers and may be located on the roundabout outside the David Lloyd centre. The report is currently being studied.
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• The accommodation within the stadium was in a poor state of repair, the building was of ‘Art Deco’ design with English Heritage keen to protect the listed building. Work has been commissioned with basic paintwork being redecorated. In order to meet the required standard in the future, the entire inside would need to be completely refurbished and renewed and proper shower facilities to be installed.
• Four different proposals for community use had been received from Sports Clubs, directly relating to the stadium. These included Enfield Town Football Club, Enfield (1893) Football Club, Enfield and Haringey Athletics Club, Enfield Ignatians and a partnership of Enfield 1893 and local athletics groups.
• A feasibility study would be conducted on the submissions with sustainability and community programming issues being looked at. A report would be made available to Members as soon as possible in the Autumn.
• The shrubbery surrounding the stadium would remain, to maintain a natural barrier.
A question and answer session followed:
Q. A resident asked whether the car parking facilities would be improved.
A. Neil Rousell advised car parking in the existing area would be improved.
Q. A resident queried whether there would be a guarantee from the Council that the lease for the site would be ‘non – assignable’.
A. Neil Rousell responded saying that the lease arrangements would be subject of discussion with legal and property services to ensure that the lease arrangements were appropriate.
Q. A resident referred to the refusal of a safety certificate and asked why the Council had not maintained the track adequately over the years, thus denying local people use of the facility.
A. Councillor Rye commented and said that due to the lack of investment by successive Council administrations, the stadium was now deemed not fit for purpose. It was not reasonable with the current set of circumstances to use this facility for athletic track events. The football pitches on the King George V playing fields were also in a poor condition with the changing facilities inadequate. He advised that the ‘anchor tenants’ had been Enfield and Haringey Athletics Club, but since their relocation to the facility at Pickets Lock, the stadium had become prone to vandalism. He added that the Council would maintain the freehold but was in need of another anchor tenant to preserve the use of the site. The Council did not have the funding available to
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maintain the site, and could only look to a long-term sustainable future with a partner on board.
Q. Residents raised their concerns over the lack of a purpose built track for young people to train on, as there are no other professional facilities within easy reach. They feared that schools would no longer be able to have their annual sports day as travel to the sports centre at Picketts Lock would be too costly. The stadium offered facilities for sports events beyond the basic school sports field.
A. Councillor Rye said that eight secondary schools and ten primary schools in the borough had arranged to use the facilities at the Picketts Lock venue for their sports day and felt that the cost of travel would not be prohibitive for schools. Neil Rousell added that meetings with all Headteachers in the borough would be held and if concerns were raised about the costs / arrangements to use the Picketts Lock stadium assistance would be offered.
Q. A resident said that he had inspected the track at Queen Elizabeth ll Stadium and felt that had ‘patching’ and power cleaning had been carried out, at a minimal cost, the safety certificate would have been awarded.
A. Neil Rousell explained that contractors, selected following proper procurement and tendering processes, had carried out a professional assessment and had found substantial work would be needed for repair at a huge cost.
Q. A resident reported that the changing facilities at the stadium had been in an ‘abysmal state’ for years, but they were not closed for health and safety reasons.
A. Neil Rousell advised that the changing facilities operated on a different level of health and safety requirements and did not fail to reach the requirement.
Q. A resident commented that it was felt that the Council did not want to invest in the stadium.
A. Councillor Rye reiterated that the Council did want the Queen Elizabeth ll Stadium refurbished to a decent standard, whatever facility is installed there. He referred to his previous comments that funding in partnership was the only way forward. He added that perhaps resources could have been extracted from Lottery funding or the Sports Council, but the Olympics 2012 was taking precedence.
Councillor Fallart thanked Neil Rousell for his presentation.
9
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CHASE, SOUTHBURY AND TOWN AREA FORUM - 10.6.2008
PUBLIC SESSION
9.1 Advanced Notice Issues
No advance notice issues had been received.
9.2 Issues Notified on the Night
a) Tennis Courts – Bush Hill Park
A resident reported that the tennis courts in Bush Hill Park needed cleaning and the trees that hung over the courts needed pruning. He added that the litter bins needed emptying, and that the toilets were blocked. Bob Griffiths would report this back. Action: Bob Griffiths
b) Southbury Road Traffic Congestion
A resident said that the traffic congestion along Southbury Road was intolerable and asked that the Council look at the issues attached and find a way of easing the congestion. Councillor Rye advised that it was recognised by the Council that significant problems with traffic congestion and pollution was a concern for those living in the area and for the children attending the school there. During term times the problems escalate, the same as other residential areas near busy roads across the borough. He said that solutions were not straightforward and that there were too many traffic lights in the area, these were controlled by TfL. Councillor Dey reported that statistics indicated that traffic would increase 1.6% each year and that by 2011, Enfield would have an extra 4,000 residents. He felt that this data predicted that ‘traffic relief’ was not an optimistic viability. Councillor Rye said the Council would welcome any suggestions on how the problems could be eased. The resident suggested ‘angled parking’ could create extra parking and white lines could be introduced. Councillor Rye said he would get a report back on the suggestion. Action: Councillor Rye
c) The closure of the shopmobility service in Enfield Town
A resident referred to the recent report that stated that the shopmobility service in Enfield Town would be closing and queried the financial savings that this would bring to the Council. Councillor Rye said that the closure would save the Council approximately £30, 000 per year. He said that only a relatively few people used the service and that market forces revealed that most people made their own arrangements.
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d) Gas Works in Enfield Town
A resident raised concerns over the traffic chaos caused by the recent Gas works. He queried why they did not have to conform to maximum working hours, enabling the work to carried out in the least possible time. He said that is did not appear that work was carried out for more than 6 hours per day. Councillor Rye explained that the Council did not have any control over the Utilities Works that were necessary to replace ageing pipework. He agreed that the apparent lack of activity was frustrating and the Council did have a meeting with representatives of the company, explaining that putting up notices informing residents that works may take up to 24 weeks was not helpful.
e) Parking for over people over the age of 65 years
A resident referred to a parking scheme that Hillingdon Council had adopted. She explained to the ‘brown badge scheme’ that reserved parking for the over 65’s allowing easier access to shops and services. The resident said that the scheme was chargeable, but, many residents over 65 would be willing to pay a nominal charge for the convenience. Councillor Rye said that he would be meeting with the Leader of Hillingdon Council in the near future and would discuss the scheme with him and report back. Action: Councillor Rye
f) Estate Agents – Advertising Boards
A resident reported that some Estate Agents were advertising properties with the wording ‘Let By’ rather than ‘To Let’ and that this was misleading and possibly illegal. Councillor Rye advised residents if they know of any misleading adverts by Estate Agents, to report them to the Council , telephone number – 020 8379 1000.
9.3 Other Issues from the Floor
Q. A resident raised concerns over the proposed use of the David Lloyd site for access to the stadium in any future use of the facility, saying that this would increase traffic congestion in the area.
A. Neil Rousell said that there was not an ideal solution to congestion problems in the area, but, it was considered that the David Lloyd site was preferable for access than the current one in Donkey Lane.
Q. A resident reported concerns over the security of the stadium as the gates had been observed unlocked.
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A. Neil Rousell said that the gates are locked, but may be unlocked at times by park officers for various maintenance work.
Q. A resident referred to the Council’s commitment to ‘green issues’ and how would any change of use of the stadium impact on this.
A. Neil Rousell said that future use of the stadium would not impact on ‘green issues’ or Place Shaping for the borough.
Q. A resident asked whether proposals submitted for the stadium included facilities for evening activities.
A. Neil Rousell said that the Council had no proposals for nighttime activities.
Q. A resident reported that it was possible for a football club to invest in a running track, surrounding the football activity, which would preserve a facility for young people in the locality.
A. Neil Rousell agreed that this could be a possibility, but, there was still the issue of the costs attached to the resurfacing of the track. The Enfield (1893) FC had indicated that they would keep the track and football matches would be played in the centre.
Q. A resident suggested that basic repairs could be made to the track, and then ask England Athletic Inspectors to re – inspect the track to retrieve the safety certificate.
A. Neil Rousell that this point would be put to the Inspectors.
In conclusion Neil Rousell said that residents would be fully consulted on the proposals and the report would be made public at a future Cabinet meeting of the Council.
10 ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION AT FUTURE MEETINGS
NOTED that no issues for discussion at future meetings were raised.
11 FEEDBACK ON THIS MEETING
Councillor Fallart thanked everyone for attending the meeting and reminded residents that the feedback forms were useful for ideas and comments on the meeting.
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12 MICROPHONES
Councillor Fallart acknowledged the concerns of residents over the faulty microphones. The lack of microphones made it very difficult for residents who were hard of hearing, to follow the meeting. (Ex Councillor, Irene Richards asked for it to be noted that a ‘loop system’ should be installed for the next meeting.)
13 DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS
Thursday 16 October 2008
Tuesday 13 January 2009
Thursday 12 March 2009
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