Minutes of the 240Th Regular Meeting of South Greenwich Forum Held On
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Minutes of the 240th regular meeting of South Greenwich Forum held on Monday April 16 2018 at St Mary’s Community Centre, Eltham, London SE9 1BJ _________________________________________________________________________ Present: Representing: Milena Powley (Chair) Eltham Park Residents Association Marlon Dwyer RBG Regeneration Manager Evelyn Green Individual member Jim Basford Normanhurst Residents Association Judy Smith Old Page Estate Residents Association Margaret Johnson Progress Residents Association John Lawton Riefield Road Residents Association 1. Apologies for absence Rita Billinghurst (Progress Residents Association) John Killick (CANE - Community Association of New Eltham) Sharon Staples (Thomas Philipot’s Almshouses) Gaynor & John Wingham (Eltham Arts) Francis Lee (The Eltham Society) Apologies subsequently received from RBG Community Safety officers, who will now join the Forum’s May 21 meeting. 2. Minutes of the meeting held on February 19 2018 were agreed (the March meeting was cancelled because of snow). 3. Eltham Town Centre a) Eltham Stakeholder Forum: Marlon thought there had been a recent retail audit of the High Street, and she would investigate. The problem of empty shops in New Eltham had been raised at a Council Question Time. The retail situation was increasingly in need of support in both Eltham and New Eltham. b) Eltham High Street works to the public realm: The result of the safety audit/review not yet available; Judy to contact Mark Hodgson. Marlon agreed to pass on environmental health issues concerning Iceland and the need of enforcement. c) Eltham Town Centre Partnership: Milena reported on the most recent meeting. The police did not attend. The problems of homelessness and anti-social behaviour were discussed, and projects to improve matters; it was regretted that a funding application for benches with arms was turned down; a further application will be made to support disability. Passey Place should be vehicle free between 10am-4pm, but is not, and both signage and enforcement need to be improved. Only 7 or 8 shops had joined the new radio security network. Once the cinema is completed (Nov. 2018), traffic arrangements will return to plan. Eltham Masterplan: Milena and Judy reported on their meeting with Cllr Thorpe and RBG Officers (Regeneration & Planning); the need to show movement on achieving some aspects of the Eltham Masterplan, particularly the opportunity to provide social housing, had been discussed. There seemed reluctance on the part of officers to move until a really major development could be achieved; the Forum view was that unless some action was taken quickly the Masterplan would be seen as a waste of time and energy, something that did reputations no good. e) Accommodation over shops: Still no decision on Job Centre site application. Marlon would check whether there had ever been an audit of the upper floors above shops; also the current status of the old Tesco building in Pound Place, which is empty and has had squatters, and which has potential for redevelopment into housing. 4. Eltham Community Hospital/blood test form/imaging/The Source at Horn Park It is still not clear whether all GP practices tell their patients of the blood service (mornings) or the imaging service (9am-12 noon & 1pm-4.30pm) available at Eltham Community Hospital. Both are walk-in, so no appointment required. Judy had written to Greenwich Health to ask whether one of the new Public Health Hubs could offer an outreach service at The Source and had also met with Greenwich CCG, who said they would be looking again at the needs of Horn Park. 5. St Mary’s hire charges/payment, also annual questionnaire St Mary’s have just announced their 2018-2019 charges, and there is no increase. Agreed SGF meetings should be booked (10xRegular and 4xTraffic). All present took part in the completion of the annual questionnaire. 6. Adult Social Care and support for the digitally frail Nothing to report on better support for the digitally frail because more and more applications/forms have to be completed on line. Judy to chase. 7. Future visitors No decision taken on asking Greenwich Fire Service or the RBG Project Manager for the new cinema. 8. Avery Hill Winter Gardens Nothing to report on proposed sale of the site. The University in the process of completing the building maintenance required. 9. Royal Greenwich Partnership Deferred to next meeting. 10. Planning applications no longer available at Eltham Library & Planning Lists Judy and Laurie Baker still to liaise. 11. Safer Greenwich & Greenwich Safer Neighbourhood Board Judy suggested Forum members should look at the Safer Greenwich website – https://safergreenwich-interests.me It now shows Minutes of Board meetings; only the Annual General Meeting is open to the public. It does not give any details of local panel meetings and whether they are open to the public. 12. SGF website Milena to liaise with John. 13. Heritage & Other Sites a) Eltham Park South: ) All parks are currently b) Well Hall Pleasaunce: ) applying to RBG for c) Avery Hill: ) Parksfest funds for summer events d) New Eltham: New Eltham Festival is Saturday September 15 e) Progress RA: Book-The Origins and Evolution of the Progress Estate available from [email protected] or 07962 877 389. f) Eltham Society: 14. Report back: a) Kidbrooke/station footbridge lifts: Still not heard of any progress on Henley Cross site. b) Kidbrooke public transport & vehicle access to station: Monitoring of bus proposals and car drop-off facility with lift access to the station level ongoing. 15. Information a) Greenwich Community Directory (www.greenwichcommunitydirectory.org.uk) Contact number for new free Live Well Greenwich helpline 0800 470 4831 b) Greenwich Info: If not delivered, ‘phone the distributor on 8940 0666; with any other comments/complaints ‘phone Gaynor Granger (8921 5033) or Nicola McGuire (8921 5572) c) Greenwich Weekender: now contains some RBG planning applications and all traffic orders. 16. Dates of next meetings General: May 21 June 18 July 16 No August meeting September 17 Traffic: July 23 October 22 2019 January 21 All at 8.00pm at St Mary’s Community Centre, 180 Eltham High Street, SE9 1BJ .