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Monks Orchard Residents’ Association MORA COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2010-2011 www.monks-orchard-web.org.uk email: [email protected] Chairman Dave King 8 777 9055 Vice Chairman Vacancy - Croydon Secretary Mary Evans 8 777 4230 (Non Party) (Independent) Treasurer Terry Greenwood 8 405 8991 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Planning Ian Fraser 8 654 5787 NEWSLETTER - Summer 2010 Membership Secretary Diane McInerney 8 654 6985 Editor/Website Derek Ritson 8 777 6669 Police Liaison Jean Cook 8 777 4927 Primary Care Mercia Nash 8 654 4041 Social Secretary Christine Ross-Smith 8 654 3175 Transport & Highways Vacancy - Neighourhood Partnership Vacancy - Trees & Open Spaces Rosemary Rabin - The Mayor Committee Members and { Michael Nash 8 654 4041 Of Croydon Area Managers { Patricia Turner 8 777 9402 { Anne Horton 8 656 8009 Committee Member Sheila Wagland 8 776 1366 Councillor Committee Member Nicki Smith 8 654 2194 Avril Slipper — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — MONKS ORCHARD RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM Name: Signature: I N T H I S I S S U E: Page 2 Chairman’s Comments Page 19 Bob’s Farewell Message Address: Page 3 Annual General Meeting 2010 Page 21 Events at Shirley Library Page 10 Land at Poppy Lane Coach Trip to Saffron Walden Page 11 Guiding in Shirley Corrections Spring 2010 Page 12 The Mayor of Croydon - Councillor Page 22 River House Medium Secure Unit Post Code: Avril Slipper Page 24 Monks Orchard Primary School - Page 13 The Mayor’s Charities Expansion Program Page 13 Bob Akers - Ex-Chairman Page 25 Croydon Symphony Orchestra ‘I wish to become a member of the Monks Orchard Residents’ Association’ Page 14 Planning Report Summer Activities Page 15 Area Managers & Road Stewards Page 26 Councils to get help to stop ‘Garden Please send this completed form to: DIANE MCINERNEY Page 16 Parents, Carers or Grandparents Grabbing’ 11 Gladeside, CR0 7RL. Page 17 Tandem Skydiving Sponsorship Page 27 Tributes to Cllr. Lindsay Frost Thank you for supporting MORA. Page 18 Home Information Packs - Update Please pass on to a non-member. The end to House Building Targets Printed by MARSTAN PRESS The Monks Orchard Residents' Association was founded in 1923, and Bexleyheath Kent Tel: 020 8 301 5900 represents approximately 2,500 residents. 28 same group as derelict factories and disused railway sidings, forcing councils Chairman’s Comments and communities to sit by and watch their neighbourhoods get swallowed up in a Those who attended the AGM will know that our Chairman, Bob concrete jungle. Akers resigned for personal reasons after, I believe, some fifteen Dr Simon Thornton Wood, Director of years as chairman. He has served the community with vigour and Science and Learning at the Royal worked endlessly on your behalf to make Monks Orchard a place to Horticultural Society, said gardens had live in with pride. medical as well as environmental benefits. "Gardens, like parks, are the green lungs of cities, improving air The Committee wishes him well for the future. If he feels able to quality, controlling air temperature and flood risk, and providing a haven rejoin the Committee or to contribute in other ways we would be for wildlife. "Beyond these very practical benefits of gardens we know delighted. I for my sins have been charged with the Chair in what I that gardening is great for physical and mental health. hope is a temporary position until someone with more spare time and ability can fill the seat. However, the AGM was well attended with more attendees than for some years, probably due to the front page of the Spring Tributes to Ashburton Councillor Newsletter. I am happy to report that a number of residents have come forward and offered their assistance with the running of MORA sends our condolences to the family and MORA. We will be welcoming them to the next Committee Meeting friends of Councillor Lindsay Frost, 54, who died on Good Friday after suffering head injuries when and we will be putting their contact details in the newsletter. he fell down the stairs of his home in Addiscombe. Subsequent to our invitations to our local Councillors and MP, the A packed memorial service held at Croydon Parish election was announced and consequently they were unable to Church was attended by around 250 family, friends answer any political questions at the AGM for fear of electioneering. and Council colleagues. Gavin Barwell MP told the congregation both he By the time you receive this newsletter the decisions regarding who and Cllr. Frost had reached the last four in the is to govern the country will have been resolved. Whoever that is, selection process for Croydon Central. When we hope the country can move forward, improve business and Lindsay was unsuccessful, Mr Barwell said, Cllr. Lindsay Frost somehow reduce the enormous debts we face. Frost could have simply walked away. "Instead he 1956-2010 We heard from certain politicians that our debt isn’t as great as the devoted the last 21 months of his life to trying to get me elected," he added. That devotion led to the Conservative Party USA. They have a greater population than the UK so I wonder what awarding Croydon Central the prize for the campaign of the year in 2009. the debt is per capita. This isn’t mentioned. Cllr Frost attended MORA AGM’s and supported MORA on Ashburton We look forward in hope to the Summer; we need to improve our Ward Planning issues. well-being and hope all those who look forward to continental travel He leaves a wife, Kerri Ann, and two young children, Holly 12 and will not be inconvenienced by the volcano ash cloud. Dominic, 3. His death came just a month before the general election, which saw Mr Barwell elected following a campaign which Cllr. Frost Dave King - Chairman spearheaded. 2 27 Councils to get help to stop 'garden- Annual General Meeting 2010 grabbing' Minutes of the 86th Annual General Meeting of the Monks Orchard Residents’ Association held on Friday 23rd April in St. Croydon and Monks Orchard have suffered significantly from “Garden Grabbing” by developers over the recent past. It has been a losing battle George’s Church Hall. to prevent our once pleasant Dave King opened the meeting by introducing leafy location from the grip of himself and thanked everyone for attending. He insensitive developers, building in explained that he was standing in as a pro-tem back gardens and knocking down measure until a new Chairman was elected. established bungalows and houses to erect unsightly high Dave King welcomed the Chairman and Secretary density blocks of flats or three of Spring Park Residents’ association, the Shirley storey terraced houses. and Ashburton Safer Neighbourhood Teams, the elected representatives for the Shirley Ward, Well, although what has been Councillor Janet Marshall, Councillor Mike Fisher, done can’t be undone, future Leader of the Council, and Councillor Richard inappropriate developments could Chatterjee, also the Ashburton Ward Councillor be prevented as Councils in 114 Orchard Way before demolition Eddy Arram and Councillor Avril Slipper. He also Dave King England are to get greater welcomed Councillor Steve O’Connell as our Chairman powers to stop developers building homes on gardens. Communities member of the Greater London assembly and minister Greg Clark is to pledge to re-classify gardens, currently in the Andrew Pelling, until the announcement of the forthcoming election, MP "brownfield" planning category used for ex-factory and railway land. He for Croydon Central. will say it is "ridiculous" our vital green space is being lost As the AGM falls within the pre-election period attendees at this meeting to so-called garden-grabbing. were asked to refrain from expressing any political or party issues which There is increasing concern could be construed as electioneering. among campaigners about Apologies for absence homes being built on land Apologies were received from Pam Barnes. attached to existing urban or suburban houses, which Minutes of the previous Meeting increases population density. The Minutes of the 2009 AGM were accepted as a correct record, and there were no matters arising. Chaseley Green Court - built on the site of For years the wishes of local 114 Orchard Way people have been ignored as The Future of MORA the character of our The future of MORA has been under discussion for some time. Some of neighbourhood and gardens has been destroyed, robbing our community the committee members have recently resigned and others are finding of vital green space. the increased workload a source of stress. There are over 2,000 The Minister for Communities – Mr Clark argues that taking Gardens out members of MORA and the association has improved its service to of the “Brownfield” Category will allow Councils’ greater ability to reject members over the last few years, especially on the planning front. Dave unwanted developments where local people and residents associations King emphasised the debt owed to Derek Ritson who has virtually object. It is ridiculous that gardens have until now been classified in the single-handedly dealt with all planning matters. Appeals for 26 3 volunteers have, until recently, gone unheeded. Road Stewards, Area Managers and Committee members are all needed. CROYDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA We now have new members on the Committee, Mary Evans, acting The orchestra’s next concert is a programme of Summer Classics as minute taker/Secretary and Ian Fraser to help with Planning to be performed at Trinity School. The programme includes issues. Ian explained to the audience why he felt it important to Rossini’s sparkling overture to Tancredi, Elgar’s soporific help out, and that it was vital that MORA remained as an active part Serenade for Strings, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto performed by of the community.