Neighbourhood Governance Note of Elthorne Ward Forum Meeting Monday 21 September 2009 at 7Pm at Elthorne High School, Westlea Road, Ealing W7
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Neighbourhood Governance Note of Elthorne Ward Forum Meeting Monday 21 September 2009 at 7pm At Elthorne High School, Westlea Road, Ealing W7 Present: Councillors Clements-Elliott, Amit Kapoor and Oxley (Chair) Attendees: 22 members of the public Minute taker: Una Sullivan, Democratic Services Officer Note taker: Evelyn Gloyn (EG), Neighbourhood Co-ordinator Introduction Councillor Oxley (JO) welcomed residents to the meeting and introduced the attending officers, including PC Mary Purcell of the Elthorne Safer Neighbourhood Team. He explained that the update on projects would happen first and then people would be invited to discuss the ‘ideas for spend’ in their table groups, record their preferences on the paper provided at each table, but have someone prepared to give a brief report back to the forum. Item 4 Projects Update Wyncott path Council’s legal services have evidence to confirm it is a public right of way, and that there is potential for enforcement of existing covenants by owner of land. However there is a risk that the council would be unable to recover any legal fees and these are likely to be substantial. In additional, if LB Ealing loses the case then LB Ealing would be liable for the legal costs. The next step is to try to meet owner and occupier of the land to come up with an amicable way of recovering the amenity of the path Brent River Conservation Society welcomes this work, but asks that the issues regarding the covenants covering the footpath are kept separate from the usage of the site. Elthorne Interpretation Board EG advised that there are 2 types of signs used in the parks; information signs giving detail about location of amenities and activities occurring within the park area, and interpretation signs that have a single theme. These can be, for example, about nature conservation or local heritage. EG would be meeting with Mr David Blackwell, a resident and local historian, and the park’s officer to agree the design and content of the sign as it relates to the Saracen stone in Elthorne Park. This interpretation board is becoming even more significant as the stone in this location is used by people involved with an internet activity known as “geocaching”, a kind of global game of ‘hide and seek’. Bike Scheme Pictures of cyclists are to be painted along the length of the Greenford Avenue and Church Road, from the Ruislip Road East to the Uxbridge Road. Elthorne will be funding the section from the railway bridge southwards, along the Church Road stretch. Resurfacing of the Greenford Avenue has now been completed, so the painting should be done in mid October. Hanwell Bridge Repairs EG advised that she had worked with local residents to discuss what should happen about the repairs. Since the approval for spend to repair small sections of the bridge, EG has found out that there may be an opportunity to apply for heritage lottery funding to do a full renovation of the bridge. Such a project would be over a large timeframe, say 5-10 years and would need strong local involvement and support. EG has started talking to some of the residents groups who seem interested and she will be finding out more about the process. In the meantime, with the agreement of some local residents, the money will be spend on getting the metal railings that lead to the stone parapets cleaned down and repainted. Welcome to Hanwell signs EG advised that new corporately designed ‘Welcome to Hanwell, Ealing’ signs had been installed outside Boston Manor station, within a few metres of the cast iron Welcome to Hanwell sign. Through liaison with colleagues in the council it was agreed that, rather than scrapping the cast iron sign which was the original plan so that the streets would be clear of unnecessary street furniture, the sign would be resited on the Uxbridge Road opposite Shirley Gardens, a position denoting where West Ealing ends and Hanwell begins as one travels west from Ealing to Hanwell. This being the case, there was no need to commission a new sign, so the £1,000 allocated to this scheme will remain unspent and be used for another project in the next financial year. Hanwell Carnival EG explained that although the intention had been to support the carnival by buying equipment that would be considered as capital expenditure, thus freeing up funds within the carnival’s budget to pay for the traffic order and coning, no such equipment could be identified. This being the case, it was agreed with the ward councillors that the money would have to come from the £10,000 revenue allocation awarded to Elthorne for 2009-10 spend. This means that the £2,500 allocated from 2008-09 capital allocations will remain unspent and be used for another project in the next financial year. Connolly Dell Improvements EG has been working again with local residents and council officers to ensure that something worthwhile could be achieved. Since the Dell is subject to a wide range of refurbishment works being done by the parks service, it was decided that the ward’s money would go towards reinstatement of the John Connolly memorial and placement of the phoenix on top of the memorial. EG assured residents that the broken section of the base had been removed and placed in storage for safe keeping for the time being. Elthorne Bandstand Improvements The base was renovated in time for the Hanwell carnival, but was not decorated. Parks services have now undertaken to paint the ceiling and iron posts. It had been noted that the bandstand would not comply with current Disability Discrimination Act standards and therefore a plan had been put together as a project proposal to partially address this, as well as a health and safety concern raised by parks, that someone might fall from a height, off the edge of the unguarded stage. This opened up some debate about who would be affected by this health & safety concern, as the bandstand is not used. The bandstand was considered by some to be a white elephant, and another felt it was a considerable waste of time to have had the plans drawn up. Others were eager to see how to encourage use of the bandstand – and suggested seating around the bandstand and/or replacement of the flowerbeds. Tennis Court fence repairs These were being co-ordinated with the courts surface repairs. Waterside benches These had been ordered and waiting for a date when they would be installed. Waterside Sleepers These had been ordered and waiting for a date when they would be installed. Delays have been mainly due to teething problems, getting new processes aligned with existing systems. Item 1 Ideas for 2009-10, written comments Table 1 Item 1 Opposed to the extended accessibility to bandstand 1. Support re-furbishing, maintaining the bandstand and encouraging intended use by bands, Hanwell Carnival 2. Want to keep beds and have bedding planting in it (as well as Sarsen stone) it looked very bad as it was left empty this year 3. Bench seats on bandstand not good idea, prevent intended usage, could encourage drinkers/ASB Item 2 Heritage lighting – 2 for, 1 against, 1 undecided Item 3 replanting in open spaces opposite St Marks school – Support, but should be changed to native mixed thorn hedge planting around boundaries, should not just go into shrub beds Item 4 Hanwell bins – Seem expensive but support in principle – would be concerned if this in place of Lidl’s S106 requirements to bins in their area Item 5 Hanwell Carnival – Support (and note already spent as for 2009 carnival) but should be more support for this important local community event. More money is needed this year (£5k shortfall). Could ward forum put in more support this year (say another £3k)? Items 6-10 Highways – All OK except Felix Road – total non-starter, Rosedale Close – new planning application for housing on close (Tile Warehouse) should be funded by S106. • Doesn’t solve rat-run issue – will make it worse. • Lack of residents’ parking in the area. Warehouse on map is now Glen Park Court – block of flats with additional cars on the road. • Residents have voted three times for an extension of CPZ. Other proposals/questions Elthorne Waterside, Trumpers Field, Jubilee Meadow – Backless bench seats £500 each X 10. Wooden Brent River Park design. What happened to the hedge planting at Elthorne Park front (paid by Hanwell Area Committee)? New tree planting near Glen Park Court on Felix Road (previous trees taken down when building new development) Table 2 Item 1 Encourage regular use of bandstand: • Music competition • Licensed buskers • Inter-schools competition • Bring in temporary café • Events for teenagers • Use some of money for an annual prize • Use some of the revenue to pay/commission a local organisation to organise it Youth services: • Pay for part-time youth worker to organise events for young people at St Thomas Church or ? Heritage Lighting: • No – spend money on youth services • Spend more money to improve town centre, attract small businesses • Use money to attract small businesses Plaque for Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton buying their amplifiers from Marshalls – where RR shop now Table 3 Bandstand – more child friendly Don’t bury it (no mound) Reinstate flower beds – child friendly Move away from immediate jumping off area Easy to maintain flowers Shrubs in raised beds Roses in other beds Footpath on and off bandstand (maybe use safety (playground) surface) Informal information board for the bandstand – rent space (revenue) History and Heritage – part of Mayor of London award can be advertised 50 years of Hanwell Carnival 2010 100 years of Elthorne