Notes of the Public Meeting following AGM St Michael’s Church Hall Poplar Walk, Croydon CR0 1UA Tuesday 4 July 2017 7.30pm - 9pm Present: Elizabeth Ash (Chair), Cllr Sara Bashford, Malcolm Bell, Mahbub Sadiq Bhatti (Vice Chair), Nassem Butt, Lisa Carey-Bailey, Roy Carey-Bailey, Pauline Childs, Sheila Childs, Roger Clark (Treasurer), Beryl Gowers, David Gowers, Zuhair Hanna, David Hooper, Clive Locke, Linda Morris, John Paterson, Jacqie Rahaman, Joyce Reed, Anne Smith, Janet Stollery (Secretary), Anne Tansley, Steve Thompson, Paul Voden, Adrian Winchester Apologies for absence: David Akenou, Charles Barber, Cllr Margaret Bird, Cllr Simon Brew, Peter Collier, Liane Dwyer, Neil Gilbert, Anne Giles, Eric Green, Jean Gulley, Paul Hudson, Mark Johnson, Maureen Levy, Jennifer Nelson, Grace Onions, John Bosco Saldanha, Gordon Thompson, Susan Wheeler-Kiley, Norman Young Welcome and introductions The first twenty minutes was given to registration, refreshments and networking. There was a display of community information available and copies to take away. After introductions and housekeeping, updates and short notices were given. Permission for the committee to take photos and to record the meeting for the purposes of notes was agreed. Everyone was reminded to refrain from making party-political comments. Updates & Notices The following notices were given at the meeting and posted on the website following the meeting. Updates from previous meetings None Notices These notices, along with any others from the meeting, will be put on the website shortly following the meeting, with links to full info. Find the notices, here. 8 and 9 July – Stanley Halls, Preview comedy festival “Leave ‘Em Laughing” 8 July, 11-3 North Croydon Community Group – Football Competition and Family Fun Day, Wilford Road Park 9 July, Noon, Selsdon Community Picnic and Fun and Games Afternoon at Selsdon Wood Car Park Field 9 July, Croydon Arena 10am – Croydon Faiths Together Interfaith bike ride, followed by picnic in Park Hill Park 2- 5pm. All welcome. 9 July at 7.30pm – Celebrity Concert at St Matthew’s Parish Church, Chichester Road 15 July, noon to 8pm – Croydon Pridefest, Queen’s Gardens, with an opportunity to visit Saffron Central at beginning of Festival. This is a family-friendly event. A variety of venues will be holding events after 8pm. 20 July, 6.30-8.30pm, Focus Group on domestic violence and BME women, at the Croydon BME Forum. 26 July, 2-5pm, ‘Welderlies’ Afternoon High Tea at the Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation Hall, 147 Bingham Road, Croydon, CR0 7EN. This event is for the over 60s, their families and carers. 10 September, 5-8pm, Third Interfaith Forum, organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, Croydon Branch. This event will have speakers from different faiths (Christian, Islamic and Hindu) and discuss the topic, ‘Religion – Path to peace or corridor to conflict?’ Mosque at 50 St James’ Road, Croydon. Open to all. Free but pre- registration required. Page 1 of 4 SNARL – leaflets available promoting information about cat killer and warning people to be vigilant and keep small animals in at night. Everyone was asked to spread the word and to get in touch if they could help with leafletting. Topics, notices and comments were then taken from the floor, with subsequent discussions, as follows: Uneven pavements A resident opened the discussion by reporting that he had been to Purley recently, where he tripped on uneven paving outside the Pear Tree pub. He sustained two black eyes, a swollen nose, hurt his ankle and hand, leaving a large amount of blood on the pavement. If the Council are encouraging people to be active, to get out of their cars and walk, he questioned why the Council were not maintaining the pavements. The resident had taken the matter up with the Council. Another noted that the kerbstones in Kenley are causing problems as people drive over an exposed pipe and sharp edges, causing an instant puncture. This has been reported a number of times, but no action has been taken to remedy the situation. Cllr Bashford said if a complaint is made that states legal action may be taken, the Council’s legal department would then deal with the matter. Communication with the officers of the service the complaint relates to would then stop so it would not be unusual for the resident not to have received updates from that department since making a complaint. Cllr Bashford advised that the Council have a cycle of inspection/repair, and an issue can arise after inspection but before the next inspection is due. The Council will have a record of the inspections. A resident commented that at the bus stop near the post office in Purley the pavement is dipped so those waiting at the bus stop have to stand in water. The resident had discovered that the bus stop area isn’t TfL’s responsibility so had sent an email to the Council in April but had not received a reply and the issue has not been addressed. Private land with public access Another resident asked where the responsibility lies where there is private land with public access. Cllr Bashford advised that there were two things concerned residents could do. The first was to look at the Land Registry to determine ownership, but this would cost £10, or contact a local councillor. The point that local councillors are there to help and that people often under-utilise this, was made. A-boards obstructing pavements The issue of A-boards obstructing pavements was raised. This was thought to be a particular issue for people with disabilities, such as the visually impaired and wheelchair-users. They are also prone to blowing over. Cllr Bashford advised that there is a licensing scheme for shops and cafes that put goods or furniture on the pavement, and the Council is responsible for enforcement. People obstructing pavements outside venues It was pointed out that at a pub near East Croydon station, people regularly drink on the pavement outside the pub and this obstructs the pavement resulting in passers by having to step into the road to pass. It was suggested that in the first instance it is sensible to talk to the landlord, whose responsibility it is, and if this did not remedy the situation, then to contact the Council or the Police. Using local councillors and contacting the Council Cllr Bashford advised that residents who had an issue should contact their local councillor, i.e. the councillor linked to their home address, even if the issue noted relates to another ward. Residents can use the email address [email protected] to report an issue and ensure that the concern is passed on to the right department. Another person at the meeting reported very pleasing results from using this email. On every occasion her recycling has been overlooked it has been collected within 48 hours of notifying the council of the issue. The My Croydon app can also be used for reporting issues. Everyone was also reminded of the need to take responsibility for reporting issues to make sure they are logged. It was also suggested that residents needed to bear in mind that there has been quite a reduction in Council staff over the past few years and a turnover of staff. Despite this, the resident noted that council staff and officers are always pleasant and helpful even though stretched. David Lean Cinema Adrian Winchester gave an update on the David Lean Cinema and mentioned that earlier this year the cinema Page 2 of 4 had been open for three years, which is longer than when it was closed. There are 60 volunteers doing stewarding and other duties and the programme has expanded. The David Lean also took part in Croydon Heritage Festival and Purley Festival. Adrian was also able to share some exciting news that was not yet public, concerning a new partnership with the BRIT School that would showcase short films made by their talented students, as supporting attractions at the cinema. Comments were made about the popularity of the cinema, noting how quickly screening are now getting booked up. Adrian added that the David Lean had reached an all-time high in March when 97% of tickets were sold. Croydon Local Plan Cllr Bashford updated residents on the Local Plan hearing. The inspector was very fair, listened to what people said, asked lots of questions and gave people a lot of opportunity to put their views across. New ward boundaries The final recommendations had been released. This now needs to go through Parliament. The new ward of Park Hill & Whitgift was raised, which will have just one councillor and how this would work in reality. Cllr Bashford advised that the Boundary Commission are happy with one member wards now. In Birmingham they have many one councillor wards. The possible issues were discussed, such as the councillor having difficulty representing the views of all residents in meetings, whereas in wards with two or more councillors, different councillors could represent opposing views. It was unlikely that a councillor in a one-member ward would be able to sit on key committees. It was also thought that issues may arise if the councillor was ill or away. Cllr Bashford advised that it was possible for the councillor concerned to ask a councillor from another ward to act on their behalf in such instances. Neither Croydon Labour nor Croydon Conservatives were keen on one member wards. This change had resulted after representations by residents. For details, click here. Residents’ Associations It was noted that the change in ward boundaries are unlikely to affect the Residents’ Associations (RAs), which would most likely remain the same, but this will be a decision for individual RAs to take.