Agenda and minutes

Councillors Tom Davey and Dr Devra Kay sent their apologies and were substituted by Councillors Hugh Rayner and Adam Langleben, respectively.

The following interests were declared:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 30^th March 2016, were agreed as a correct record.

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The Committee were presented with three petitions as follows:-

1.    ‘Install speed cameras Colindeep Lane ASAP’.  Committee noted that there were 123 petitioners requesting the installation of speed cameras on Colindeep Lane and heard an oral representation by Philip Stephens, the lead petitioner, seeking road safety measures where the 30mph speed limit is regularly broken.

2.    ‘Install a Zebra crossing on Hale Lane near Lubavitch nursery’.  Committee noted that there were 94 petitioners requesting a zebra crossing to assist safe access to a nursery for all users.

3.    ‘Install lampposts in Brookside Walk playground pathway’.  Committee noted that there were 136 petitioners seeking better lighting along the playground pathway to make the path safer through better lighting.

Having considered the petitions and following discussion, the Chairman and members concluded that they did not consider themselves to be sufficiently aware or informed of the issues to make decisions or allocate funding for work or studies and agreed to the proposal that officers undertake some light touch fact- finding work to identify the issues.

Committee RESOLVED that:

1.    That the petitions were noted

2.    To authorise the Commissioning Director for Environment to instruct officers to undertake light touch no expense reports with background to enable decision-making by Members at the next meeting of the Hendon Area Committee.

Appendix A The Edgware Shatnez Centre application - Councillor Brian Gordon

Councillor Gordon, having declared an interest, did not take part in the discussion but as sponsor, presented the item and provided information in response to questions.

Councillor Braun said that she is aware of the organisation Shatnez and of users of the service and commented paragraph 12 of the application stating that she was not convinced that the wider community would access the service or that what they were delivering was the core business of the community. 

Councillor Rayner said he also picked up that financial accounts had not been submitted since 2011 and asked for clarity of what would happen if Members approved an application that was missing key details and was informed that an application could be deferred or approved subject to presenting missing details.

Councillor Langleben questioned whether it was appropriate for Shatnez to receive public funding for the type of services it provides which do not represent the core business of the Council.  He also drew attention to the absence recent financial returns and the absence of a safeguarding policy (given the client group 8 – 25 year olds) picked up by due diligence checks made by the Council.

Councillor Langleben proposed that committee vote to either decline the application or defer the application pending receipt and approval of outstanding information.  All members able to vote (councillor Gordon did not vote) agreed to this the approach.

The votes were as follows:

The application was not approved by Committee

Appendix B The UK Mesilla Family Counselling Service -  Councillor Anthony Finn

The Chairman introduced the next item - an application for Hendon Area Committee funding for Mesila UK, (Hendon Committee) which is a Barnet-based family counselling service for the ultra-orthodox Jewish community, who are burdened by high costs of living and debt.

Councillor Finn, member sponsor spoke highly of the project which helps local people to improve their skills and access to work, treats people in a dignified way and is good value for money.

Councillor Langleben was supportive of the application and recognised to good work it does. However he wanted a safeguarding policy to be in place and wanted assurance that additional funds from (Awards for All) are place before funds are released as the total project cost is £18,500. He identified a risk in providing funding that was more than the value of Mesila’s total funding last year and felt evidence of other funding as an important part of the decision.

Councillor Rayner and Councillor Braun were both supportive as was Cllr O-Macauley and Councillor Narenthira who also wanted reassurance regarding the balance of the project funding.  She also commented that it would be useful to use this as an exemplar to other projects.

It was RESOLVED:

That the Hendon Area Committee approved the grant application of £8,500 from the non CIL budget subject to confirmation of receipt  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

This report provided the Hendon Area Committee with the outcomes of projects that received Area Committee funding in 2014/15. Furthermore this report provided an update on Area Committee funding and expenditure during 2014/15 and 2015/16 as reported to the Policy and Resources Committee.

It was RESOLVED that

1.    It be noted that the Policy and Resources Committee received the Annual Update on Area Committee Budgets on 28 June 2016; and

2.    the report as set out in appendix A and B was noted;

The Committee considered this report which provided an update on the actions agreed by the Committee at previous meetings, on-going Committee approved schemes and new requests that had been approved at March 2016  meeting.

Appendix 1 of the report provided a summary of the actions requested by the

Committee, progress made to date, actions required by Officers and recommendations to be considered by the Committee.

RESOLVED that the Committee note update and actions set out at Appendix

1, with actual costs being reported back to the Committee via the next

budget report.

The report provides the committee with the background to the original request for parking controls to combat all day parking and, asks the Committee to note the actions carried out to date, and to make a decision on how to proceed.

Following discussions, it was RESOLVED:

That the Committee noted the details contained within this report and:

1.    Instructed to the Commissioning Director for Environment to carry out an informal consultation exercise to seek the views of residents and businesses as to whether they would like a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) as indicated on drawing no. SCR129/APEX/001, and to obtain information about likely permit take-up, at an estimated cost of £4,000 to be funded from the 2016/17 LIP allocation for Parking Reviews.

2.    Instructed to the Commissioning Director for Environment to report back the results of the consultation to a future meeting of this Committee, for a decision on the way forward.

This report provides the Committee with an update on progress made to date following the Hendon Area Committee’s decision of 13 January 2016 for a statutory consultation to take place relating to the parking issues in Mowbray Road, and their possible inclusion in the Edgware Controlled Parking Zone (Zone J) and asks the Committee to note the actions carried out to date, and to make a decision on how to proceed.

It was RESOLVED:

1.         That Committee noted the outcome of the statutory consultation as detailed in the report.

2.         That the Committee, authorised Commissioning Director for Environment to extend the Edgware CPZ to include the section of Mowbray Road south of Watford Way (A41), through the making of the relevant Traffic Management Orders, and as shown on Drawing Number SCR114-1 at an estimated cost of £6,000 to be funded from the 2016/17 LIP allocation for Parking Reviews.

Votes were as follows:

Councillor Duschinsky said her understanding of the agreement reached at the end of the site meeting differed with option 2 as the preferred scheme. As she felt it made more sense.

The officer clarified the situation stating that the initial funding was for survey work which identified that work needed to be done. Additional funds for more surveys and modelling is now required.

Members RESOLVED to defer this item seeking an additional £10,000 for modelling and design to the next meeting on 26 October.

The Chairman invited Councillor Khatri to speak as requested on this item.

Councillor Khatri commented that he was surprised by the officer recommendations in the report to take no further to install mini roundabouts and that the decision was reached following a site visit as this was not his understanding of the decision reached at the meeting.  He would prefer there to be additional studies over a longer period and felt funds should be allocated for that. 

Councillor Khatri expressed his disappointment and felt that the stretch of road from Holders Hill roundabout was hazardous and like a racing track and was of the view that the build outs had not worked in slowing traffic down.

Councillor Langleben expressed his agreement that traffic moves very quickly along the stretch of road.

In relation to new hatchings that have been ordered, it was agreed that officers should provide a report back to committee in after 6 months on their effectiveness.  Councillor asked for a plan of where the hatchings were to be located and this was agreed.it was also agreed that once the hatching is implemented, it will be possible to assess the impact they are having on vehicle speeds.

It was RESOLVED:

1.    That the Commissioning Director for Environment instructs officers to report back to Committee after 6 months having monitored the effectiveness of the hatchings in conjunction with the build outs in slowing down vehicle speeds.

2.    That a decision on the officer report recommendations be deferred until the outcome of the monitoring in recommendation 1 above.

The Chairman deferred the item before the meeting to the next Hendon Area Committee meeting on 26^th October to allow residents sufficient time to consult on the report proposals. Committee was updated of this at the meeting accordingly.

Committee noted the report.

The Chairman asked if there were any other Urgent items. Councillor

O-Macauley requested that the Chairman considers an additional item and granted permission to the item as follows:-

“Residents in Burnt Oak are demanding local public signs in certain areas where there are possibilities of public nuisance, dumping, noise, (poorly located) football games or similar games that cause anti-social behaviour. 

Such signs are seen as deterrents to people causing unnecessary problems in the community.

I would appreciate if this committee can consider this request so that signs can be put in strategic areas to deter the committing of nuisance crimes.

Above all, this can be reviewed in areas where signs are needed.”

Councillor Gordon invited discussion from committee and officers. Following this, it was agreed that there should be meetings with ward councillors, the police and safer neighbourhood team and the Council’s Crime and Community Safety officers to consider the issues and look at the hot spots. It was agreed that this should be set up with a view to identifying findings and actions that will form the basis of a report to be brought to a future meeting.

It was RESOLVED that

The Commissioning Director for Environment instructs officers to set up a meeting with ward councillors, crime and community safety officers and the Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team with a view to meeting to consider the antisocial behaviour problems in the area and deterrents and report findings back to a future meeting of the committee.