Agenda item

Hendon Resident Forum

 

13 January 2016

 

Members Present:-

 

Councillor Sury Khatri (Chairman)

Councillor  John Hart (Vice-Chairman)

 

1.    General Budget Consultation 2016/17

At the invitation of the Chairman, Stephen Evans, Director of Strategy and Communications, gave a short presentation on the Council’s General Budget Consultation 2016/17 which runs from 18 December 2015 – 12 February 2016.     

 

Residents were advised that the consultation questionnaire can be accessed via the councils website (https://engage.barnet.gov.uk/commissioning-group/barnet-budget-consultation-2016-2017/consult_view) or as paper copies at council buildings including libraries.

 

 

2.    Environment Consultations

 

Residents were also advised of two environment consultation which were launching on 18 January 2016 with a closing date of 13 March 2016.  These consultations were for the Draft Parks and Open Spaces strategy and Draft Recycling and Waste Strategy. Barnet is now the most populous London borough and is set to grow further in the coming years.  Along with a booming population, the council faces financial challenges.  Members of the public were requested to get involved and give us their views about how we could manage those services in the future.

 

Draft Parks and Open Spaces Strategy

Residents were advised that Barnet has a collection of over 200 green spaces which are widely loved by residents.  At the heart of the new strategy is a vision that the borough’s parks and open spaces will:

 

i)     continue to make Barnet a desirable place to live and do business;

 

ii)    that parks can  improve the health of residents; and

 

iii)   that they help reduce pollution in the borough.  The strategy also supported the council’s commitment to ensuring the borough’s parks and green spaces were “amongst the best in London”.

 

The draft strategy set out five alternative options to the current Parks and Green Spaces service structure for how the borough’s parks and open spaces could be managed. These include shared public services, third party contract management, social enterprises and partnerships, trusts and foundations and area based precepts and levies.

 

Responding to questions from residents, Mr Chalmers advised the Forum that the proposals were not linked to budget savings, but were seeking to make the best use of the council’s 200 parks and open spaces.  It was noted that an aspiration of the strategy was that funding could be leveraged in from other sources

 

 

Recycling and Strategy

Residents were advised that key to the draft strategy was encouraging residents to take more responsibility over the waste they produced and to encouraging them to recycle more.  The four key aims were:

 

·           To provide services that help Barnet manage its environmental impact

 

·           To encourage residents to re-use more to manage costs of waste collection and disposal

 

·           To encourage residents, businesses and visitors to recycle the waste they produce, using enforcement where necessary

 

·           To embrace new technologies and ways of working that help improve the council’s waste and recycling service

 

The draft strategy outlined the council’s plans to provide every household in the borough, including people who lived in flats and above shops, with easy access to the mixed recycling service.  It stressed the importance of the council working in partnership with property developers, landlords and joint organisations such as North London Waste Authority to help find new ways to communicate and engage with residents to help improve recycling rates within the borough.  The draft strategy would set a goal of a 50% recycling rate by 2020.

 

 

3.    Council land to the rear Ravensfield & Fenella House, Hendon (submitted by A Mr Tony  Mason)

 

The Forum considered the written responses that had been included in the Issues List with Responses circulated at the meeting.  The Forum heard an oral representation from Mr Mason on behalf of himself and 5 other interested householders / neighbours. 

 

Mr Mason confirmed that he had seen the responses to the issues he had raised and expressed his view that the level of detail was not sufficient to assess the viability of the Council’s decision not to sell the land.  In the absence of a cost benefit analysis, he could not agree that the council’s response was justified. He informed the meeting that he felt there was such a lack of clarity and transparency in how the council reached his decision that he had no option other than to raise a formal complaint about the way the matter had been handled. He confirmed that he intended to do this within a matter of days. He made a demand to see full details of the analysis under the Transparency Regulations.

 

Councillor Braun who attended the meeting in the public gallery, and who is a local councillor for Hendon ward, informed the meeting that there has been interest from residents in securing the purchase of the site for many years. She expressed her view that any form of development on the site would be considered back-land development in planning terms. In her view it makes sense for residents to take over the land and obtain 6ft in additional garden space.  The residents have offered to pay for the land which has restrictive covenants on it limiting its development potential.

 

Councillor John Hart stated that in his view that land being held in this way by the council can increase the value of the asset.

 

Following consideration of the issues, the Chairman reported that the responses in the Issues List be noted.

 

 

4.    Update on Pedestrian Safety investigations – Holders Hill/Devonshire Road Area (Submitted by: Mr A Dismore)

 

The Forum considered the written responses that had been included in the Issues List also made available at the meeting.  An oral representation from Mr Dismore queried why new crossings are not going to be built.

 

The Chairman responded by saying that the original proposals for funding from the Millbrook Regeneration Scheme for this area did not include additional crossings, however the current position is that the proposed works will include Bittacy Hill/Frith Lane roundabout junction including improvements to the existing crossings at Bittacy Hill and Dollis Road.

 

Following consideration of the issues, the Chairman reported that the responses in the Issues List be noted.

 

 

5.    Mill Hill East Tube Station – step free access upgrade query (Submitted by: Andrew Dismore)

 

The response to the issue raised was discussed further in relation to Mr Dismore’s follow-up request to see viability reports.  The Chairman informed the meeting that the reports were available to the public.

 

The Chairman confirmed that the responses in the Issues List be noted and instructed officers to confirm the availability of the reports following the meeting.

 

 

6.    Quakers Course bus stop (Submitted by Mr A Dismore)

 

Following consideration of the issue, the Chairman noted responses to the Issues and asked officers to update Mr Dismore on the site meeting with TfL and provide a date for completion of the works.

 

 

7.    Millbrook Park – Are cycle Lanes proposed? (Submitted by Mr A Dismore)

 

Following consideration of the issue, the Chairman noted the responses and instructed officers provide Mr Dismore with a further update on how the road space will be shared amongst other road users, particularly cycles.

 

8.    London Fire Emergency Agency Public Consultation What representations are Barnet making to the LFEPA Consultation (Submitted by: Andrew Dismore).

 

The Chairman noted the response and requested officers to update Mr Dismore with more specific information on the consultation undertaken to date.

 

 

9.    Hendon Library Cuts

 

The Chairman noted the response. No further action.

 

 

10.Stonegrove Children’s Centre

 

The Chairman noted the response and asked Officers to respond to Mr Dismore’s further query raised on Health and Safety issues.

 

 

11.Public Conveniences

 

The Chairman noted the response. No further action.

 

 

12.Metropolitan Police Consultation on Borough Command Unit mergers

 

The Chairman noted the response and asked officers to provide Mr Dismore with a fuller explanation  in response to the question addressing particular threats to Barnet Borough of potential station closures.

 

 

13.Government consultation on National Planning Policy

 

The Chairman noted the response and asked officers to provide an update to Mr Dismore on what the response will be.

 

 

14.Secure Accommodation in the Borough for Juveniles

 

The Chairman noted the response and asked officers to provide a fuller response to Mr Dismore on the particular issue of detainment of Barnet youth in secure units.

 

 

15.Silkstream flooding

 

The Chairman noted the response. No further action.

 

 

16.Resident’s Parking in Garden City Edgware

 

The Chairman noted the response and asked officers to respond to Mr Dismore’s further question on when will be there be a review and to provide an update for the March meeting.

 

 

17.Date of the Next Meeting

 

The Forum were advised that the date of the next meeting as follows:

 

Date	Venue
30 March 2016 at 6.30pm*	Hendon Town Hall

 

 

The deadline for submitting issues was 21^st March 2016 and not 23^rd March as set out in the published issues list with responses.

 

* The 30^th March Residents Forum meeting was subsequently cancelled