Minutes of Meeting of Josephine Avenue Group with Brixton Hill (75-85) Community Association held on 4 October 06 at 57 Josephine Ave
Present: Sara Leon, Roger Blanten, Anne Brown, Gabby Dawnay, Tmima Tash, Lia Litesseliti, Sibs Walter, Emma Bruce, Don Bruce, Ray Perrott, Frances Forrest
Guests: Cllr A Aminu, Megan Jones (Lambeth Drugs & Alcohol Team), Kate Newham (Lambeth Community Safety Team), Keith Dempster (Brixton Police), Sergeant Carol Brockelsby, David Greenwood (DWLighting), Danny Melville (DWLighting), Raj Bami (Lambeth Lighting Engineer)
1 Community Safety Matters: Kate Newham, Community Safety Co-ordinator for Tulse Hill, Brixton Hill and one other Brixton ward, explained her role - to develop, implement and monitor an action plan amongst all the agencies addressing community safety issues. She said the Vice Squad (1 Sgt, 3 PCs) would be starting a 6 week kerb crawling operation on 23 October. She handed out a progress sheet covering Policing issues, meetings, environmental matters, court and outreach work with contact numbers/email addresses.
Sgt Carol Brocklesby said she had just joined the Safer Neighbourhoods team for Tulse Hill ward. The team was now fully staffed with 2 PCs and 3 Police Community Safety Officers. One of her tasks was to create a Safer Neighbourhood Panel for the ward and she suggested that this area sends a representative. The panel meets quarterly and sets 3 priorities for policing in the ward. The panel for Brixton Hill ward had selected tackling prostitution and associated problems as one of their top priorities. She said she would check the CCTV monitoring station to investigate coverage, as it was suggested that the cameras do not cover the Brixton Hill/Josephine Ave junction. She advised that residents call the Safer Neighbourhoods Team mobile to report any evidence of crime, and 999 to report any crime in progress. The SNT number went to voicemail when nobody was available to answer, but people would be called back the next day. Calls were logged so that crimes reported were reflected in the statistics. All information added to the intelligence being collected. The recent drop residents had noticed in prostitution may be down to the Brixton police team’s work on crack useage extending outwards to Saltoun Road.
Megan Jones said there was no evidence currently of any crack houses in the area, but that there was an active drugs market in Brixton Town Centre.
In answer to a question about what action the police took when they met a prostitute, it was explained that PCSOs could only observe and report, and if there was evidence of a history, a police officer could arrest. Megan pointed out that information was shared between Community Safety, the police and outreach workers. Prostitutes do not get custodial sentences and are referred to outreach workers who try to build a relationship with the women, encourage them to have health checks and drug treatment, without sustaining them in their lifestyle. Anti Social Behaviour Orders could act as an extra lever for the women into treatment. Lambeth’s new administration were supportive of stand alone ASBOs. Nuisance and Anti Social Behaviour Officers were currently working on Housing estates and their brief may extend. There was an ASBO Co-ordinator in the Community Safety Unit working with the Clerk of Court at Camberwell and a post in Legal was funded to fast track ASBOs.
2 Street Lighting: David Greenwood said about two thirds of Lambeth’s lighting was being replaced over the next two years. Josephine Avenue had been prioritised because of the problems and work should start around November. Evidence existed that good quality lighting reduced crime. The new lighting should be maintenance free for about 2.5 years. Each column would have a reference number and the telephone number for reporting repairs. Josephine Ave currently had 14 columns. The new plan was for 19, an increase of 35%. This should achieve uniformity throughout the avenue and would make it better lit than most other streets. Account had been taken of the trees. About 4-6 weeks after the new lights had been installed, EDF would connect them and the old lighting would be disconnected at that point and removed. There would be a letter drop 2 or 3 weeks prior to work starting. The contract was for street lighting but did not cover private land, where the owners remained responsible. The contact within Lambeth was Michael Wilson (mwilson1@lambeth.gov.uk). All the contractors would carry identity badges although there would be no need for access to anyone’s home.
It was agreed there should be a meeting in a month’s time to review the vice squad operation.
3 85 Brixton Hill: Following a discussion about the ongoing eyesore and problems with lack of security of the site, Cllr Aminu said he would arrange a meeting between Mr Ansari and some residents so that Mr Ansari could take the concerns of residents into account before submitting the next set of development plans for approval by the Council.
4 Street Clean/ Conker Tree Action Day: We have agreed to combine the two events and set the date for 22. October starting from 10 o’clock.
Action Sibs: to check with Graham Lane if the Leaf Suction Machines are available for Hire.
Action Sibs: to check with Chris van Duuren if she can organize the street clean with the council, eg. Collection of bags, supply of gloves, brushes, litter pick-up sticks etc.
Action Garry: leaflets
Action Sara: distribute leaflets
5 Car Boot Sale: Tim Sutton had asked Sara to put this item on the agenda.
He enquired whether JAG would be willing to pay for leaflets and advertising of the charity car boot sale he is organizing. The meeting felt unable to make a decision as we did not know the amounts of money involved and because it is an event where only some of the money will go to charity.
6 Brixton Water Lane Development: the revised application has been reduced by one floor but car parking is still unresolved.
7 Matters arising from last minutes: regarding point number 5 of last meeting, Tmima clarified that she was not actually instructed by the meeting to do a survey of the railings in Josephine avenue, it was suggested at the time that a survey was not necessary as all the railings are the same age.
Date for next meeting: Wednesday 8.November at 8 pm
at No.3 Josephine Avenue
Contact tel nos
All Emergency Services/ crimes in progress 999
CrimeStoppers (anonymous) 0800 555 111
Tulse Hill Safer Neighbourhoods (Police) Team 07920 233 838
(answerphone, non urgent calls)
StreetCare Call Centre (recycling, parking, street lighting, road and pavement enquiries 020 7926 9000
To report Noise Nuisance
22.00 – 03.00 Sun to Thurs, 22.00 to 05.00 Fri and Sat 020 7926 5999
Daytime no for Noise Nuisance team 020 7926 6111
To report concerns about management of licensed premises – Public Protection Licensing, 2 Herne Hill Road SE24 0AA E: licensing@lambeth.gov.uk
tel 020 7926 6108/ 6140/ 6142/ 6144
Name Address Email
Sara Jean 17 Josephine Ave
Roger Blanten 9 Josephine Ave
Emma & Don Bruce 1/83 Brixton Hill emmakatewild@onetel.com
Ray Perrotte 77A Brixton Hill ray.perrotte@issworld.com
Anne Brown 3 Josephine Ave
Gabby Dawnay 38 Helix Road dawnay@onetel.com
Tmima Tash 15 Josephine Ave
Lisa Lifosseliti 1 Appach Rd
Sibs Walter 57 Josephine Ave sibsw@btinternet.com
Frances Forrest 81A Brixton Hill francesfor@hotmail.com
Cllr A Aminu Tulse Hill Ward, Lambeth
Megan Jones Lambeth Drug & Alcohol Team Mjones2@lambeth.gov.uk
Kate Newham Community Safety Team knewham@lambeth.gov.uk
Keith Dempster Brixton Police Keith.dempster@met.police.uk
Carol Brockelsby Brixton Police Carol.brockelsby@met.police.uk
Danny Melville D W Lighting
David Greenwood DW Greenwood, 157A Clapham Manor St David.greenwood@dwlighting.co.uk
Raj Bami Lighting Engineer, Lambeth rbami@lambeth.gov.uk