MINUTES OF JAG MEETING Wed May 14 2008

Those present: Nick Berry (Treasurer), Elisabeth Owen, Louise Belson (Secretary), Roger Blantern, (co-chair), Sibyllle Walter

Roger Blantern chaired the meeting.

Apologies were received from Garry Turnbull (Chair), Tim Fairhurst, Tim Sutton, and Chris van Duuren.

Minutes: Minutes 10 April 2008 approved. Minutes to be distributed together with the minutes of

the current May meeting. Sibylle Walter volunteered to hep distribute the minutes. Action LB/SW

1. Matters arising:

1.1 Hedge Cut before Urban Art. Contractor known to NB to quote on 4 June. Quote to JAG at meeting June 12. . Hedge cut to take place approx 10 days prior to 19 July. LB to request the loan of a green waste only skip from Cleanaway/ Lambeth Environment. Hedge cut to be street side only. NB will organise and oversee.                                                                Action NB/ LB

1.2 Bank Account postal Address: The current bank postal address will be maintained.

1.3 Josephine Avenue Proposed Closure. Delayed Trial Update

GT (by email) informed the meeting that Cllr. Marcia Cameron has stated “that Officers have notified me that the barrier scheme is currently seeking delegated approvals for the advertising of statutory notices. 

Should everything go without any objections, the barrier will be in place by June 08. LB reported that the delay had been caused by a difficulty with the wording of the temporary traffic order being sought by Transport and Highways from Lambeth Licensing. This was being resolved.. She would contact Colin Roberts (T&H) again to check on progress.

                                                                                                                                         Action: LB

2.1 Sat 5 July. Summer Street Clean/ 2nd Freshview. The meeting agreed that this will take place on Sat 5 July. LB will liaise with Keith Naish to organise. Volunteer residents will be helped by young offenders and their supervisors as well as Freshview volunteers. The meeting agreed that in addition to a general clearance of overgrowth, rubbish and fly-tipping on the Rush Common, the aim this time would be to restore and paint all of the wooden and steel tube dividing fences on the Rush Common open gardens as well as the bollards on the access roads. LB said that there would be some costs for materials and she would present these at the meeting on June 12 for consideration by the JAG. The Freshview team would be able to provide some but not all materials. They would provide all tools and skips. LB suggested that the JAG host a small outdoor celebration to thank all the volunteers after the event. The meeting approved the idea.

Keith Naish, Operations Manager for
Lambeth StreetCare or a representative will attend the next JAG meeting.

2.2 Sunday 13 July 10am – 11am. Mini Street Cleanup before Urban Art. The meeting agreed to carry out rubbish pick up and tidy. RB/NB/LB volunteered. LB asked for one more volunteer for 1 hour.                                                                           

.                                               Action: LB

2.2 Freshview/ JA Street Clean. LB reported the combined event on Sat 26 April had been a success. It had been very effective and volunteers had enjoyed it. 13 residents had taken part. The street had been largely cleared of rubbish. Overgrown privet hedges on the evens side of JA and at the access rd at 3 had been restored. At 3 a temporary mesh fence had been placed to prevent access. This would be replaced by a permanent mesh fence and barrier hedges. The volunteers had largely cleared the overgrown fly tip at 58/60 JA and the owner had been issued by Lambeth Environment with a Notice to Clear. His contractors are in the process of completion. Volunteers suggested that the corner plot be maintained in future by residents as a community garden and that a locked gate be installed. A volunteer from the adjacent property and 2 other residents of JA have volunteered to maintain. Keith Naish, Operations Manager
Lambeth StreetCare has suggested this to the owners managing agent who likes the idea and has confirmed that the owner has no plans to develop the plot. NB pointed out that no development was allowed on Rush Common and the plot formed part of the Rush Common.  Sibylle Walter said that the Freshview team had worked extremely hard and the meeting thanked them and Keith Naish for organising the event. GT and LB have written on behalf of the JAG to Lambeth Environment, our councillors and the SNT to express residents’ thanks and enthusiasm for the scheme.

3. Environmental Application Update: Tim Fairhurst reported that interest had been shown by Kingston Uni Landscape Design department in using our proposed revamp as a case study. LB reported that should the preliminary WREF application be successful and should the JAG be invited to apply at the second stage. Deadline August 31 2008, The JAG must enroll with ENTRUST as an EB (Environmental Body). This will require some small changes to the JAG constitution wording. She has a copy of the guidelines for an unincorporated association The meeting approved her proposal that she draft the changes to the JAG constitution, to circulate to those present prior to and to present to the JAG meeting June 12. The JAG constitution requires that any change be made and approved at a Special General Meeting. The meeting agreed that a Special General Meeting be called for this purpose, allowing for the 14 days notice of changes to the constitution and the 14 day period of notice to all members), as soon as possible after June 12.

4. 85 Brixton Hill. GT reported (by email) that a resident “ of 81 Brixton Hill (Block stretching north from #85 BH) suggested that their group should have closer links with JAG and act together more closely on all issues.” GT had invited them to the meeting. LB will ask GT to invite them to the meeting on 12 June.                                                                                                   Action GT

5. Treasurers Report. Nick Berry reported the account balances remain unchanged since the AGM. Roger Blantern presented and the meeting approved the payment of material costs of £47.60 for pillar and lamppost paint. The meeting thanked Roger for his upkeep of the JA and HG pillars.

6. SNT/ Vice Squad: The meeting was very concerned by recent news of the changes in policing on Josephine Avenue and the immediate area as reported at last month’s meeting by Megan Smith (SNT) and by Hilary Box (email 12/04/08) as follows:

”PS Jim Carter, supervisor of the Tulse Hill Safer Neighbourhood Team rang me this morning with something of a bombshell. Due to reorganisation within the police Brixton wide, prioritising gangs, the Vice team has been disbanded. PC Keith Dempster, a long-standing and key member of the community policing & safer neighbourhood initiative, has been moved elsewhere (and has yet to be replaced), as has Nick Head, (Vice Squad). Prostitution is no longer viewed as a priority – I have to stress this is not the view of Jim Carter but he is not the one making the decisions. With the demise of the Vice team, there is even less chance of getting arrests for prostitution or kerb crawling. Jim Carter’s advice is:

“Report all incidents to the police so that they are logged – if enough people complain, the issue will be forced up the list & back on to the agenda.” At the meeting of Brixton Hill residents’ association, prostitution has been ‘promoted’ to most important issue. We need to complain officially, not just moan to each other.

PS Carter pointed out that with the warmer weather, the prostitution problem is going to get worse. This is obviously bad news for JAG & perhaps reveals the true level of commitment from the top to the whole safer neighbourhoods programme. However, there are people trying their best within the constraints of the system, so we should work with them as closely as possible.

PS Jim Carter apologised for not being able to attend recent JAG meetings and hopes to come to the next one. “ 

LB will ask GT to invite Neil Thurlow and PS Jim Carter to the JAG meeting on June 12

Action LB/GT

7. Urban Art: Tim Sutton reported by email:

i) The next URBAN ART MEETING will be held at 1 Helix Gardens, 7.00pm on Tuesday 27th May

ii) Posters need to start going up now. If any residents know suitable places (staff notice boards, school notice boards, suitable places near their work (wine bars, shops, libraries, etc, etc)) please get in touch. I have a whole box of A3 posters, which need to be displayed.

iii) We are still short of volunteers to help out on the Saturday. If anyone can spare an hour or two can they please contact Victoria.

Everything else is pretty much going to plan.

   Action: NB will deliver posters X2 to LB / SW/ EO

8. Any Other Business:

8.1 FWA Pillar.

Elisabeth Owen and Nick Berry asked if there had been any progress with the plan for repair of the pillar at 27 Josephine Avenue by the FWA. LB reported no communication from the FWA since late Feb. She will pass details to NB.  NB will pursue.                                            Action NB

8.2 Parking on the Rush Common Gardens.

EO pointed out that parking of more than 2 vehicles on the originally designated areas of the Rush Common gardens in front of each property had now hugely increased again. She found this a very depressing mis-use of the open nature of the Rush Common. Those present agreed that this was caused by the CPZ, a preference for parking as near as possible to a residence and by the considerable number of conversions to flats and multi-occupancy dwellings, in place of houses. LB said that as a result of the RC Consultatiobn, the Revised Rush Common Guidance had addressed the issue as follows. She suggested that a trial case be brought. 

 “2.45 Indiscriminate parking in the Josephine Avenue area relates to whether any action can be taken on infringements of the 1984 planning permission for the landscaping of Helix Gardens and Josephine Avenue and the laying out of car parking spaces. This matter is being investigated.”

NB felt that the increased parking was an inevitable result of the CPZ, which had otherwise been of benefit. 

8.3 22 Josephine Avenue. Planning Application. The rear extension erected by the developer of 22JA was deemed a Breach and has been ordered removed by the Planning Department. Residents in the adjoining flats are very much relieved at this outcome. The extension was opposed by several residents and very actively opposed by Tim Sutton on their behalf.

9. The next JAG Meeting will be on Thursday June 12 2008 at 7.30pm

     Venue TBA.

The meeting closed at 9.15pm.

ACTIONS:

GT:  Invite Brixton Hill Group/ Neil Thurlow/ PS Jim Carter/ to JAG Meeting 12 June 2008

NB: Hedge cut quote and oversee/ pursue FWA pillar repair/ cheque to RB/ deliver UA posters X2 to SW/ EO/ LB

LB: minutes/ Summer StreetcleanFreshview planning/ JAG EB constitution amendment draft.

SW: Distribute mins with LB

NOTICES

URBAN ART PLANNING MEETING

Tuesday 27th May at 7 pm

1 Helix Gardens

Please come to the meeting if you can help.  

NEXT JAG MEETING 

Thursday 12 June at 7.30pm

Venue advertised on JAG Notice board at 1 Helix Gardens and outside 21 Josephine Avenue.

Everyone Welcome

SUMMER STREET CLEAN/ FRESHVIEW

SATURDAY 5 JULY 10am – 2pm

Start outside 3 Josephine Avenue

Tools Skips and Snacks provided.

URBAN ART FAIR

SATURDAY 19 & SUNDAY 20 JULY

On the Railings of Josephine Avenue