Minutes of the JAG Meeting Wed 10 Feb 2010 Held at : 1 Helix Gdns.

Those present: Garry Turnbull (co-chair), Tim Sutton, Nick Berry (treasurer), Louise Belson (Sec) Gary Cornforth, PS Mike Meekums, PC Raj Patel, (Tulse Hill SNT) Chris van Duuren, Graham Lane.

Apologies: Tim Fairhurst, Anne Brown, Julia Wait, Marcia Cameron, Rachel Gailey, Peter Clasen.

The meeting opened at 7.45pm. Nick Berry chaired the meeting.

1. AGM 2009 Minutes: Addition to the minutes: ‘JAG thanks Grant for his excellent food stall at UA 2009.’ Minutes approved.

2. Police Report: PS Mike Meekums (MM) and PC Raj Patel (RP) reported: 2.1 There had been arson incidents on Josephine Avenue. Police asked residents to be aware of possible risk from parcels left on the open land and gardens or unexpected parcel delivery through letterboxes and asked residents to keep clear and report any suspicious item at once by calling 999. 2.2 There had been an increase in burgleries on Josephine Avenue, Leander Rd and Arodene Rd. Access had been through communal front doors with inadequate security. They advised residents to check that their security was up to standard. 2.3 Police were involved in summer projects with 1 secondary and 2 local primary schools. 2.4 Kerb crawling and prostitution on JA remained low. Police and vice squad are actively working on JA, HG, HR and Brixton Hill area. 2.5 LB said residents had reported both occasional prostitution activity at Water Lane end of JA and drugs being dealt by youths to groups outside 13 JA & at the corner of Water Lane. Reports and descriptions had been given verbally by residents to community police. LB asked if there was now a direct line to the vice squad for residents to use. MM confirmed there was. LB said she would ask for it so that the JAG could ensure residents had it. Action LB LB asked MM if he could report on the meeting of the The Brixton Hill Partnership Action Steering Group on Tues. 9 Feb. 2010.

3. Brixton Hill Partnership Action Steering Group.

3.1 MM said that the meeting had been lively and was very well attended. Residents had expressed considerable concerns about late night noise between 3-4am and garbage strewn about by punters leaving late night licensed venues on Brixton Hill. 3.2 Tim Sutton (TS) said that the Licensing Officer present at the meeting had made reference

to a change in the law that may now allow the evidence of residents living in the general area to be considered in a late night license application, rather than only those living within metres of the premises. The Licensing Officer though, had failed to explain the change to residents. 3.3 MM said that residents must diary events in evidence. GT said that residents had done so but this considerable evidence had been ignored at the last late night license application hearing.

RP said all calls to the police are logged and must be paid attention to by the license committee.

4. JAG Donation - ‘Sudbourne Sevens’.

4.1 Garry Turnbull proposed that the JAG make a regular donation of £300 pa to help fund our local primary schools football tournament. He introduced Gary Carnforth (GC) to those present and asked him to tell the group about the school league and tournament. Gary said that the league involves 26 primary schools, including Sudbourne, Jubilee and Corpus Christi and goes on all year. The tournament is held once a year. This year on Sunday June 13. Local children and teenagers and volunteer adults help on the day but it is a large event to run and two years ago, the project lost its funding. A donation would pay for volunteer expenses and a referee.

The group wished to support the project and residents voted unanimously to donate £300 pa to the Lambeth Primary Schools Football League. Action: GC & NB 4.2 Residents asked if the local children living on JA and with their own football team could be included in the event. GC said that they might be able to be volunteers at the tournament.

LB will report this to residents involved and ask them to contact GC. Action: LB & GC

5. Street clean – Freshview 2010: Saturday 10am-4pm on April 10; May 8 & July 3. 2010

LB reported: dates for 2010 are confirmed. There will not be an autumn date unless residents can confirm they can take part. Community Freshview will supply skips and tools. The Community Payback teams will be involved on each date. Community Freshview won a Capital Clean Up Award for its work on Josephine Avenue in 2009. Community Freshview is Lambeth’s entry for a national award of best practice in Sustainable Environment. Chris van Duuren said that the most important date for a street clean up was autumn because of the need to clear fallen horse chestnut leaves, so to control blight.

6. Urban Art 2010:

6.1 TS reported all except 5 half-size pitches had been sold. 6.2 Lambeth Licensing are still insisting on charging the full commercial rate for temporary road closure, over the weekend of Josephine Avenue between the 2 ends of Appach Rd. This is not remotely affordable. The closure would provide much needed extra space for the event. Many residents and local exhibiting artists have written to Licensing to point out that this is a homegrown community arts event, which should surely be supported by Lambeth rather than hindered. GT & TS will approach the Leader of the Council, Steve Reed, for help. 6.3 CvD said she will run the Sound stage again, provided the space at 3JA is available. She hopes to fund costs through improved the cake and teas sales and will be looking for volunteers to help. . She had paid up front costs herself in 2009 and proposed to the meeting that JAG contribute £100 to help finance set up costs in 2010. Residents voted and agreed unanimously.                                                                                                             6.4 TS said the cake and teas needed better signage and suggested a banner across JA. He also suggested putting maps of event attractions on the lampposts. Action TS & CvD

7. Kingston University/JAG Landscape Joint Project:

Tim Fairhurst reported by email that the design brief had now been completed and received by Kingston.

8.AOB

8.1 GT reported that Chris Rodier had applied to ‘Capital Growth’ for and had received a grant of £500 for tools, topsoil, compost and seeds for the community gardens project on JA. GT thanked Chris.

The meeting ended at 9.30 pm. Residents thanked NB & TS for providing the venue for the meeting.

The next JAG meeting will be on 10 March 2010, 7.30pm at 66 Josephine Avenue (Top Flat)