Minutes 12th March 2002

Present: (There may be some omissions from this list, because person or persons unknown went off with the attendance list!) Gerry Slaughter (in the chair), Gabrielle Garton Grimwood (note taker) Simon Berlyn, Rod Brown, Bernie Bullbrook, Geraldine Evans, Grahame Fearon Wilson, Jeremy Galloway, John MacDonald, Cllr Robert McConnell, Richard Moore, Helen O'Brien, James Slattery-Kavanagh, Daphne Slaughter, Joe Ward, Bill Watling, Cllr John Whelan.
Apologies: Cllr Tony Grayling, Michael Grimwood, Anne Orange, Jane Pickard.

1. Minutes of last meeting and matters arising
Apologies had been received for the February meeting from Gerry and Daphne Slaughter. The minutes were approved. It was agreed that any other matters arising would be dealt with under agenda items.

2. St Luke's Gardens
Simon Berlyn – secretary to the St Luke's working group – described the progress to date. The working group was next meeting on 18 March. It was grateful to the environment sub-group of the Norwood Partnership Board for its grant of £2000 and had now clarified the uses to which it could be put. Rod Brown undertook to check whether the money had now been transferred. Although some members of the working group thought that it had been premature to involve Greenwich University, the working group had now met the students, who were going to develop some design ideas. This was a very open-ended arrangement. Gabrielle Garton Grimwood reminded the meeting that the decision to invite Greenwich University to participate had been proposed and agreed at NAG at a time before the working group had been constituted, when NAG had been the only group taking an active interest. From the university's point of view, the aim of their involvement was to give the students experience in designing community gardens. The university did not expect that any or all of their designs would be used: this decision would be for the working group. Bernie Bullbrook mentioned that another university was similarly involved in redesigning the South London Theatre's foyer. Richard Moore remarked that it was good to encourage students to get involved in community projects.
Simon Berlyn had invited an architectural historian to address the working group's next meeting. In response to a question from the chair, he suggested that the PCC and congregation, the diocese (who would have to grant any necessary faculty), the council (as leaseholder, highway and planning authority), Transport for London, English Heritage, the Georgian Society and NAG would be amongst those groups who would eventually be consulted. The Norwood Partnership Board would be consulted at the appropriate stage. John MacDonald suggested that, given the timescales to which the project was working, the working group should report back to NAG in 3 – 4 months time.

3. Norwood Gardens Competition
Gabrielle Garton Grimwood asked whether any further thought had been given to the administration of this year's competition. The chair confirmed that Anne Orange had some proposals and these would be circulated with the minutes. James Slattery-Kavanagh offered to design posters and to sponsor a prize. Simon Berlyn suggested there should be a new category for most improved garden, to be judged over 2 or 3 years. Cllr Whelan suggested that the competition should be publicised through Norwood Eye and the Lambeth newspaper, to ensure maximum coverage.

4. Any other business
The chair passed on a letter dated 8 March which Anne Orange had received from the Internal Audit and Anti-Fraud Unit. It confirmed that allegations about mishandling of monies for the 1998/89 Christmas lights had been investigated and the matter resolved to the Council's satisfaction: the letter concluded by saying "there are no issues to address". However, Grahame Fearon Wilson had not received a letter dated 5 February mentioned in this letter and so undertook to write again to seek confirmation that this was indeed the end of the matter. It was agreed that the letter of 8 March should be included with the minutes and displayed or summarised on the NAG website, so that people were aware that NAG's probity was not in doubt.
Rod Brown mentioned that it had been decided that the bus route 2 – which often terminates at Brixton –would now do so on a permanent basis, with the route being formally split in two. Lambeth Public Transport Group was at risk of losing half its grant funding from the council and it was agreed that NAG should write to protest.
Rod also undertook to arrange a visit to the CCTV control centre for anyone who wanted to see it in operation.
John MacDonald and Jeremy Galloway expressed concern at the continuing closure of Waylett Place car park, which was damaging local businesses and holding back regeneration: although hardly big enough to be viable, the car park was the only one in West Norwood. Cllr Whelan observed that it had proved impossible to get straight answers from council officers, who had broken their promise to sort the matter out within a month. It was agreed that NAG should write to the chief executive, voicing local people's concerns and seeking an explanation of why it was (apparently) taking months for Lambeth to process the paperwork for the traffic order.
Joe Ward asked that the article in the South London Press on 1 March "Degeneration Game in Norwood" should be placed on the agenda for discussion in April, as it raised many important issues. This was agreed.
John MacDonald reported that the CCTV camera at Auckland Hill seemed at long last to be about to be fixed.
Cllr Whelan reported that (having been asked to do so more than two years ago) the council had initiated a consultation about yellow lines around the entrance to the Pymers Mead (Whitecliff) estate, where there is a commuter/school run parking problem. The council had only sought views from the few houses on the frontage of the estate, but ward councillors had since ensured that all estate residents were consulted. There were now proposals to make Chestnut Road and Chatsworth Way into one-way streets as part of the London bus priority network. Technical plans had not yet been issued and there had been no exhibition, but Cllr Whelan would report in more detail at the next meeting. A public meeting had been held to discuss the problem of on-street parking by Kavanagh vehicles. Officers had pointed out that an existing byelaw prohibits the parking of commercial vehicles in residential roads between 8pm and 6am; the only condition is that signs must be displayed. If residents apply for such signs in affected roads, this would seem to offer a solution to the problem.
Simon Berlyn mentioned the East Place allotments. The planning sub-group of the Norwood Partnership Board had written to the council, urging them to unblock the footpath and protect the land, which had been the subject of a contested public inquiry. It was agreed that this should be discussed again at the April meeting.
Richard Moore observed that Cllr Grayling was the lead councillor for crime.

Enclosures
Report from Councillor Tony Grayling
Letter of 8/3/02 from Lambeth Internal Audit to Anne Orange

From: "Grayling,Tony"
To: "'Finbarr O'Brien'"
Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 1:20 PM
Subject: RE: NAG March agenda
Dear Finbarr,
Unfortunately, I will be away overnight for work so must send my apologies to this month's NAG meeting. A few things to report:
* Shops on Norwood Road have been awarded £312,000 to improve security as part of Lambeth's crime and disorder partnership.
* A bid for match funding to Crystal Palace SRB has been put in, which, if successful, would hopefully make bringing the Old Library back into use viable in partnership with West Norwood Community Development and others.
* I have been chasing the replacement camera on Auckland Hill and am extremely disappointed that it has not yet been put in place, though I am assured that it will be over the next few days.
* A borough-wide survey of potholes is now complete and has identified about 1,500 over 4cm deep and a further 350 2cm deep. There are now three teams working to fill them in, at a rate of about 250 a week if the weather is amenable. This is a short-term solution. In the longer term, we need to sustain a higher level of investment in proper road and pavement maintenance.
* NAG may be interested to know that last week I was appointed as the new executive councillor for community safety, charged with developing crime reduction plans and embedding community safety across the whole of the council's agenda.
Yours sincerely
Tony Grayling
Councillor for Knights Hill
Norwood Link Member
Executive Member for Community Safety