Agenda and minutes

An apologies for absence were received from Councillor C. Harris and Mr Tarpey (Alexandra Palace Amateur Ice Skating Club).

Members of the Committee are invited to disclose any interest they may have in any of the items appearing on this agenda.

Councillors Scott and Thompson declared prejudicial interests in Agenda Item 10 – Great Hall Capacity - as they sat on the London Borough of Haringey’s Licensing Committee.  They would not take part in discussions.

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of urgent business.  Late items will be considered under the agenda item where they appear.  New items will be dealt with at item 10 below.

There was no urgent business to be considered.

(a)                     To receive and approve the applications for membership of the Committee for the 2009/10 Municipal Year, from the organisations listed above.

(b)                     To appoint three representatives of the Committee to serve as non-voting Members of the Alexandra Palace and Park Board.

(c)                     To note the Committee’s Constitution (Attached).

a.         The Committee Manager, Clifford Hart, informed the Consultative Committee that the application form sent to Mr Vaughan (Alexandra Palace Television Society) had been returned. Mr Hart advised that Mr Vaughan, who had not attended a meeting for some years, would no longer be a member of the Consultative Committee.  Further information would be sought from the Alexandra Palace Television Society.

NOMINATED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATIONS

Alexandra Palace Amateur Ice Skating Club                    Mr M. Tarpey

Alexandra Palace Allotments Association             Mr S. Ballard

Alexandra Palace Angling Association                              Mr K. Pestell

Alexandra Palace Organ Appeal                                        Mr R. Tucker

Alexandra Palace Television Group                                   Mr J. Thompson

Alexandra Residents’ Association                                      Ms C. Hayter

Bounds Green and District Residents’ Association         Mr K. Ranson

Friends of Alexandra Park                                                   Mr G.Hutchinson

Friends of the Alexandra Palace Theatre  (Deputy)        Mr C. Richell

Hornsey Historical Society                                                   Mr  J. O’Callaghan

Muswell Hill and Fortis Green Association                        Ms D Feeney

Muswell Hill Metro Group                                                     Mr J. Boshier

New River Action Group                                                       Ms R Macdonald

Palace View Residents’ Association                                 Ms V. Paley

Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians     Mr J. McCue

Warner Estate Residents’ Association                              Prof. R. Hudson

b.         RESOLVED

That the following representatives of the Consultative Committee would serve as non-voting members of the Alexandra Palace and Park Board:

                        Ms V. Paley (Palace View Residents’ Association)

                        Mr N Wilmott (Friends of the Alexandra Palace Theatre)

Mr M Tarpey (Alexandra Palace Amateur Ice Skating Club)

c.         RESOLVED

That the Consultative Committee’s Constitution be noted.

To note the Committee’s Terms of Reference approved by the Council on 22 May 2006 as follows:-

(a)       To give representatives of appropriate local and national organisations the opportunity of full discussion with Members of the Alexandra Palace and Park Board on general matters affecting Alexandra Palace and Park.

(b)       To give Members of the Alexandra Palace and Park Board the opportunity of discussing and explaining to the organisations matters affecting the overall policy and efficient management of Alexandra Palace and Park.

(c)        To promote better understanding between Members of the Alexandra Palace and Park Board, the Palace Management and local organisations.

(d)       To enable appropriate local (and national) organisations to be fully consulted on decisions of direct concern to them.

(e)       To promote the best interests of the Alexandra Palace and Park as a conservation area.

RESOLVED

That the Consultative Committee’s Terms of Reference be noted.

(a)       To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Consultative Committee held on  17^th February 2009.

(b)       To note the minutes of the meetings of the Alexandra Palace and Park Board held on 24^th February, 19^th March and 16^th April 2009.

(c)        To note the minutes of the Alexandra Park and Palace Advisory Committee held on 10^th February 2009.

a.         Minutes of the meeting of the Consultative Committee – 17^th February 2009

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting of the Consultative Committee held on 17^th February 2009 be agreed as a correct record of the meeting

b.         Minutes of the meeting of the Alexandra Palace and Park Board – 24^th February 2009, 19^th March 2009 and 16^th April 2009

            RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meetings of the Alexandra Palace and Park Board held on  24^th February 2009, 19^th March 2009 and 16^th April 2009 be noted.

c.         Minutes of the meeting of the Alexandra Park and Palace Advisory Committee – 10^th February 2009

            RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting of the Alexandra Park and Palace Advisory Committee held on 10^th February 2009 be noted.

Minutes of the meeting of the Consultative Committee – 17^th February 2009

With regard to Minute No. APCC61 (page 15 of the agenda pack) which stated that a review of the Board Strategy formed part of the Governance action plan and strategy, the Chair informed the Consultative Committee that the review of how the Palace and Park were governed had commenced with further away-days planned.   

The Committee expressed concerns about the consistency of Members and the possibility of membership changing as a result of the 2010 local elections and urged for a quick review. 

NOTED

Report of the Park Manager, Alexandra Palace, to update the Consultative Committee on events and works within the park.

Mr Evison (Park Manager) introduced the report on the recent activities carried out in Alexandra Park including the art show during the recent half term holiday and the Friends of the Park open day. 

Mr Evison advised that the Pitch and Putt course was well used and further developments for the facility were planned.

The Bird Watching Group had been awarded a grant to help improve the conservation area and funding had been agreed to improve the boating lake.

Mr Evison informed the Consultative Committee that the Grounds Maintenance contractor had sent surveys to Advisory Committee and Consultative Committee members but the volume of responses had been disappointing.

The Park had been entered in the London in Bloom competition but not yet Haringey in Bloom.  Mr Evison would contact the relevant person to enter Haringey in Bloom.

Consultative Committee Members expressed concerns about how the recently agreed lease for a soft play centre to be operated from the Workshop Building would affect the Grove Café.  Mr Evison reassured Members that the lease included clauses to ensure no take-away sales from the premises were permitted and that only customers with children would be permitted into the facility. 

Professor Hudson asked if there were any fish in the lake.  Mr Pestell said there were some but not many and questioned whether any more fish were required.

Mr Evison agreed to provide Mr Pestell with an exact figure of funding to be provided by The Environment Agency for Boating Lake improvements.

In response to concerns raised about a dead swan in the lake Mr Gill stated that the RSPCB had not highlighted reasons for this in any report.

RESOLVED

That the report be noted.

Report of the Managing Director, Alexandra Palace Trading Limited, to advise the Consultative Committee on forthcoming events to the end of the financial year.

Mr Paul Braybrooke (Alexandra Palace Trading Limited) introduced the report which detailed forthcoming events at the Palace, highlighting the new Freestyle Stake-boarding Festival in October 2009 and the Fresh Thinking Trade Show which was an entrepreneurial event encouraging the start up of small businesses .  The Christmas Ice Show was not yet on the schedule for this year.

In relation to concerns about the late closing time of Miracles of Ministries Conference on the 11^th September 2009, Mr De’Ath explained that the event was for a group of 4,000 to 5,000 people who attended the religious event to pray and sing and assured members that it would not be a noisy event.

Mr Evison noted suggestions that the course for the Cross Country event should not run through the conservation area.

In response to the Consultative Committee enquiring, Mr Braybrooke stated that the recession had impacted bookings at the Palace but overall there was a satisfactory amount of business. Clients holding events at the Palace were offered 2 year contracts and discussions about pricing for events were being held to maximise use of the Palace.

RESOLVED

i.          That the report be noted.

ii.         That the course for the Cross Country event should not run through the conservation area.

Report of the Head of Operations and Events on a variation to increase capacity of the Great Hall for live music/concert events.

Mr Mark De’Ath (Acting Head of Operations and Events -Alexandra Palace), introduced the report which detailed APTL’s proposal to request a variation in the Premises Licence to enable the capacity for live music/concert events to be extended from 7,250 to 10,400.  The additional capacity would mean the Palace could increase hire fees and catering sales.

In response to concerns expressed by the Committee that four additional fire doors (as highlighted in the Health and Safety section of the report) to allow extra capacity would be detrimental to the architecture of the Great Hall, Mr De’Ath informed the Committee that four temporary fire doors had already been installed within existing fire shutters without affecting the structure.

Committee Members concerns that a larger capacity in the Great Hall could give rise to potential noise disturbance and additional traffic on the street were noted.

RESOLVED

That the report be noted.

(i)         Group Presentations

The Chair advised that Consultative Committee agendas would include a brief report and presentation at each meeting from 3 nominated members explaining what the groups they represented were all about and how they related to the Palace.  Consultative Committee Members would be given the opportunity to ask questions after the presentations.

(ii)        Tottenham Carnival

The Chair referred the recent Tottenham Carnival and stated that an opportunity to market the Palace at the event had been lost.  He suggested that a stall advertising Palace and Park activities be set up at future similar events.

The Committee also felt that wider use could be made of the internet and “Google-map” to market the Palace and Park, including the suggestion of a virtual tour and photos of the park and links to residents’ associations’ websites.   Mr Evison agreed and explained that the website for the Palace and Park would be reviewed in the near future.

(iii)       Showcase Event

The Chair proposed that an open event be held, possibly in the Londesborough Room at the Palace, to advertise the organisation and offering an opportunity for members of the public to meet the Board, with associates of both the Advisory and Consultative Committees in attendance, having a small stall and explaining what they were about.

(iv)       Thanks

Committee Members expressed thanks to David Loudfoot (Former General Manager, Alexandra Palace) and Irene French (Former Office Manager and PA) for their many years of hard work at the Palace.

To note the following dates of the Consultative Committee for the municipal year 2009/10:

8^th September 2009

17^th November 2009

16^th February 2010

8^th April 2010

The following dates of Consultative Committee meetings were noted:

8^th September 2009

17^th November 2009

16^th February 2010

8^th April 2010

The meeting ended at 20:30 hrs