Draft minutes

Cllr Engert welcomed everyone to the meeting of Area Assembly in Highgate.

The Chair advised that written responses had been received from Cllr Canver in response to questions raised at the previous meeting which had been circulated to attendees. Any additional follow up questions should be forwarded to the Neighbourhood Manager.

Muswell Hill library
Confirmation was provided that roof repairs to the library had now been completed and that a programme of redecoration would be undertaken in the new year including improvement work to floors and the entrance foyer.

The Chair introduced Peter Howarth from Transport for London (TfL) and Tony Kennedy from the Council’s Sustainable Transport department to participate in discussions surrounding transport issues in the Archway Road area.

Peter explained that TfL had responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of the road and that as such consideration was being given to improving the Wellington gyratory system which remained an ongoing concern to residents. Consultants had been employed to determine works to resolve traffic issues associated with the gyratory and had generated redesign options requiring major civil engineering works and therefore considered to be prohibitively expensive and not cost effective. TfL were now developing preliminary designs for an alternative scheme to improve the system, with a focus on cyclist safety. Once internal consultation within TfL was completed by Christmas, the plans would be forwarded to the Council in the new year for consultation. Confirmation was provided that the Sustainable Transport department would be consulting with local ward Councillors on the proposals which would be fed into the response to TfL. In addition, it was agreed that Neighbourhood Management would facilitate the feeding in of comments from local residents to the Council as part of the response to TfL.

In response to safety concerns raised about the Shepherds Hill and Archway Road crossing, it was agreed that TfL would provide feedback on the number of tickets issued for traffic violations on the crossing.

Concerns were raised on behalf of shopkeepers on the Archway Road regarding the 1 hour parking restrictions in place in the area from 7am-7pm, which would be the subject of a petition to be submitted to the Mayor regarding seeking to match the hours of operation of parking restrictions in place in the upper part of the Road of 10am-4pm. In response to difficulties experienced by local residents in setting up a site visit with TfL representatives, it was agreed that a site visit would be arranged for the new year to be attended by Peter.

In response to a question regarding plans to be submitted for approval to the Council’s Planning Committee for a residential development located to the middle of the gyratory and the subsequent impact on pedestrian flow etc, confirmation was provided that TfL would comment on any plans submitted.

Concerns were expressed regarding the visual appearance of the fence erected on the stretch of the road from the Woodman pub to Shepherds Hill. Confirmation was provided that the fence had been installed as a temporary measure to provide support and improve stability of the embankment whilst newly planted trees took root. TfL would re-evaluate the need for the fence in the future.

Discussions were held regarding transport issues relating to the facility located on Park Road which provided health services to the west of the borough. TfL advised that consideration had been given to information provided by NHS Haringey on the range of services and catchment area of the Centre when determining the transport provision required. Research had shown that 60% of the catchment population were within a 20 minute bus ride of the Centre and that the primary W7 bus route servicing the Centre operated a high frequency service, including 17 buses an hour at peak times. An additional four bus routes were within a short walking distance. TfL considered that transport capacity in the area servicing the Centre was sufficient but confirmed that it would be subject to ongoing review in consultation with NHS Haringey who retained responsibility for determining adequate transport provision was in place.

Concerns were expressed regarding the suitability of location of the bus stop sited at the brow of Muswell Hill due to the steep gradient. Confirmation was provided that TfL were considering options for relocating the stop and that proposals would be submitted to the Council for consultation towards the beginning of the new year.   

Specific concerns were raised by Highgate residents regarding the lack of bus connectivity in the local area to both the Hornsey Health Centre and the rest of the borough. Confirmation was provided by the Cabinet Member for Environment and Conservation that Councillors and officers were actively working with TfL in relation to cross borough route provision. The Council and TfL were jointly responsible for determining the provision of bus routes in the borough and future funding would focus on establishing holistic transport corridors along with a review of historic bus routes to improve coverage.

In response to concerns expressed regarding the statistics provided by NHS Haringey to determine bus route coverage to the Centre, confirmation was provided by the Chair that representatives from NHS Haringey would be invited to the next meeting of the Area Assembly to address issues of concerns.

The meeting received an update on the recent establishment of a low carbon zone in Muswell Hill following a successful award of funding for the project developed by the Council and Muswell Hill Sustainability Group from the Greater London Authority. The whole house neighbourhood scheme would cover 1000 properties and aimed to achieve a 20% reduction in carbon emissions in the area by 2012 through introducing measures including subsidised home energy assessments, working with local schools to improve energy efficiency etc. In addition an en10ergy Social Enterprise company had been established and would be submitting bids for the funding of further projects. The scheme would require the adoption of an innovative, partnership approach by the Council, local businesses and the community to achieve the challenging targets.

The meeting was advised that a number of locations had been identified within the local area for potential school crossing patrols including North Hill on Storey Road, but that recruitment of lollipop volunteers to operate patrol services in N10/N6 area remained difficult due to the limited hours offered. An ongoing recruitment campaign was underway and attendees were encouraged to raise awareness of the need for additional volunteers in the area to man the patrols within the local community.

Akin Akintola, the Network Area Co-ordinator (West)explained the youth service provisions in the west of the borough. Muswell Hill Youth Club offered informal educational opportunities for young people through sporting, recreational and artistic activities, for example young people have recently produced their own single using the recording studio on site. Sessions for young people were also run weekly at Jackson's Lane in Highgate, Wilton Road Community Centre in Fortis Green and Bounds Green school near Alexandra ward, covering activities such as football, karate, drama, cooking etc. The Exposure youth media charity was located in Muswell Hill and undertook activities including publishing an Exposure youth magazine and video production, advertising, design and internet activities. In addition, personal advisors were located in each school in the area.

In response to a question regarding whether any targeted work was undertaken with young victims of crime, it was confirmed that the Youth Service operated as an inclusive service covering all young people. Support was also provided through the young people counselling service and a specifically funded post within Victim Support, both of which would also signpost young people to other services as appropriate.

The Neighbourhood Manager provided an update on progress with Making the Difference projects being undertaken in the area. Good progress was being made with all projects including the Queenswood frog pond, Muswell Hill Christmas lights and a Chanukah Lights event on 14 December at the crossing of the Alexandra Palace Gate entrance. A board would be provided at the next meeting of the Assembly providing further information on the projects.

Attendees were invited to ask questions of Cllr Haley, Cabinet Member for Environment and Conservation.

Recycling: in response to difficulties expressed by a local resident in purchasing the biodegradable bags to be used inside food recycling cadies, confirmation was provided that a list of local suppliers could be found on the Council website and would be checked for accuracy.
It was also queried how information relating to recycling and the scope of materials that could be recycled was conveyed. Confirmation was provided that information was provided in leaflets, local magazines, on posters and conveyed through door knocking. The Council recycled a large range of materials and additional pilot projects were underway including a project with Sainsburys to recycle batteries. 

Pollution: concerns were raised regarding the health risks associated with the increase in traffic and thereby pollution related to developments in Park Road area. Confirmation was provided that pollution problems were a pan-London problem, partly due to limited powers under the planning approval process to place restrictions on car parking proposals for new developments. The group was advised that a two acre meadow was located behind the Park Road Clinic and had received funding to plant an orchard of apple trees and be developed into a nature reserve. Further information could be found on the Muswell Hill Sustainability Group website.

Administrative boundaries in Highgate: concerns were expressed regarding the lack of a cohesive, co-ordinated approach from Haringey and Camden Councils surrounding the borough boundary line in Highgate. It was recognised that efforts were being made to encourage a more joined up approach both at an officer and member level and that further joint meetings were being encouraged.

Street lighting: the Assembly were advised that the original target to relight the borough by 2010 would not be met due to unavoidable circumstances, with approximately a third of the borough outstanding.

Energy efficiency in Council buildings: confirmed that progress was being made including winning a national award for energy reduction in relation to Smart Metering scheme which would eventually be rolled out to schools.