Draft minutes

Cllr Demirci welcomed everyone and explained that residents will be given the opportunity to determine the priorities for the 2010/11 local area plans.

Achievements, new provisions and future plans for 13-19 year olds in Wood Green area
The North Area Co-ordinator for Youth Services, Deborah Hudson, outlined services available for young people in the area. The Wood Green Youth Centre at the New River Sports Complex  provide programmes of sporting, artistic and recreational activities. Satellite provisions are being provided at Bounds Green School, Shropshire Hall among other local centres.

A participant from the Wood Green Youth Club Gardening project explained the  small gardening project which had developed from a flower arranging scheme and won a youth recognition award.


Business and enterprise opportunities for 13-19 year olds
The Deputy Head of Woodside High School, Arthur Barzey,  said the school’s aim  was to ensure that pupils gained skills to operate in a business environment.  Opportunities included Apollo building contractor’s interview day,  the Safer Neighbourhood Team forensic science experiment day, school bank, Dragon’s Den style competitions and completion of Enterprise Passports. 

Sally Collins from Neighbourhood Management led consultation exercise to refresh Area Priority Plan for 2010/11.  Attendees were asked to identify their three top priorities under a number of categories with the results as follows:

An environmentally sustainable future
1. Clean streets
2. Safer parks and open spaces with more facilities
3. Reducing fly tipping and dumping

People at the heart of change
1. People taking responsibility for and respecting each other
2. People from different backgrounds getting on well together
3. Shared activities for older and younger people

People and customer focus
1. More activities for children and young people
2. Improved services for older and vulnerable people
3. Improving access to local services

Healthier people with a better quality of life

1. Reduce teenage pregnancy + reduce alcohol and drug abuse (joint 1^st priorities)
2. Decent affordable homes
3. Mental health support

Economic vitality and prosperity shared by all
1. Support young people into education, employment and training
2. More local people into jobs
3. Support for local businesses

Be safer for all
1. Antisocial behaviour
2. Burglary and vehicle crime
3. More Neighbourhood Watches and Resident’s Associations

Workshops were led by Neighbourhood Manager; Sonia Edwards aimed at provided more details under each priority. The plan should be available by 1 April 2010.

Sergeant King (Bounds Green) said the key priorities were: road safety, antisocial behaviour and personal safety around travel hubs. Crime was relatively low in Bounds Green. Noel Park and Woodside SNTS were absent.

Haringey Safer Community Awards nominations 2010 for local community activists were requested. For further details see www.haringey.gov.uk  

Icelandic bank investment: How much funds from Icelandic bank has the Council  recovered and where in the pecking order of creditors does Haringey fall?  NM to seek response from Council Officers and inform the resident.

Noel Park conservation projects: Details were requested on how the £2500 Making the Difference Fund had been spent on conservation in Noel Park. Tree planting exercise and the development of Noel Park Historic Conservation Committee Article 4 leaflet to be circulated to all residents of Noel Park are the projects reported the Neighbourhood Manager.

Area Assembly advertising: Absence of information (agenda and details of venue) of Area Assembly  on the Council website. Confirmation was provided by Chair and NM that meetings were advertised through the distribution of approximately 3,000 flyers/posters to local schools, at Drs Surgeries etc. Assurances were given by a Director that all future notices will be on the council’s website.

Cabinet Member attendance: Lack of attendance of Cabinet Members at the meeting. Residents and Councillor Dobbie registered their dissatisfaction of their non-attendance. Apologies were conveyed by the Chair and confirmed that any questions would be forwarded  to the appropriate Cabinet member and that improved attendance would be achieved at the next meeting.

Community festivals: Lack of support from the Council (Neighbourhood Management) hosting of Noel Park festival in the summer. The resident pointed out that a successful festival had recently been held without the help of NM and it  achieved a good turnout. The Chair confirmed that the Council is supportive of  community festivals and initiatives.

The resident requested that the council organise an event which would facilitate community information sharing, how to plan community events session and making funding applications. NM confirmed that they will manage this. The resident also asked Cllr Amin to respond to comments she made in Haringey Independent regarding this project. NM to seek response from Council Officers and inform resident.

Keep Britain Tidy: NM will invite a Keep Britain Tidy representative at the next meeting.